ã€ŠArise, O Ye Daughter of Chaosã€‹


 Chapter One: The Three Lights

    Ulrika has tasked me to go hunting for mushrooms. We''re in the Kromaga forest, which is smushed between the northern and southern tribes. I''m standing next to a small divot in the land where the Sahton River splits into two. The divide I''m near flows southeast. It feeds into the White River south of Nebulas. The fork here is known to have plentiful sources of herbs, edible flowers, and mushrooms for cooking. She wants me to pick up any yellow-colored mushrooms. According to her words, these mushrooms are savory when mixed with beef, venison, or fish.

    "I should''ve asked her how much," I say, looking downstream. "Follow the river," I say, quoting Ulrika''s instructions.

    I walk half a mile down the river gathering mushrooms until my sackcloth is halfway full. I''m not sure what kind of look or size she''s going for, so I''m hoping the big ones will be enough for the dish she wants to make.

    As I''m hiking back, I spot Ulrika through the trees to my right, riding my sword as if it is a floating bench. She has her back facing me with her head looking left in the direction of travel. Once my sword reaches the fork of the river, she jumps off and grabs it by the handle.

    "Thank you," she says, then lightly swings it around. "I wonder if I''m worthy to wield his mighty sword." When she says the word, mighty, she slows it down and emphasizes it in volume. I stand quietly while she playfully swings my sword around. She twirls but stops midway when she notices I''m here. "Oh!" She gasps before laughing. "You''re sneaky," she says, pointing her finger at me several times. "How was the search?"

    "Plentiful, I hope." I show her the mushrooms. She takes the sackcloth, grabs two of the biggest mushrooms, then dumps the rest on the ground after putting the two back into the sackcloth. "I''m not feeding a family of four," she says with a light-hearted laugh. "These''ll do." The family remark sounds like a jab at what is to come in our future. Two extra mouths to feed means we''ll have to gather more food. I might have to step up and become the gatherer or, worse, become the cooker.

    "How was your search?" I say. "Could this place be our home?"

    "I don''t know," she says. She sighs and shakes her head while smiling. "It''s not Thaa Alora, y''know?" She says softly. "Do you know what tribes roam around here?"

    "The Fireaeayhs, mostly." She raises one brow and tilts her head to the left. The look of confusion nearly makes me laugh.

    "Who are those?" She lightly chuckles, stepping closer to me. "They sound... scary." Her eyes dart left and right before she gazes at the forest behind her. "Wait a minute. Those are the red eyes and white hair people, right?"

    "Mhmm," I nod. "Like Vahloin."

    "Gods," she shivers in a giggle. "His eyes scare me."

    "Scare?" I scoff when I think about my first time seeing red eyes. "To my knowledge, that Kromagian tribe is the only people in the world who have red eyes and pure white hair."

    "Why do you think that is?" She says as she hands me my sword.

    I shrug my shoulders after manually sheathing my sword in the scabbard on my hip. The northern tribes are a bit of a mystery to me. They rarely cross down into the South to mingle with us. It''s like they live in their own little country that''s separated by the forest. Whatever their case may be, I intend to explore the north before Kromagia is in deep shit in the war.

    We leave the Kromaga forest on horseback and travel several hours back home. It''s late in the night when we make it. With the help of Thyrna, Ulrika begins cooking dinner. Instead of sitting at the table and watching them prepare the food, I insist that they make me help with whatever.

    "Getting bored of waiting for your food, hmm?" Thyrna says, nearly laughing. Ulrika glances at me with the side of her eye with a smile as she cuts vegetables.

    "I wanna learn how to cook," I say.

    "You already know how to cook," she says, rolling her eyes halfway around. Ulrika quietly chuckles with her lips curled in her mouth.

    "I want to cook like her," I say as I rest my chest over Ulrika''s right shoulder as she puts the cut vegetables in a searing pan with oil in it.

    "Like me?" Ulrika says, pitching her voice.

    "Yes," I answer gently, hugging her lower stomach from behind. "Like... you."

    "Okay," she chuckles. "This is easy to remember." She calls this dish, "Fried Vegetable Mix." It''s a simple dish that any child can do. I flip and stir to reach the level of brownness Ulrika wants them.

    "Smells wonderful," Thyrna says, giving me a pat on the back before taking her seat at the head of the table. "Ulrika..."

    "Yes?" Ulrika says softly.

    "You''ve gotten bigger."

    "Bigger...?"

    "Yeah!" She flexes both of her arms and crosses them across her chest to make them look larger. Ulrika mimics the posture. She takes it a step further when she puts her hands to the sky. Her fingers twirl into a fist. All of the muscles in her arms flex, showing nearly every muscular pattern.

    "Gods, I am?"

    "How big are you going for?"

    "I''m not trying to get... bigger. Kaio''s training is a major workout."

    "Gods, Kai," she says, shaking her head with hers closed. "Are you trying to make your wife look like you?"

    "No?" I say accidentally pitching my voice. "I don''t think she would want that."

    "People do mistake me as a man until they hear me talk or closely examine my face," Ulrika says.

    "Does that get bothersome?" Thyrna says.

    I fill their plates and mine with food while Ulrika talks to Thyrna. I go in and out of listening to their conversation because the delicious food keeps stealing my attention every time I take a bite. The pepper, salt, and oil are mixed perfectly with a nice crunch inside the vegetables. After I finish my food, I focus back on their conversation.

    "My brothers kept my secret from the commander about me being a woman," Ulrika says with the left side of her mouth full of food.

    "Seriously?" Thyrna says, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she chews. "Did they ever find out?"

    "After I retired," she says after swallowing. "I thought they would reprimand me."

    "What did they do instead?"

    "They," she says, then pauses to chuckle. "Made sure their knights were men."

    "That''s hilarious!"

    I''m a bit shocked, but who am I to judge the Ambaraites? I know they treated her with respect. No one that I know or she has mentioned has any sort of regret working with her.

    "Anyways." She stands up and collects our bowls to place at the center of the table. "Thyrna could you..." Her fingers wave in and out as her eyes gaze at the dishes.

    "Say no more," Thyrna says, slouching in her chair with a gigantic grin on her face. "I''ll clean this up."

    "I appreciate it," she nods before setting her eyes on me. "I''m gonna take a hot bath."

    As I''m watching Ulrika go upstairs, it dawns on me that she already took one before we made dinner. She doesn''t smell. Is there something going on? Several ideas race through my mind. If something is going on, I''m positive she''ll tell me. Unless it''s something deeper than I realize.

    "Kai," Thynra whispers.

    "Hmm?" I say. I turn my head slightly in her direction to show I''m listening.

    "I''m gonna head out for a bit." Before I can ask why, she tells me she''s thirsty for beer. "Have fun, you two," she says slowly yet pitching her voice in different tones as if she''s singing. "Keep the noise down if you can." She wobbles her ears and puts her finger over her mouth.

    "Wait? Was that what she meant?"

    Thyrna''s quiet laughter doesn''t give me a straight answer. She heads out while I head up the steps. The bathroom door is closed and I don''t see any light flickering underneath the door. I call for Ulrika''s name and knock on the door to see if she''s in there. She doesn''t answer so I say her name before cracking the door open. There''s an unnatural amount of darkness beyond the doorframe. The light from downstairs isn''t illuminating the floor.

    "Ulrika?" I say. "Are you in there?" My voice echoes as if I''m speaking inside a long tunnel. Something is extremely off, and it is putting my anxiety on high alert. I step back and open my hand to call for my sword, but it doesn''t come. My connection to it is gone. "Thyrna!" When I take a glance at the stairwell and look back at the door, I''m staring at three gigantic silhouettes with white glowing eyes. I fall on my ass, trying to run away backward.

    "No," a woman with a high-pitched child-like voice says many times. "We didn''t mean to scare you!"

    "I told you two this would happen if we came to him like this," a second woman with a deeper voice says. "Syren acted the same way."

    "Oh! You''re right! She did!" A third woman says.

    I keep my mouth shut and stay still as they bicker between themselves about reasons why they should approach mortals through normal means like greeting, invitations, or subtle divine introductions.

    "Sisters, that''s enough!" The woman with a deep voice says. "Let us get back to focus." The two eyes on the right rapidly shrink down to my level. They approach me, getting about a foot from my face. I squint and cross my arms over my chest for protection. "Kaioson, I''m not going to hurt you." Her words don''t convince me. For all I know, these might be demons working for Zadione. "Guys... I need help."

    "Let me try," the woman with a higher voice says. The last set of eyes shrinks in size. Her whole figure appears like fire being ignited in a flash. She looks human but with an unusual amount of freckles all over her arms and face. "Hiya, Kaioson! Glad to meet you, sir!" She sticks her hand out for me to shake. "My name is Stratus. We''re angels known as the Three Lights."

    "The Three Lights?" I say.

    "Have you never heard of us?" I shake my head, no. "It''s okay," she says, laughing it off like it''s not a big deal. "Check the city''s library. I''m sure you''ll find books about us."

    "Really?"

    "Yup!"

    "So, you are all like Coreatha?"

    "She was," the third woman says who''s still a gigantic pair of floating eyes. "But now she''s like you because she saved your wife."

    "Ulrika," I say quietly. "Gods! Where is she?"

    "Don''t worry," Starus says, looking up at nothing. "She''s getting ready to bathe. I will give you back to her after we talk."

    "What do you want?"

    "You''ve given up fighting against Zadione," the third says after revealing herself. The other woman stands beside her. She is taller than the rest of them. Her hair is tightly pulled behind her head into an arching ponytail. "You do realize where this war will head if people like you stop fighting," she continues.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Why am I getting the attention from the gods? I don''t want to do this anymore!" I wave them off. "Go bother someone who has nothing to lose."

    "Everyone has something to lose if Zadione wins!"

    "Sinara," Stratus says. "Don''t yell at him."

    "Sorry, sis." She sighs and rubs her eyes to collect herself. "Forgive me, Kaioson. Ever since Coretha contacted you to protect Syren''s daughter, we''ve¡ª"

    "Been your biggest followers," the other woman I don''t know the name of says out of the blue.

    "Followers?" I say after I get to my feet. "What do you mean by that?"

    "Anasha," Stratus loudly whispers. "Don''t embarrass us in front of him!"

    "What? It''s true! We adore him."

    "Oh, great father," Sinara mumbles with her face in her hand.

    I don''t know if I should be humbled by the idea of having admirers from the high heavens or be bothered by the fact they watch me too much.

    "Excuse me," I say. They stop talking and give me their full undivided attention. "Look, take me out of whatever I''m in. I¡ª"

    "No. You''re staying here," Sinara says.

    "Until we said our peace," Stratus quickly says after Sinara.

    "Kaioson," Anasha says, taking a step closer to me and putting her hands behind her back. She stares at me, squinting with her lips tightly puckered, then stops before she talks. "You must know this war will disrupt the vows you made to Ulrika."

    "How do you know about my vow?"

    "We know everything about you," she says, pointing her finger at my chest as she moves to it. I take a step back to avoid being touched. "We know Ulrika wants daughters."

    "Rosalie and Joyce," Stratus says before revealing everything Ulrika wants to do with the cabin in Thaa Alora once we start our family. "We want to make that happen, Kaioson. It''s our job to make things come true."

    "But we can''t if you ignore this war," Sinara says after she morphs behind me. Her head is over my right shoulder. The heat from her cheek radiates as if I''m in direct sunlight. It is warm yet comfortable, like sitting in a sauna. "We want to see people happy to the ones that deserve it." After saying that, she walks around to my front without breaking eye contact. "Do you want that, Kaioson?"

    "I do," I say. "I love her so much that I will try anything to fulfill my vows."

    My love for Ulrika is just as strong as ever. The images I see in my mind of us having a family are enough to bring tears.

    "You are a wonderful man," Stratus says. "Let those tears act as a constant reminder of your goals."

    "Gods." My voice shakes from a sudden surge of fear of how Ulrika won''t take the unfortunate news. "How am I going to do this?"

    "I could talk to her if you want."

    "That sounds," I stop to think how Ulrika will take the news. She''ll probably blow up and get red in the face. Maybe divine words will be the better option. "Please, if you don''t mind."

    "Hold my hand."

    "Okay?" The warmth from her hand radiates just like Sinara''s face. Are they all hot like this? And why are they not sweating? Her hand is dry, yet oddly silky smooth.

    "I''ll be right back."

    Stratus waves goodbye to her sisters. Once I wave goodbye, the void around me blips us back to the second-floor hallway. I''m a few feet from the bathroom. The door is cracked open. I can hear Ulrika singing and water slashing around. I let go of Stratus''s hand to walk into the room. Ulrika is topless, but she is wearing underwear.

    "Ulrika," I say, jogging over to the tub.

    "There you are," Ulrika says, turning around to see me. "Can you warm this up?" The water crystal within the tub has almost spent all of its magic filling the tub. She sticks her hand in the water while I warm the water to the temperature she wants. "Right there." Her hand quickly comes out of the water. "Hey." She flicks some of the water in my face to get my attention. "I looked all over the house for you. Where did you go?" Stratus makes herself known by clearing her throat.

    "Forgive me," Stratus says with her head peaking around the door. "I had to talk with him."

    "Kaio?" Ulrika says calmly. "Who is she?"

    "My name is Stratus, ma''am," she says, then takes one step in the room. "I am an angel." Ulrika tilts her head with her eyes squinted. Then, she stares at me for a long moment.

    "It''s the truth," I say. "I was contacted." Stratus shines like a bright flame, nearly blinding me with a white light.

    "Do you see me now?" Stratus giggles. Ulrika covers her breasts with her arms and drops to her knees.

    "Forgive me for being so blind, your Holiness," Ulrika says, panicking. "And forgive me for my nakedness. I was waiting to bathe with my husband."

    "All is good, Ulrika," she says, trying to hold in her laughter. I can''t help but chuckle a bit at Ulrika''s acting. It''s out of character, but I know she''s not faking it. "I need to speak with you."

    "Oh? Me?" She stands to her feet with one arm crossed to hide her breasts and pulls me close to whisper in my ear. "Am I in trouble?"

    "No," I say, shaking my head. "We need to have a serious talk."

    "Okay? What about?"

    **

    Ulrika doesn''t take going back into fighting well at all. For three hours, Stratus tries to appeal to every emotional position to convince Ulrika to join in fighting the war against Zadione. Ulrika believes in what I initially wanted for us to have. Life within the comfort of our impenetrable kingdom. The more she defends her wishes, the more I feel bad about myself. Her cries for a future life with me are what I hope to accomplish, but she doesn''t see the point in continuing to fight.

    Stratus takes me out of sight and earshot of Ulrika to talk with me in private in the hallway. I relocate us to the stairwell to be more private.

    "Kaioson," Stratus sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. "Ulrika isn''t going to budge."

    "Could the others help?" I say. She opens her mouth as if she''s going to say something, then closes it to ponder for a brief time.

    "Maybe..." Before she begins to speak, I feel a breeze flow in my face. It is strong enough to make her move forward. "Where is that coming from?" My immediate answer is to check on the front door. It''s closed, including the windows. "Hold on," she says with her finger on her lips before tickling the air. Something white like wisping fog goes around her fingers. The trail leads up the steps and down the hallway.

    "What is that?"

    "It''s.. the air?. It''s being manipulated by magic." She heads up to the top of the steps to look down the hallway. "There''s a door open at the end of the hallway."

    "Ulrika, this is private," I say. The airflow suddenly stops and then flows. "Ulrika..."

    "Go ahead and talk," Ulrika says. Her voice whispers in echoes.

    "Kaioson," Stratus says in my head. "I''ll try and see if my sisters can convince your wife."

    "And if that doesn''t work?" I say in my head.

    "You''ll see me at the end of the week."

    Stratus vanishes into smoke from her head down to her feet. The warm smoke flows around me, heading down the steps. It vanishes before it reaches the last step. I head straight to my room where Ulrika is. Her magic continues flowing until I stand in the doorway of our room. She quickly puts her hands into her lap, leaving her thumbs crossed over her crotch.

    "Oh," Ulrika says, then glances past me. "Where is she?"

    "Gone," I say and close the door behind me.

    "Good!"

    "Good?"

    "Gods," she says, muffling her voice through her teeth. "I thought you said you were done with this!" She screams. "Why?! Why do you want to go through this again?!" She''s red in the face. The veins in her forehead are showing. "I thought we settled to live here?!"

    "We did... but¡ª"

    "Don''t but me, Kaioson!"

    I receive a stern warning to keep my mouth shut while she rants to me again about why what I''m doing is wrong. To her, I am double-minded. She''s set in her ways, and I don''t think I''ll succeed in changing her mind. I might have to set off on my own to fight the evils of that demonic, ungodly cult. She''ll hate me dearly if it comes to it. All I can do is hope she''ll see that her husband is keeping his vows and actively making them come true.

    **

    For six days, Stratus''s sisters talk with Ulrika. Every other day, Ulrika comes yelling at me about how annoying they are and wishes they would leave her alone. I keep my comments to a minimum to prevent her from being more pissed off. On the seventh day, Ulrika and I head home after eating out. I see all the sisters standing at the front door of the house. They don''t look happy at all. Stratus has her arms behind her back while the rest of the sisters have their arms crossed over their chests.

    "By the gods!" Ulrika says. "I''m getting the watchmen!"

    "Hey," I say, grabbing her by the arm before she can walk off. "There''s no need for that, my love."

    "He''s correct," Stratus says. "We''re only here for Kaioson."

    "You''ve made your point. We accept that you won''t get involved," Sinra says.

    "What do you want with him, now?" Ulrika says, clutching me close to her. I try to nudge her off. She retaliates by holding me tighter.

    "Rhyndac wants him to accompany her for a mission," Anasha says.

    "What?" Ulrika and I say together.

    "She wants you," she points at me before pointing towards her left. "At Khasar. She''ll disclose the details once she sees you."

    "Khasar? Where''s that?" Ulrika says to me. I tell her it''s a city near the western wall. "Is it far away?" She says, looking at everyone. I''m unsure how far that place is. I have never gone that far east.

    "It''s a day and a half ride," Stratus answers for us. "I can take you to Rhyndac''s home through a portal. She''s expecting you today."

    "Today?" Ulrika says, cracking her voice. "You''re not leaving today... right?"

    "I am," I say. Anasha snaps her fingers twice and turns my plain clothes into my bounty-hunting gear. Sinra flashes in and out of existence faster than I can blink. In both of her hands, she holds my sword and dagger. She fastens my dagger and sword on my body, then adjusts my protective collar.

    Ulrika watches Anasha check every part of my protective pieces as if she''s seeing something horrible. She''s frowning with her mouth somewhat open and her brows are pressed upward. The more Anasha continues checking my stuff, Ulrika''s judgmental gaze slowly gets worse. She looks at me, shaking her head in disgust. One single eye roll is enough to make me snap.

    "Stop giving me that look," I say when I look away out of fear of looking Ulrika in the eyes.

    "So," Ulrika scoffs. "You''re just going to leave me to fight, huh?" Anasha abruptly stops what she''s doing. Her fingers quickly retract into her hands, and she takes one giant step back to allow Ulrika to stand between us. "Look at me, Kaioson," she whispers in aggression. The second I do, she pulls me closer by the straps of my pants. She stares at me without blinking for an uncomfortable moment before speaking again. "There is so much on my mind right now that I''m speechless." I stay silent in hopes she''ll find the words. Plus, I''m scared if I do, she''ll yell. "Do you love me?" She asks calmly, then says it again, but softer. "Do you love me?" I nod to say I do. "Let me hear you say it."

    "I love you, Ulrika."

    "Why do I feel like you don''t?"

    "Don''t mistake my decision as an act of unfaithfulness."

    "Don''t go back into this stupid war."

    "My mind is set."

    "Please!" She holds me tight, pressing me into her body. "Stay. Let''s start a family."

    "Ulrika..."

    "Kaioson..." She lets me go, steps back, and holds her stomach by crossing her arms. My heart sinks into my stomach. The sensation in my lips begins to tingle as my heart rate increases. "Let''s do it... Right now..." Something within me finds her offering to make love now arousing yet pisses me off.

    "We can''t."

    "Kaioson!"

    "I got to go." I only get to walk three steps before she jumps in front of me.

    "Wait!" She puts her hands on my chest, adding more resistance.

    "Ulrika, I must."

    "No, you don''t," she weeps. "Others can fight for us!" She yells then softens her voice to speak privately in my ear. "Just, take me to your bed. Let''s not delay this moment anymore."

    "Enough," I say, trying to gently push her out of my way. She can''t force me to stay put. Her strength is almost enough to make me struggle to take a single step. "Move out of my way."

    "Kaioson, stop!" She screams. Her voice echoes through the neighborhood. I stop dead in my tracks and watch her quietly weep with her head down on my chest. Her tears soak through my shirt. "I''ll come. I''ll come..." I sigh, aggressively rubbing my brows.

    "You said you were done fighting."

    "I am."

    "Then why did you say that?"

    "Because," she says, lifting her head. She blinks once, sending the remaining tears down her face. "I can''t live without you," she says, then clears her eyes with her hands.

    "Don''t be silly," I chuckle. "You''ll live on."

    "I''m serious." She''s not smiling. "If I lost you... What''s the point of living?" Not one word is a stutter. Her voice is calm and precise. "You''re everything to me, and it saddens me you''re doing this again."

    "But¡ª"

    "But you''re doing it for us," she says, almost taking the words out of my mouth.

    "I was going to say I was doing it for you." She smirks but only for a second.

    "No, you''re not."

    "But I am," I say, softening my voice while I hold her close to my body. Her arms crossed in front of her chest. Even though she''s not holding me, she''s snuggling her face against my chest. We stay like this for a minute without saying a word before she decides to move away.

    "I''m going to pack my things."

    "I can instantly give it to you, Ulrika," Stratussays.

    "Don''t you dare!" She says, firmly pointing at Stratus and the rest of them. "I don''t need your help." When she walks past them to enter the house, Sinra opens her mouth to say something, but Ulrika tells her to shut her mouth. I bite the corner of my lip and cross my arms tight over my chest to prevent myself from reacting in any sort of way.

    "Well," Stratus says as she skips over to me. "I wasn''t expecting that. I truly thought she wasn''t going to go."

    "She''s," I pause to laugh at how clingy and supportive Ulrika is to me. "Never mind."

    After some time passes, Ulrika comes out all geared up. Sinra attempts to say something before Ulrika passes her. Ulrika shuts her up again by facing her palm at her and turning her head away. It worries me to see her shun angels away and show signs of mild hostility towards them. I feel like I''m on the precipice of witnessing an explosive outburst if one of them tries to talk to her.

    "Come here," I say with a gentle yet stern tone, with my hands out for Ulrika to grab. She refuses to hold them in the cutest way possible. She puts them on her cheeks and momentarily pushes them to pucker lips. After that, I smooches my right palm. "Are you sure about this? Don''t come if you don''t want to."

    "I''m not going to sit in that house worrying sick while you risk your life alone out there," Ulrika says, mildly yelling at me.

    "Alone? I''ll be with Rhyndac."

    "I can''t in good faith let Rhyndac be your partner," she says before showing her disgust by gagging twice. "Hayden is a better candidate."

    "Hayden?" I laugh out loud in one breath. "That cocky man would be the death of me."

    "He''s cocky, but," she stops to flick my nose and poke it. "Also skillful."

    "Seriously?"

    "Mhmm!" She smiles with her lips curled in her mouth. I''m stumped on why she thinks that. Hayden is a fool, but knowing her investigative insight into people, she might know something I have yet to see about him.

    "Okay," I say to submit to her intuition. "So... Are you ready to go?"

    "Take us to Rhyndac," she says to the sisters.

    "Good luck, you two," Anasha says, waving goodbye.

    "A thousand blessings for your success," Sinarasays.

    Stratus opens a portal in front of a house behind Ulrika. Ulrika wastes no time stepping through. Before I can get the tip of my toe in, Stratus suddenly appears to my left with her holding my forearm. She stands on her toes to whisper in my ear a promise that if Ulrika and I are in a dire situation that we will not perish. When I ask her why, she answers by saying, "Blame Coretha for making us adore you. And it''s our job to award blessings."

    "I don''t know what to say," I say, feeling immense gratitude for having so much divine help throughout my life. I''m lucky to have their sights on me, but I''m worried about them falling into the same fate as Coretha. If they lose their powers, then who will save me or Ulrika?

    "First," Stratus says, lightly pressing her knuckles on the left side of my cheek. "You can stop looking at me with so much worry."

    "Forgive me. I fear you and your sisters about helping us."

    "Don''t worry about us or what we will do," she waves like she''s wafting the air. "Focus on trying to defeat Zadione." She guides me through the portal and shows me three bluish-white glowing fingers. "We''ll be watching." The portal closes as fast as someone can clap their hands, creating a muffled thunderous bang.

    "That''s going to wake up the neighborhood."

    "Speak of the devil," Ulrika says. I look at her, thinking I''m being called out, but she''s looking at Rhyndac in the doorway.

 Chapter Two: Drowland

    "What a surprise seeing you here," Rhyndac says, walking up to Ulrika.

    "Really?" Ulrika says.

    "No," she chuckles softly. "You''re like a dog who always follows its master."

    "You watch your tongue bitch," she warns, pointing her finger at Rhyndac. "I am his wife and I will support him no matter what."

    "Even if you despise it?"

    "Yes," she says, putting her finger down.

    "Love is so stupid," she says, then giggles without any restraint. "I''ll be right back. I need to make sure I get what I need from inside. You guys can come in if you want."

    "We''ll stay out here."

    "Oh," she scoffs. "Supportive and the speaker for her husband," she says to her, then looks at me. "You can come in and get out of the sun."

    "I said¡ª"

    "It''s fine," I say to cut off Ulrika before she gets riled up. I wait for Rhyndac to close the door behind her before addressing Ulrika. This will be the second time I have to correct that behavior.

    "Gods, that woman vexes me," Ulrika says.

    "You need to stop speaking for me." When I remind her about the first time, her eyes shoot open. She tightens her lips, crosses her arms, and averts her eyes to the ground. "Need I remind you?"

    "No, my love."

    I step out into the street to cool off my annoyance by checking out my surroundings. The neighborhood looks wonderful here. I''m shocked that I have never come here before. The stone roads are clean enough to walk barefoot on them. Every gentle, loving insect is out and flying about. The colder months are fast approaching, and these colorful insects will soon have to migrate west of this wonderful kingdom.

    "Rhyndac!" Ulrika shouts while banging on Rhyndac''s door. "Let''s go already!" My docile viewing pleasure turns to quick annoyance at the fact that Ulrika and I are still waiting. "Rhyndac!" She goes for another bang, but the door opens quickly. Her fist slams down into Rhyndac''s left breast. Rhyndac''s body tenses up, and her eyes tightly close for a short second.

    "Ouch," Rhyndac says slowly. A man peeks over her head and then steps back out of my line of sight.

    "Who was that?"

    "My handyman," she says, smiling when she shuts the door behind her. I find that statement hard to believe, knowing how seductive her personality is. That man is probably her willing concubine.

    "Really now?" I say to challenge. "You know whoremongering is against Kromagian law."

    "You don''t say?" She chuckles. "I better make sure I continue following the rules," she says with a hint of sarcastic sass. "Oh, Kaioson," she says, slowing down the pronunciation of my name. "Do you still think of me that low?" She stands next to me with her elbow, leaning on my horse, holding her hand up to her head. "Well, do you, sweetie?"

    "Don''t call him that," Ulrika says, giving Rhyndac a stern point. "You''ll only direct him as Kaioson."

    "Is she okay? She''s acting like she''s still in control of you, " she says in my head without moving her mouth. "You won''t hear me say that again," she says, still in my head while looking at her before turning back to me. "Alrighty then," she says out loud, grinning and quietly giggling. "Let''s go on this journey." She sits behind me on my horse with the assistance of a magical thrust. Her arms suddenly wrap around my waist as she scoots close enough to press her breasts against my back.

    "Hey! Ride your own horse!"

    "It''s better we ride like this, Ulrika. Fewer horses to look after." That suggestion makes me smile at how smart that is. Ulrika looks at me like she wants me to say something.

    "Kaioson..."

    "Hop on your horse, Ulrika," I say to avoid them arguing. Ulrika presses her lips to show me how flustered she is. I roll my eyes at her and start heading down the road without waiting for her to mount.

    "Wow, Kaioson," Rhyndac quietly says with her chin over my shoulder. "She looked very unhappy with that." Her perfume hits my nose without remorse. My nostrils tingle from the sweet, flowery scent. It doesn''t smell like any flower I know. It is weak yet powerful to continually linger without fading its potency.

    "She''s," I pause.

    "Protective."

    "That''s correct," I say, looking behind me to Ulrika slowly galloping closer to me. I wave my head to tell her to pick up the pace. She kicks her horse to make it reach me within a few seconds. "Okay, Rhyndac. Where am I going?"

    "Before we start, get off, my husband," Ulrika demands calmly yet sternly. "Stop holding him like he''s yours."

    "Ulrika, enough."

    "But, Kaio!"

    "Stop." She shows me her frustration with a tongue click, then whines something under her breath. For a woman a few years older than me and a bit more mature, that is the most childish reaction I have seen.

    "Alrighty then," Rhyndac says. "Just head straight for the White River. That''ll be our first stop."

    "All right."

    The White River splits Kromagia from the Lavalnora mountains. Several miles beyond it is where the Drows live. Ulrika and I know nothing about their race. History, eating habits, culture, and thoughts toward humans are unknown to us. Rhyndac explains all of my burning questions in great detail. She even manifests a history book to do some light reading when I''m not galloping through valleys.

    "Kaioson, check this out," Rhyndac says in my head. The history book levitates near my lower stomach. To the left of the page is an illustration of a woman touching a male elf''s face inside some sort of pond. He''s on his knees with his head tilted back, shirtless. I can''t tell if he''s scared or not at all. The woman touching is smiling. Her long shirt covers her entire body and submerges in the water. It is damp and transparent. I almost see her figure through it. To the right of the image is a long paragraph written in a language I don''t understand.

    "What am I looking at?" I say.

    "Ahdemnain," she continues in my head, pointing at the first word. "It''s Zadione creating the first of our kind."

    "But, this is an elf, right?"

    "He was. That''s Nessie Cralvan. He''s the forefather of my race."

    "You''re kidding?" I say after I turn my head to the left to look at her. She smiles and shakes her head, no. "What else does this book say?"

    "Kaio," Ulrika says, cutting Rhyndac off.

    "Yes?"

    "What are you two talking about?" For a second, I almost forgot that Rhyndac hadn''t said a word out loud this entire time. "Are you two speaking in private?"

    "No," I say, showing her the book. "I was wondering what she was showing me."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "Oh." Her response doesn''t sound like she''s happy with that answer. She averts her eyes forward, closes them, takes a quick breath, then smiles on exhale. "Do you mind if I know what you two are talking about?"

    "Here," Rhyndac says. The same book that''s in front of me duplicates and flies over to Ulrika. "Read along, child." Ulrika snarls and rolls her eyes before directing her attention to what''s on the page.

    "I can''t read this shit," Ulrika says. "What the fuck am I looking at?"

    "Ease your tone. Why do you sound agitated all of a sudden?"

    "You fucking know why," she says, leaning towards us. "I''ve been watching you carefully for miles."

    "Ulrika," Rhyndac grunts in a sigh.

    "Kaioson, stop for a moment." I click my tongue a few times to stop my horse without using the reins. Ulrika swings her horse to face the opposite way and puts her horse close to mine. She stares down Rhyndac with a threatening gaze. "I''m going to say this once. Get off his horse, now."

    "I''m going to say this once. Get off his horse, now."

    "Ulrika? What''s going on?" I say, feeling confused with a bit panicky. I don''t know what it''s acting like. There is nothing in my mind to make her look this threatening.

    "Really, Ulrika?" Rhyndac says, resting her head on my back. "We''re stopping for this?"

    "Yes!" Ulrika shouts. "I can''t stand how you touch him like you are familiar with him!"

    "Ulrika," I say, calmly touching her thigh. "There is no reason for this."

    "Kaioson," she chuckles as if she wants to scream at me but chooses to withhold her anger. "Don''t do this."

    "Do what exactly?"

    "This is pointless. Kaio, please. Continue riding." The second I look ahead of me, Ulrika says something under her breath. I look back at her to see if she''ll say it again or say something different. "It''s just a name. It isn''t exclusive."

    "She has no right to call you by your nickname." Rhyndac seems to find her frustration amusing. She''s smiling. I don''t think it''s something to smile about. Ulrika is acting extremely possessive. If I don''t calm her down, things might turn hostile.

    "Rhyndac. Take my horse." I hand over the reins to Rhyndac once I step off. "Follow," I say to Ulrika once I hop on her horse. She proceeds to follow Rhyndac without making any sort of fuss. "No complaints?"

    "Hmph," she hums softly. I take that as a nonverbal satisfaction. To ensure the tension between them stays level-headed, I ask Rhyndac to continue talking about her book. She sits backward on the horse to face us before reading.

    "Where was I?" Rhyndac asks, smiling tightly with her lips tucked in her mouth.

    "Nessie Cralvan," I say. She snaps her finger and points at me to confirm I''m correct.

    "And speak out loud," Ulrika says, firmly pointing her finger at Rhyndac.

    "Fine," Rhyndac chuckles before suddenly stopping when at something far in the distance behind us. "What do we have here?" Ulrika and I turn around to see what Rhyndac is seeing. I don''t see anything behind us, yet she''s fixated on something.

    "What do you see?" Her blue eyes darken for a full second before returning to normal. "Are we in danger?"

    "Maybe. Keep riding at this pace."

    "Why? We should ready ourselves," Ulrika says, slowing her horse and turning it around. My horse stops without my command. Rhyndac''s eyes turn dark blue again while she waves her hands as if she''s speaking with someone. She waves both of her hands inward, and a sudden portal appears. Four drows on horseback emerge with swords in their hands. Ulrika and I draw our weapons. Three have dark skin like Rhyndac, but their hair is black. One drow has icy blue hair and white face markings.

    "Guys! Guys! Easy!" Rhyndac says before putting her attention to the drows. "Please, excuse my friends for their caution, brethren."

    "What are Kromagians doing here?" The blue one says.

    "We''re heading to Fasshara."

    "Where heading that way too." He speaks something to the drows around him. They sheathe their weapons and pass us without making eye contact. "Follow. We''ll take everyone there."

    Once the blue-haired drow rides past Rhyndac, she immediately speaks in our heads to put our swords away to avoid attention. My horse again moves on its own, following them without my command.

    "Why is my horse..." I say.

    "It''s me," Rhyndac chuckles.

    Several hours later, in the dead of night, we make it to Fasshara. Unlike the cities I know, this place is within a valley. I wish I could see more of the structures around me. This place isn''t well-lit except for what I think is a castle on top of a cliff to my south. The western wall has three blue-illuminated windows. So far, I''m unimpressed. I''ll have to wait until the sun lights the skies.

    We travel two more miles before reaching Rhyndac''s first-owned home. Her house lights up inside as if someone lit all the candles. The door opens right before she walks into it. I can sense massive amounts of magic emanating from her home.

    "You feel that too, right?" Ulrika asks when I step off the horse. "It''s... everywhere." Suddenly, our bags disappear and then reappear inside Rhyndac''s home. She floats them out of sight as she walks by the door barefoot. "Okay?"

    "Come on, guys! Make yourselves at home!" Rhyndac says.

    "Let''s go," I say, offering my hand to help Ulrika off her horse. "I''ll tend to the horses." Once I secure our horses to a nearby tree, I step inside Rhyndac''s cozy, well-kept home.

    "Here are your rooms. I''ll be across the room," Rhyndac says, keeping her eyes on me when she walks between Ulrika and me. "Bathroom is within the room." Before she closes the curtains to her room, she says, "Goodnight. Busy day tomorrow." Ulrika and I look at each other, sigh in unison, then walk into our rooms to sleep.

    The next morning, I awake to someone''s low rumble voice coming from the back of the house and the smell of freshly baked bread. There''s another voice, but it is higher. It sounds like Rhyndac, but I''m not curious enough to see what''s happening. Seconds later, they stop talking.

    "Good morning, sleepy head," Rhyndac says in my head. "Wake up, Ulrika, and clothe yourselves. Dreca is here." I whisper Ulrika''s name until I see her break out of her slumber. Her brows flex down into her eyes. She presses her nose into my chest, rubs, and claws it before opening her eyes.

    "Rhyndac wants us," I say, keeping my voice soft. "Did you sleep well?" She nods her head yes. "Rhyndac has Dreca here."

    "Ah. The champion?" Ulrika mumbles. "Good thing we don''t have to go through the trouble of finding him."

    "Lucky us." I remain in bed without moving a muscle until she decides to sit up. After a five-minute snooze, we head into the kitchen.

    "Ah, you guys are finally up," Rhyndac says, getting up from her seat at the table. She''s wearing a black, somewhat see-through nightgarment. Her nipples and crotch are covered by the design of the fabric. Dreca is in the right corner of the room, sipping on something steamy. He''s wearing an unbuttoned long-sleeved red shirt. He''s muscular but not as big as me. The left side of his long black hair is in a braid in four strands. Each tip has a golden ornament locking the twists in place.

    "What in the gods are you wearing?" Ulrika says. Dreca looks down at Rhyndac with a smirk on his face.

    "It''s my robes, Ulrika," Rhyndac says with her hands on her hips.

    "You wear that around the house?"

    "All the time," Dreca answers. He puts his cup on the table and approaches Ulrika with his hand in front of him.

    "I''m not shaking it."

    "Wow," he chuckles as he puts his hand down. "Rhyndac, you were right." Rhyndac taps her chair and tells us to take a seat. We don''t talk about the problem at hand until everyone finishes eating breakfast. "So... what is this about?"

    "Do you know what''s going on beyond the mountains?" Rhyndac says.

    "I hear a war is brewing," he says after chugging the rest of his tea. "Wait! Don''t tell me." He pauses for dramatic effect with his palms out to Rhyndac and the rest of us.

    "Get on with it, Dreca."

    "Fine. Why should I?"

    "Because Zadione is a crazy bitch," Ulrika says, taking two steps closer to Dreca.

    Dreca goes on a lengthy tirade about tribal issues he''s been dealing with for two years. Apparently, we are in the middle of an ongoing civil war with several independent tribes and united tribes who are loyal to Zadione. The independent tribes despise Zadione''s actions to start a war. They don''t agree with her becoming the sole goddess of the mortal realm. In my eyes, they''re essentially fighting to keep their free independence and avoid becoming our enemy.

    "Rhyndac, is our mission to aid the independent tribes?" I say.

    "It wasn''t until the loyalist showed up marching past Fasshara''s borders this morning," Dreca says.

    "I wanted to use both of you to deter their advancing armies while I portal anyone seeking asylum," Rhyndac says. "Now we''re going to have to improvise." Dreca crosses his arms and slouches back in his chair, all while looking at Rhyndac. I''m getting the feeling he doesn''t have the slightest idea of what to do.

    "What''s our first move, Rhyndac?"

    "You two," she says, using her index finger and pinky to point at me and Ulrika. "Will enforce security."

    "Are you nuts?" Dreca scoffs. "Two Kromagian chunks of meat will cause a stir."

    "Don''t worry," she giggles through her nose. "I don''t plan on letting them out there looking like that."

    "What are you planning?" Ulrika says.

    Rhyndac waves her hands in a quick sequence at us. The skin on my hand begins to turn dark purple as if I''m soaking in the pigment. Thin white reflective lines swirl up my arms. When I look over to my right to see how far the line is going, I spot Ulrika going through the same transformations. A light-colored purple pigment rushes up, changing her skin as if the sunlight goes behind a cloud. She becomes darker yet lighter than me. Her ears stretch to a point as her eyes match the color of her skin. Everything about her remains intact. Her muscles, hair, face, and height stay as they are. I touch my hair to see if anything has changed for me.

    "I didn''t change that, Kaioson," Rhyndac says. "That texture is pretty common here."

    "So," I say," touching and pinching the skin on my arms. "I guess this''ll work." Rhyndac sits up to tug on my cape. She leans to her right to glance at Ulrika, then says, "You two need to ditch your capes. You can leave them here."

    "No way," Ulrika says, crossing her arms. "This is a gift from him," she says as she points at me with the side of her head. "Just use your illusion magic to hide it."

    "So be it." Rhyndac touches each of our symbols to make them vanish into the fabric. "Perfect! You two are Daracon!"

    "What?"

    "Drows," Dreca says as he stands out of his chair. "I''ll be at my post," he says in Rhyndac''s ear after giving a light kiss on the top of her head. "I''ll see you soon."

    "Go," she playfully shoos him away. He walks out the front door and closes it behind him. Her eyes stay fixated on it for a short moment before they snap to me. "Time for us to get back into the thick of it."

 Chapter Three: Tribal Stir

    Ulrika and I watch a line of asylum seekers fleeing a drow civil war. We flank the three-body-wide lane on each side. If someone gets rowdy, we tell them to be silent, according to Rhyndac''s command. If the crowd gets physical with anybody, including us, we are ordered to pacify. Rhyndac has to methodically check all records to make sure no criminals or unwanted individuals run wild through Nebulas.

    "Kaioson, Ulrika, how''s it going out there?" Rhyndac says in my head. Ulrika stops patrolling and touches the side of her head after Rhyndac stops speaking.

    "Did I just hear that?" Ulrika says without moving her mouth. She looks at me and I nod to tell her she''s correct. "Uh... everyone is so far acting cordial. How''s everything going in there?"

    "Working as fast as I can," she says after sighing.

    Ulrika and I continue to keep the peace. Slowly, the line begins to get shorter. I can see the end of it beyond the main doors. It looks like the last drows in line are a couple and their two children. I stand near the door and wait for them to get it before closing it. They walk in, and after a minute passes, I lock the door behind them.

    "Rhyndac, can you hear me?" I say out loud.

    "Mhmm. Is there something wrong?" Rhyndac says.

    "I''m behind the last few. I didn''t see anyone waiting outside."

    "Wonderful."

    Since everyone is behaving calmly, I relax a bit from being on high alert. Ulrika doesn''t look like she''s letting her guard down. She''s constantly watching the rest of the drows. Her palm is always soothing the pommel of her sword. I can''t tell if she''s on edge or taking her job seriously. Either way, I find it funny. I curl my finger to make her come and stand with me.

    "Yes?" She says, then turns around to face her eyes on the line.

    "You''re taking your job seriously," I say, massaging her shoulders. "Too seriously."

    "Look at where we are." I check my surroundings while she continues talking. "I''m in unknown territory watching for threats." She momentarily points at the door with her thumb. "There''s a civil war out there and the enemy is winning," she says softly before whispering in my sensitive ear. It flexes towards where her mouth is without me controlling it. "And, look at me. I''m a fucking dark-looking elf."

    "Drow," I whisper through my teeth with my mouth inches from her ear to correct her out-of-ear shot from the drows. Her ear smacks my nose. She leans back, cupping her ear with her hand. Her eyes bulge open, yet her flexed brows are keeping them open fully.

    "Uh... It moved on its own."

    "Strange, isn''t it?"

    "Gods, I hope I don''t have to stay like this for too long." Before I can get a word out and ask her why she doesn''t want to keep wearing the disguise, she expresses a particular concern that makes us blush. "I think I''ll be able to kiss you."

    "Ulrika," I chuckle. "I''m still me."

    "I know, but I didn''t fall in love with a... drow." Her loyalty to my original appearance is unshakable. It''s cute to know how much she''s truly into me, that if I were of a different race, she''d be hesitant to show me minimal love. "Gods," she shivers and sticks her tongue out for a second. "I just had a terrible thought," she chuckles.

    "What was it?"

    "It was¡ª" She suddenly stops when the front door flies open. Dreca and three sword-wielding armored drows step inside, panting like dogs after running outside during a hot day.

    "Rhyndac isn''t done?" Dreca says. "I could use her help right about now."

    "What''s going on?" I say.

    "Zadione''s followers are attacking the outer cities. This place will become a battleground soon."

    "How soon?"

    It doesn''t take long for me to hear the faint sounds of warcries and mass hysteria in the distance. These ears are extremely sensitive. It sounds close, yet they''re extremely far away. I can hear clamorings of metal-to-metal contact, heavy boots with clanking armor, and something that sounds heavier in tone.

    "What is that?" I say.

    "What''s what?" Dreca says.

    "Those low sounds." He turns around and pushes his ears forward to listen.

    "Sheilds. Full body ones." If that''s true, it will make combat complicated. Those types of shields are usually thick and unpenetrable. They''re heavy, but if the user is skillful in manipulating the weight, their defense will be hard to break. The best solution is to avoid one-on-one engagement. Two or more attackers will have to work together. One distracts while the other flanks from behind.

    "Ulrika, watch over them. Then tell Rhyndac that Dreca needs her help," I say. I''m going to help out as much as I can."

    "Be careful," Ulrika says, hugging me for dear life. Don''t go doing something stupid that''ll give me a heart attack, you hear?"

    "Yes ma''am," I say before getting cut off halfway in my sentence by her pressing her palm over my mouth. "I still can''t say it?" I say with a muffled voice.

    "No, not ever," she says, smirking. "As soon as I''m done, I will come with the whirlwind."

    "I''ll see you soon."

    I follow Dreca and his team to a two-level inner city market several feet from the Paladin asylum. We''re on the second floor overlooking a manmade waterfall from each side that pours into a pond made of smooth stone. There are drows with matching black and purple robes with light to medium armor slaughtering what I''m assuming are Fassharaian townspeople. The people don''t look unified in their appearance. Everyone is armed, but they''re not wearing any white markings to the tribe they represent.

    "Where is the city''s army?" I say.

    "You''re looking at them," Dreca says, then says something to the two men in their native language. They split off, running down the left and right walkways to aid the people. "We are going to lose this town. I need Rhyndac to repel them out of here."

    "Do you think she can do such a feat?"

    "Gods, I hope so," he sighs. "This city is about to fall."

    "Let''s try to delay it as long as we can."

    "We''re going to absolutely die," he laughs, shaking his head with his hand over his eyes.

    The thrashing thud of a heavy shield catches our attention. A Zadione follower swings his shield like it weighs nothing. He takes out three people before using his mace on three more unsuspecting people fighting in the pond. I throw my sword at him to prevent him from swinging his mace at a woman. He sees it coming halfway before it reaches him and deflects it into the pond.

    "That was odd," I say.

    "Great, now you don''t have a weapon," Dreca says. "You''re such an idiot." The man with the shield drives it into the pond to make it stand up while he reaches for my sword. I give him access to pick it up. He examines it from the blade to the pommel, then rubs the edge of the blade with his thumb. I conjure it slightly to nick his finger. He nearly drops it from reacting too hard.

    "Damn it," he says with his thumb in his mouth. Suddenly, he throws it back my way with such accuracy, with the tip of my blade aiming at my face. Dreca dives out of the way. I stand my ground and redirect my sword to turn the opposite way. The handle slaps into my hand. The stinging pain arouses me to want to fight him.

    "Whoa!" Dreca says. "Rhyndac mentioned you could do incredible things with your sword."

    "Oh? What else did she tell you?" I say with my eyes on the shield man who''s gesturing to me with his hand to come down.

    "You''re powerful and skilled swordsmen."

    "Well," I say, then jump into the pond with the assistance of my sword. "Let''s hope that''ll be enough," I say in my head. "How''s your hand?" I say out loud.

    "That''s an interesting sword," the shield man says. "Is it elven? I hear they can make weapons that have a mind of their own." I display a show of force by performing twirls and slow swings to show I''m not in the mood for conversation. "Brother," he chuckles. "We don''t have to fight. Lay your weapon down and you will be spared in her name."

    "Zadione?"

    "Yes, brother. Someone like you will be a useful addition to her army."

    "Yeah?" I say as I think of a strategy for the quickest possible tactic to take him out. I''m such a fool. I might need help. My eagerness to duel has left me at a disadvantage. Maybe if I continue to chat, I can bring the guy''s defenses down for a quick strike. "You haven''t seen me fight. How can you know for sure?"

    "I know a warrior when I see one," he chuckles.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "Warrior?" I scoff. "You don''t know me at all."

    "Oh, but I do!" He shouts, then throws his shield at me. The shield nearly crushes my fingers before I''m able to blast away. "Ha! You wield magic!" He says, walking up to me. I get into a defensive stance with my sword pointed at his stomach. He continues walking like he has no fear. I go for a forward thrust to gauge how nimble he is. He deflects it with ease as expected, but what I don''t like about it is how fast he moves. The impact of his mace hitting my sword feels heavy, yet it moves as if it is acting like a light weapon.

    This has got to be enchanted, right?

    We clash a few more times. His speed is nearly matched by mine. This drow is good, and it scares me to think he might be a more formidable foe than the rest of the enemies I have faced. He hasn''t done anything magical. I don''t sense any mana or demonic magic seeping through. It''s like he''s using raw strength to match me.

    "Brother, lay down your weapon. Can''t you see you''ve already lost?" He says. If I''m being honest with myself, I do see the truth. This city is on the verge of being lost. They''re taking over in force. Everywhere I look, I find the militia in dire need of a fighting chance. If I surrender to him, we all lose. If I decide to fight him, there is still a high chance we will lose, but I can take down their shielded warrior.

    "If there is still one fighter still fighting," I say then get into another defensive stance. "Then we haven''t lost."

    "If that''s how you see it," he snarls. "Then I, Tildoc Faego of the Yonet clan, will smite you in the name of one true goddess."

    "Zadione!" The followers shout. Their shouting startles me to the point I jump.

    Tildoc attacks without holding back. I feel like I pushed some buttons around his ego. His strikes are precise, heavy, and deadly if I don''t parry them perfectly. He''s tough but not strong enough to overpower me. I can read his attacks better than the magical foes from my previous battles. If I can get lucky, I won''t have to use magic or cast a spell to ensure victory. But then again, why not use everything to my advantage?

    I leap back to avoid a swing and get into a low stance with my sword high above my right shoulder. I plan to swing low, aiming for his legs, and blast him high if he dodges. Tildoc charges with his shield directly in front of him. The arm holding his weapon is hidden behind it. I can see part of his elbow sticking out, so I''m confident it is across his stomach. He''s going for a backswing once his shield is clear. It''s the only logical choice unless he plans to do something different.

    Tildoc lifts his shield away to give space for him to swing his mace. I parry it then free my right hand to blast him in his gut, but he does a move I don''t see coming. While I''m reaching out to close the distance to make close contact with my attacker, he brings his shield forward. I blast the right half of his body. It makes him twirl to the right. He uses the momentum to attempt another backhand swing. My hand is still up when his mace makes contact with my forearm. I fall to my knees, nearly faceplanting the shallow pool. I''m sure that the bones are broken. The sharp pain is crippling all of my senses. I want to scream, but nothing is coming out. I fumble away to get on my feet like a scared man fleeing from certain death.

    "Shit," I grunt through my teeth. When I examine the damage, I see dark purple blood dripping down my hand. My bracer is intact but dented. I can squeeze my hand and move all of my fingers.

    "Oof, that must sting," Tildoc says. "Are you ready to surrender now?"

    "No!"

    "Do I need to break your other arm?" He aims for my left upper arm near my shoulder. I block it and use a conjure command to make my sword act like a wall of steel. His weapon slips out of his hand. "What the?!" My sword stays in the air when I take my hands off it. I blast his right knee to make him fall to me. I nick his cheek when I go to his neck. He falls on his ass but quickly recovers to his feet. "Elven magic," he scoffs while touching the cut on his cheek. "You could prove troublesome."

    "You have no idea."

    "In that case." He looks at some followers to my left on the second floor and points at them to come to attack me. One leaps into the pool behind me. The second he jumps at me. His fatal mistake causes his guts to flow freely from his stomach. I don''t give the first guy a chance to attack. I throw my sword straight into his gut and conjure it up through his body without having to look at the devastation. "Damn," Tildoc chuckles through his nose. "You are troublesome." The blood from the bodies flows through the pool. I can see it creep on him as I stare him down. His eyes are purely focused on me. They don''t move, blink, or jitter until he breaks eye contact by speaking again. "Where were you when this war started? We would have fought long ago."

    "Fighting devils like you."

    "Is that so?" He grins before snickering. "You must''ve been beyond the mountains, right?" I don''t answer, but I think my smirk gives it away. "You fought for nothing, it seems. That world will soon be hers, so you better get ready to face that reality."

    As I''m about to tell Tildoc that I''m going to end his life, the wind picks up from behind me. It nearly knocks me forward, but it also pushes me back upright, keeping my balance. Everyone around me is bracing. The wind doesn''t discriminate against the militia or the followers. I''m the only one I can see that''s stationary. I turn around to find Ulirka floating in the air.

    "Another mage?" Tildon whines.

    A female drow with short black hair appears on the ledge of the waterfall under Ulrika and then vanishes when she walks off it. She reappears by my side and says in my head, "It''s me, Kaioson. Rhyndac. I had to use another disguise." Her lips are a bit bigger, and her jawline is more defined. I can kind of make out that she''s Rhyndac, but I''m unsure if she''s telling the truth.

    "What name does Ulrika hate you calling me?" I say in my head.

    "Kaio," she answers with a smile and rolling eyes.

    "Why are you wearing a disguise?"

    "So no one can recognize me," she says in my head while looking down at my arm. She holds my hand with her fingers and grips my forearm at the end of my bracer tightly. I flash of light appears under my bracer. The pain in my forearm stops throbbing. "Did you try blocking with your arm?" She says out loud while evaporating the blood of my hand by rubbing her finger in it. "A bone must''ve punctured through the skin."

    "Don''t tell Ulrika," I say. She slides her finger over her mouth to safeguard my wish.

    "Hey," Tildoc shouts. "What is the meaning of this? Stand aside so we can continue fighting."

    "Who''s got the bigger balls, hm?" Rhyndac whispers in my ear and then steps out of the pool to stand next to it. "Don''t disappoint us." Ulrika floats down to stand next to her. She nods her head like she''s giving me approval or the go-ahead to win this fight.

    "I''m ready when you are," I say. I display a show of force but conjure my sword to twirl, spin, and then come to my hand. Ulrika awes with excited breath.

    "Indeed," she chuckles.

    "Are they your fans or something?" Tilcoc says and then charges me before I can give him an honest answer. "They''ll be disappointed!"

    My world comes to a crawl. Before I make any move, I glance at Ulrika. She shakes her head slowly while snarling her mouth at Tildoc. Her head swings slowly, including when she blinks. When her eyes look my way, I can hear his stomps splashing the water as if he''s right in my face. We violently duke it out. Sword to mace. Shield to sword. Near misses and loud clashes of enchanted metal. The only voices present are our own grunts, yells, and whatever weird sounds we make as we try to kill each other.

    "Ugh! This is annoying! Why can''t I get anywhere with you?" Tildoc says. "Just die, damn it!" He pulls off one of the most common mistakes any person makes when they are angry with the results of a long fight. They get careless. He wants to hit me so badly that he overexerts himself. The recovery time for each swing and block gets longer than the one before. If I get the timing right, I can usher in a clean fatal blow.

    Tildoc tosses his shield behind him so he can wield his mace double-handed. It doesn''t make sense to him to do that, considering how short it is. He''ll have to swing close, and that is exactly what he does. One high-to-low swing leaves him open for my fist to ram into his right ear. He drops his mace as he falls over, yelling and clutching his ear with both of his hands. I go for a killing blow before he can realize I''m on top of him. The moment the tip of my sword punctures the unprotected spaces between his armor, a woman screams at me to stop from a low-hanging cloud from above. Her voice is thunderous, as if a crowd of thousands were all yelling in unison. I can''t see her face due to the light emitting by the cloud surrounding her body.

    "My children, this has gone too far!" She says. "Step away, child! You''ve clearly won this fight."

    "Who are you?" I say, keeping the pressure of my sword on Tildoc''s chest.

    "You don''t recognize me?" The cloud begins to fade away the closer she gets. Her pure white hair comes into view before I can see the dreadful face of the one the world fears. "Son," she calls me as she gently moves my sword off Tilcoc''s chest.

    "Sheathe your weapon," she says. She gently pushes her soft fingers on the top of my hand to move my sword. I do what she says out of fear for my life. "Thank you."

    "Son? This man and his people are traitors, my lord!" Tildoc says. "They deserve death!"

    "My boy," she says almost like she''s about to weep. She helps him up to his feet by using telekinetic magic. "Their sins are abolished from this point forward."

    "What? Why?"

    "It''s my fault," she says with her hand over her heart, speaking to the drows all around her. "I caused this tension between my children because of my absence." Her eyes lock on the two bodies in the pool when she glances at the drows. "Today, all of that stops."

    A purple lightning strikes beside Zadione, splashing all of the water into the air around whatever is standing there. I flee from the pond to avoid getting wet and the possibility of another lightning strike. The water never touches her as it swirls into a cyclone. Every other second, I feel the mana seep out like a slow-beating heart, and then it suddenly stops. The cyclone explodes, but the droplets of water vaporize in the air, revealing a man covered from head to toe in shining silver-plated armor. Fog flows upward from the T-shaped slit in his helmet. He stands maybe two feet higher than her but isn''t massive in size.

    "This is Sir Solomon Serf," Zadione introduces. "He will be your Burgomaster for the time to establish order."

    The drows immediately begin conversing among themselves. I can barely pick out what they''re saying, but the ones I do hear are not liking the fact she''s putting trust in an unknown man of her people. Ulrika pulls me into the crowd with Rhyndac and Dreca standing together.

    "Who is that guy?" Dreca asks, Rhyndac.

    "I don''t know. My guess is he''s a Paragon," Rhyndac says in my head.

    "A what?!" He says in my head also.

    "They''re powerful magic wielders like us," Ulrika answers, pointing at me and herself. "We fought two of them."

    "Damn! All is lost! They''ve won! Rhyndac, we need to flee these lands!"

    "That might be impossible with her and the followers around," Rhyndac says.

    "Portal rings!" I say.

    "Fuck! I don''t have any!" Rhyndac says out loud.

    "Don''t have any what?" Zadione says, appearing out of nowhere. She rests her hand on my shoulder while staring at Zadione with a soft smile. I feel Ulrika''s hand slowly grip the left side of my waist while her right hand grabs my stomach.

    "Bread," she stutters. "I... need some."

    "Here." She morphs a burlap sack of freshly made loaves of wheat bread. "Will this be enough?" Rhyndac nods her head and hands Dreca the sack. He clutches tight against his chest and forces out an awkward smile. "Hey," she says, looking directly at me. Her index finger points at my left eye for a second before saying, "Come with me."

    "Why?" I say.

    "You have to answer for what you did." The second she reaches for my hand, Ulrika yanks me into her.

    "No!" Ulrika says. "You stay away from him." Zadione retracts her hand like she''s scared or hesitant to touch me. "You said he was forgiven."

    "I did," she grins with a single chuckle. "Now, hand him over to me." Ulrika refuses by tightening her grip around me and taking a step back. "You are very protective of him. More than these two. Who is he to you, I wonder?" She walks up to her, slowly leaning close to her face with an uncanny, uncomfortable smirk. Ulrika takes her hand off my waist to unbuckle something on her. Judging by the sound, I think it''s her dagger. I can hear the metal rubbing inside the scabbard. "Calm down," she says, then holds my hand in her hands while lightly tapping the top of it. "I was only going to give him a slap on the wrist and tell him to never do what he did ever again." To prove her point, she lightly slaps my wrist almost playfully and tells me not to hurt my brothers or sisters. "See?" She chuckles before dropping her smile. "Now sheathe that weapon." Ulrika drops her dagger into the scabbard but doesn''t buckle it. "Thank you. I''m not your enemy, daughter." Ulrika lightly blows air out of her nose. She resumes holding me tight but pulls me closer to the point I''m leaning back on my heels.

    "Uh?" I say unsure of what to do. This is an intense situation for me. Ulrika isn''t doing a great job of being friendly to Zadione. I need to get her calm somehow. "Take it easy."

    "No," Ulrika snaps softly.

    "My my," Zadione chuckles, then takes a step back. "I can see the mana increasing within her. You two can wield magic?"

    "Yes," I say after almost hesitating not to answer.

    "Good. I''m going to need someone like you two in my ranks."

 Chapter Four: The Inner Circle

    "Come with me," Zadione says. She curls her right arm as if she wants me to grab it. "I''m taking you to my place." Ulrika squeezes her arms around me and takes two steps back. I stumble, but she keeps me upright.

    "For what?" I say.

    "Integration."

    "Not a fucking chance," Ulrika says. She shoves me over to Rhyndac and draws her sword. "My husband isn''t going anywhere with you!"

    "Are you mad?" Rhyndac says, softly yelling in Ulrika''s face. "Put that away before you get yourself killed." Ulrika stands her ground despite Rhyndac''s pleas.

    "Okay," Zadione says, waving her hands to ease the tension. "You pull a dagger on me and now a sword. What have I done to you, my child?"

    "She''s done nothing," Rhyndac says out of the blue. "She''s always had this bad habit of not trusting people."

    "Yeah?"

    "Troubled childhood."

    Zadione stares at Rhyndac with her eyelids hanging low over her eyes. I quickly think of something to add to keep the lie going.

    "It''s true," I say. "It took me nearly a year to gain her trust." I turn to look at Ulrika, flushing my eyes open in hopes she''ll take the hint. "She''s also extremely clingy."

    "What?" Ulrika says.

    "I''ve noticed," Zadione says. She takes a step closer to Ulrika with her arms behind her back. The blade of Ulrika''s sword presses into Zadione''s coat. "Settle down," she said softly. "I won''t be taking you." She forces the sword away from her chest by a nearly invisible force. The tip of the sword slams to the ground, falling out of Ulrika''s hands. "You," she says, pointing at me before raising her arm for me to take. "Come."

    "Okay," I say, locking my arm with her. "I''ll come."

    "Excellent," she says and smiles, lips pressing against her teeth. "Hey! You there!" She says to Tildoc. "Follow me!"

    "Yes, Lord Zadione," Tildoc says.

    Zadione points her finger at Tildoc and gradually moves it to the right of him. I feel a small amount of mana emit from her as if a feather grazed my skin. A portal opens next to him. He steps through it then it suddenly warps over to us. I enter through the other side without lifting a foot.

    "Where am I?" I say. We''re on a rocky shoreline. To my right, I can hear the water crawling up the land. Visibility is terrible. I can''t see the water, nor five feet in any direction.

    "Moonbay," Zadione says. "Where on the other side of the Great Ocean."

    My heart stops for a second, then speeds out of control. I''m hundreds of miles from the closest kingdom. The Great Ocean sits west of all the human, elves, succubi, and fairies territories. No one ventures to this side of the world unless they''re mad.

    "Why are we here?" I say on the verge of panic. "Do you know who occupies these lands?"

    "What?" Zadione says with a cheeky smile. "Don''t tell me you''re scared of my beautiful orcs."

    "Ah," Tildoc says. "No wonder the air felt humid and smelled fishy."

    "There''s a market nearby." She points to her left. A section of the fog dissipates, revealing a pathway of stone steps. "Head up the step, you two. I need to send out a message."

    An old green book manifests in the air when she opens her left palm out in front of her. I remember seeing it from before. It''s the same book from Drake''s library. She moves multiple pages with just a single whiffing gesture. "How do I do this again?" She says, mumbling to herself. "Ah! Yes! That''s how."

    Tildoc shoves me into the steps after the book vanishes in a flash of low bright light. The center of my back hits the corner of a step.

    "Ouch!" I say. "What the hell was that for?"

    "Our lord told you to head up the steps, not stare at her," Tildoc says.

    "Play nice, boys," Zadione says. "Your civil war is over," she says with red glowing eyes. They look like molten metal. "From this point onward, you two are brothers. Is that understood?"

    "Forgive me." He kneels on one knee and bows his body. "I didn''t mean to cross you."

    "Get up the steps, now!"

    Tildon hurries up the steps. Zadione watches him for a moment before putting her glowing eyes on me. Her eyes dim. She clears her throat and shoos me away with her hand. I head up the steps and occasionally turn to see what she''s doing. She''s looking out into the ocean with her arms crossed.

    "Hurry up, rebel," Tildoc says.

    "I''m not a rebel," I say. "And, I have a name."

    "Yeah?" He scoffs. "What is it?" I take a second to figure out what to go by.

    "It''s Kaden," I say, then use a small amount of force magic to shove away. He growls as I pass by him. I almost laugh in his face, but I remember I''m in disguise. If his growl is a natural reaction, I can''t let my ignorance break my cover.

    I continue walking up the steps. Halfway up, I hear something on the beach. I don''t recognize the sound. The inside of my ears wobbles from a low, deep wooshing sound.

    "Is that, Zadione?" I say. "What is she doing?"

    "Go ask her," Tildoc says, passing me. "If you want to get yelled at."

    "Never mind."

    We make it to the top and wait for further orders. Roughly two minutes later, Zadione appears from the fog with three fair-skinned-looking humans walking close behind. It''s two men and one woman. They''re in a single file line behind her, each wearing a different style of cloak. None of them look up to where they''re going until they reach the top.

    They look off in different directions. The man close to me has one working eye. He has a scruffy beard and long dark blonde hair. His right eye doesn''t have a pupil nor an iris. The second man stands taller than the rest of them, yet at the same height as Tildoc. His hair is curly, black, and short. He looks young, around my age, with no wrinkles or any signs of aging. The woman appears to be around our age, too. She''s shorter than Zaidone. Her shiny, oddly cut, dark soot colored hair is short in the front yet long on the sides.

    "Who are these people?" Tildoc says.

    "My Paragons," Zadione says with her hand crossed over her heart. "Come, everyone. We have a bit of walking to do."

    "Where are we going?"

    "Into town," she says, walking away. "I have a manor there."

    I follow Zadione at the back of the line into a busy market full of orcs. They vary in colors like the succubus. I see different types of green, grey, brown, and purple colors. One common detail about the men and women is their bottom fangs protruding from their mouths. Every woman who walks past me is tall. The top part of my head can touch their chin.

    Gods, I feel like a fish out of water. I''m on edge. Orcs are rumored to be vicious creatures that can rip limbs and break bones without too much trouble. Seeing them act casual in the market is messing with my head. I keep gripping my dagger every time an orc walks my way. I feel like at any moment I will have to defend myself. And as time goes on, it gets worse. No one is attacking me. Is it because Zadione is here? Why am I being ignored? Does she have them in a spell?

    "Gods," I say with a sigh.

    "Excuse me?" Tildoc says.

    "You heard that?"

    "Um, yes." He says, raising a brow. His ears prop up closer to the side of his head. "You should know there are no gods but one here. Why are you denying her existence?"

    The deep loyalty he has to Zadione is disturbing. Saying there are no gods is blasphemy. I want to say he''s wrong, but I don''t think that''ll go well. His unwillingness or denial will cause a stir if I attempt to challenge him. For now, I must resume the role of a drow willing to lend his ear to his so-called goddess. Hopefully, I can find a way to get out of here without spending too much time undercover.

    "I''m not ignoring her," I say. "But, there are others."

    "Like who?" Tildoc says, facing me as he walks backward. "You don''t know any of them." He turns around and says, "I seriously don''t know why she prevented me from killing you. I would''ve won." I bite the inside of my lower lip to slow my anger.

    "Keep you cool, Kaioson," I say in my head.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    At the end of the market, we come across a road sign. There are names and three trails. We head down a road to Uzer without saying a word. Small stone houses emerge out of the thick fog on my right side. I can hear people inside. A random leather ball rolls down our path, hitting Zadione in the foot before stopping near me. Everyone stops the second I pick it up.

    "You kicked it too far," an orc child says, coming through the fog. When the second orc child sees Zadione, his face lights up. "Zadione!" He hugs her leg and says, "Welcome back! We''ve missed you!"

    "Oh, you all have?" Zadione says. "Where is my hug?" All of the children run up to her. One orc climbs on their backs to get a more of a direct hug from her. "I missed you all!"

    "Are you staying this time?" A girl orc says, holding Zadione''s left leg.

    "Not this time." They all yell in disappointment awes. "But, I''ll be here longer this time. We''ll play once I''m done working."

    "Whatcha working on?

    "See those two men behind me?"

    "The drows?" A boy says.

    "Yes," she says. "You remember my Paragons?" The boy nods his head and waves at them. They wave back, but the woman squats near the boy''s level to do it. "I want to make another one." She leans her head to get a look at me. The boy does the same but bumps his head into hers. "Ouchy."

    "I''m sorry!"

    "It''s okay," she says, standing up. "Hey," she says, pointing at me. "Kick the ball to them." I kick the ball away from them, into cut grass. They chase after it widely, tripping over their footing and each other. "Children," she giggles. "Let''s go. We''re almost there."

    As we continue down the trail, the more I find Zadione''s presence here confusing. She''s seen as a friend and an ordinary person. Yet, in places on the mainland where her creations despise her, she''s a major threat. I wonder if the Orcs went through what the world is going through first. Most news about the daily life of the Orcs isn''t widely talked about. Maybe, though it is a long shot, I can try asking her directly or someone else. But first, I need to see what she has in store for Tildoc and me.

    We finally arrive at the manor. Zadione instructs the Paragons to get Tildoc and I set up in the courtyard. The one-eyed man leads me to the other side of the courtyard. For some odd reason, the fog gets thicker. It surrounds us like a blanket yet wides when we''re close together.

    "What sorcery is this?" I say.

    "What''s your name, brother?" the one-eyed man says.

    "Ka...den," I say. "It''s Kaden."

    "Salutations," he says and slaps his hand on my chest. "I wish you the best of luck."

    "For what?" Someone across the courtyard bangs steel against steel. I recognize its low tone. "Is that Tildoc?"

    "He comes to slay you." The bagging gets closer and louder. "Ready yourself."

    "Why? Zadione said we were no longer enemies."

    "Did you really think he would let it go after you killed his men?" His voice fades away. He vanishes like smoke when he steps into the fog in front of me. Tildoc jumps out from the fog with his weapon coming down to my face. I conjure my sword with my mind instead of using my hands to quickly block the swing.

    "How?" Tildoc screams. He steps back for another attack. I grab my sword out of the air and jump backward into the fog. "You can''t hide from me!"

    Tildoc is right. The courtyard has no cover. I can make a run for the entrance, but I will be faced with hiding among orcs. The only option is to finish what I started. I can''t afford to play around. I need to use this unnatural fog to my advantage. But blindness might not be enough for an easy victory.

    "I can hear you, traitor," Tildoc says. "Your labored breathing will betray you."

    "I better hold my breath then, hmm?" I say. I conjure my sword to engage but not harm him. As he attacks my floating sword, I cast TM on myself and flank around.

    "Enough of the distraction! Face me like a warrior!" I use the sound of metal clashing to help me picture how close he is to me. "Come on out, now!" I misjudge the direction his facing. When I lunge with my dagger for a killing blow, we''re facing each other. He grabs my wrist with the blade an inch from his chest. I fight with all my strength to force it in. He drops his weapon and struggles with me to gain control of the dagger. Slowly, I can feel him begin to overpower me. The tip of the dagger starts to point down his chest, away from his heart. Eventually, the blade will face the ground if I don''t do something.

    "No!" I say. I pump my arms forward to see if I can at least stab Tildoc''s chest. He''s too strong. His arms barely fold.

    "Enough games. I''m going to kill you!" Tildoc says. He winds his head to attempt a head butt. I duck my head to the left. His forehead hits my collarbone, and he drops his guard for a moment. The resistance in his arms softened. I''m unsure if it is enough to use all my strength to drive the blade into his heart, so I place the back of my hand behind the dagger and use force magic to drive it in. "Ah," he grunts. He drives the blade out, but I force it back in using the same magic three times. The slits in his chest pour blood. I step away to catch my bearings. "My Lord," he says, sputtering. "This can not be."

    "Tildoc," Zadione says three times in three different places around me. The fog lifts like a sun emerging from a cloud. The Paragons are standing at a distance behind Tildoc. "Kaden," she says after gripping my shoulders from behind. "Well done." Tildoc falls on his face. Air hisses from his mouth before silence consumes it. "Go wash up. You and I will talk later."

    I heed Zadine''s command out of fear she will do something to me. An orc servant guides me to the third floor into a bathroom. The tub is steaming hot. Once the servant leaves, two unusually dressed, nearly identical maids step inside the room and close the door. The outfits they are wearing are more seductive than professional. I can see the top of their big breasts. They are wearing purple corsets with yellow strings, their legs are covered in lingerie, and they''re barefoot. The white apron around their waist isn''t long enough to be considered as one. It stops below their crotch.

    "My answer is no," I say. "Leave the towels and leave me in private."

    "Sir, our Lord commanded us to clean you," she says.

    "Is that all she requested?"

    "It is." I watch their faces closely. No one is giving me any sign of lying. They look at me without averting their gaze. "We will turn around and won''t face you until you are submerged."

    The other orc turns around after the first one does. I jump out of my unusual gear and hop in the tub. Both maids waste no time scrubbing me clean. This is my first time having someone other than Ulrika clean me. I don''t know whether to feel disgusted or impressed by how thorough they are. Once they finish and leave the room and a server takes me to a bedroom.

    "My Lord will be speaking with you soon," the servant says. "Wait here till she arrives." He closes the door but not all the way. I listen to his footsteps fade off to the right down a hallway. When the distance is too great to listen, I peek around the door frame to see where he is. He turns left down another hallway a second later.

    "These ears are amazing," I say.

    I cast TM on myself and walked towards the foyer. There are not that many servants and maids walking about. I walk down the steps and leap over the railing once I see no one''s there. My spell silences the hard landing, but it can''t prevent vibrations from scattering to objects. A stand holding a vase to my left wobbles. I tether it to its stand before moving down a hallway. At the end of it, there is an open door. Zadione walks by the doorway to fill her glass cup of some orange liquid sitting on a wardrobe. She''s wearing a loose-fitting shirt with a dark brown corset. Her hair is down and combed through.

    "The empress won''t bow down too easily," the female paragon says. "I don''t think it would be wise to use violence against her." The one-eyed man comes in the doorway with his back to me. His body is enough to block Zadione''s view just in case she glances my way. I hide behind a glass dresser just in case he decides to move.

    "What do you think, Ethan?" Zadione says to the one-eyed man. "Am I being too aggressive?"

    "Penny is right, my lord," Ethan says. Zadione scoffs before taking a sip of her drink. "You are close to your goal. I believe it is in your best interest to gain more allies."

    "Theo?" Zadione says. The whole room goes quiet for a moment. I can hear someone take a deep breath further into the room.

    "Do what you want," Theo says. "I''ll stand by your side no matter what."

    "Not what I was looking for but I appreciate the words." She chugs the rest of the drink and pours another full glass.

    "Forgive me. I do have a suggestion."

    "I''m listening." The door suddenly closes. My ears can''t pick up anything. I listen for minutes. It is like no one is in the room.

    Damn. Best I return to my room.

    An hour goes by before something happens. Three sets of feet approach my door. Zadione whispers to Penny to report to an area called the forest barrier tomorrow morning. A maid opens the door to roll in a food tray while Zadione is still talking. She shuts her mouth by pressing her lips in, then dismisses Penny down the hallway with her thumb.

    "Hungry?" Zadione says, stepping in. "Do you mind if we eat together?"

    "Why are you doing this?" I say. The maid lays out all the food on my bed without my consent.

    "Breaking the ice," she says, and snatches some food off of my plate to eat. "You don''t trust me, so I thought this would be a good way to calm you."

    "Ah." The food smells good. There are vegetables, bread, and some kind of meat on my plate.

    "Dig in."

    "I''m fine."

    "You''re not hungry?"

    "I am."

    "Then eat." I eat cautiously, picking apart my food to make sure I notice anything unusual. Every chew is slow to taste for poison. Fortunately, the flavor and taste aren''t off. "You sure eat funny," she says with a mouth full. I''m not in the mood for chatter. "You remind me of myself when I came to the lower realm." I keep my mouth shut to keep her talking. All I do to show I''m paying attention is grunt. She stops talking about herself when she slips up about Xanlos taking away her position as a goddess. "Anyway, let us get serious for a moment."

    "Why do you want me as a Paragon?"

    "I sense great abilities within you."

    "You do?" She lists off the abilities I used against Tildoc in both fights. My heart rate jumps. I feel sick to my stomach enough for me to burp. She knows a lot but not everything.

    "Each of my Paragons has their special talents. You seem to have many. Who taught you?"

    "Myself. I read a lot."

    "Ah," she gasps. "A man after my own heart. And what of your sword?"

    "What about it?" I say, looking at my sword from the side.

    "Hand it to me." I reach over and she tells me to stop. "Hand it to me without touching it." My sword floats into her hands. "It''s elven," she says after taking a quick glance at the blade near the handle. "You are one peculiar man." Her exaggerated smile is unsettling. The tension breaks when her Paragons step into the room. "What is it?" She says with her eyes on me.

    "The empress is ready to listen to your offer," Ethan says. "We''ll wait for you at the portal." Penny and Ethan leave. Theo walks away last after glancing at me with the side of his eye.

    "Well." She snaps her finger twice.

    "Yes?" A maid says after stepping inside.

    "Get him dressed. Put him in formal attire."

    "Yes, ma''am." The maid''s palms turn purple. She touches my leg and shoulder to materialize clothing on me. "How''s that?"

    "Splendid! Come, Kaden." As I''m following close behind here, I can''t stop looking at what I''m wearing. It''s unusual. I''m wearing three pieces of upper clothing. I have a dark blue stylized shirt over two different color undershirts. The second layer is a brown silky smooth vest, and under that a white creased shirt that goes up to my neck.

    "What the hell am I wearing?" I say softly to myself. I round the corner without looking where I''m going and up into another room full of people. "Huh? Where am I?" I say in my head. Every man and woman in the room is wearing full-body garments that reach down to their feet. In the middle of the room, a woman is standing. On the top of her head is a usually shaped crown. It has a big centerpiece with little intrigue beads going into her long black hair. Her blue, red, and yellow floral dress is the outfit that stands out among the people.

    "Greetings, Empress Tan Da," Zadione says. "Are you ready to talk, now?"

    "Yes," the Empress says. "I have read your proposals."

    "And?"

    "My nation will side with you against Kromagia."

    "You made a smart choice," she says, pointing at her.

    "Have I?" The Empress looks down to her left and frowns.

    "If you said no to me today, I would have burned this nation anew."

    Some people gasp. I understand their shock. Zadione is the definition of pure evil. I need to find a way out of here and tell Haleema what Zadione has planned for Kromagia sooner rather than later.

    <figure>

    </figure>

 Chapter Five: Supreme Ruler of The Lower Realm

    "Let us talk strategies," Zadione says. The Empress speaks to her people in their native tongue. They clear the room in haste as if they''re running from something. "Kaden, leave with them, please." Ethan shuts the door behind me. The room goes quiet, and I can''t hear anything but the people behind me.

    "Master," a man whispers. When I turn around to see who''s speaking to me, some people in the crowd behind the man bow their heads. "Good, sir. Are you one of Zadione''s paragons?"

    "Oh, no," I say. "I''m... I have no idea."

    "You have no idea?" He says slowly. A few people give me a strange look.

    "Hey," I say and smile. "Where am I exactly? I''m not familiar with your land."

    "Tawaragata, sir."

    "Really?!" I remain calm so I can ask for further understanding without being overly excited. I''m still wearing Rhyndac''s disguise. The people here might start asking questions if I seem too happy about having Kromagia in my reach. If I''m lucky, I can return home. "This city is near a mountain, yes?"

    "Yes. Kromagia''s northern border overlooks us."

    "Interesting. Could you show me?"

    "I have bad knees," he says, trying to best to squat. His knees pop every time he moves them. "You''ll have to find someone else." People come up to me with their hands raised. A young man shouts that he will do it and take me on a tour of the city.

    "I just want to see the mountains." More people open their mouths. Their voices overwhelm my ears. It feels like something is funneling the sound directly into the side of my head.

    "What''s going on out there?" Ethan says. He cracks the door open just enough to peek one eye through. "Kaden, what''s going on out there?"

    "Nothing." The door swings open. He moves me to his side by gently pushing against my shoulder. "All of you, disperse at once. I will not say this a second time." Everyone in the room scatters. They bump into one another and push people out of their way to rush to the nearest exit. "Ugh," he grunts. "Roaches. If they overwhelm you again, show them your steel."

    "I have no reason to threaten them."

    "With that mindset, you''ll regret not standing your ground," he says and then firmly grips my shoulder. Her fingers dig into the space above my collarbone. "Listen here, drow," he says quietly next to my ear. "Zadione isn''t looking for soft men to fight in this war."

    "I''m not soft."

    "Good," he says with a growling smirk. "Stay around here or find the closest inn. This could be a while."

    I''ll do just that.

    I walk to the nearest staircase to find a way out. The civilians are crowding the hallway of the next floor. If I''m going to make my way back home, I need to figure out exactly how far I am from Kromagia''s northern wall and take my chances with one of them to lead me out of there.

    "You," I say, momentarily pointing at a man. "Walk me out of here."

    "Yes, sir," he says. He takes me down several levels before we make it to the front gates of the palace. Straight ahead, far in the distance, I barely see the mountain tops of the Kromagian border. The mountain is covered with fog, including my surroundings.

    "Take me as far south as you can go."

    "South?" He says, raising his brow at me. "Are you looking for the military barracks?"

    "Yeah..."

    "Okay," he says and waves me to follow. "It''s a long walk."

    "Best we run then."

    Unfortunately, the man''s stamina is terrible. He can''t jog for more than five minutes before taking a break. I don''t want to navigate this city by myself, but it looks like I might have to.

    "Thanks for your help. I''ll walk off the rest there," I say.

    The civilians can''t keep themselves from staring at me when I walk past them. It''s nerve-racking. I feel more like a stranger than walking among the succubi. These people are acting more cautiously than the ones at the palace. They whisper in their native tongue to one another. Their voices sound like they''re standing next to me, even though they''re beyond arm''s length of me.

    "How can drows live with being able to hear so much?" I whisper to myself.

    I continue heading south and reach the southern barracks after an hour of walking. There is still a great distance between them. The only thing standing in my way is the soldiers. I see two options. I can rush in, blast anyone in my way, and catapult myself to the mountain. The second option is I wait until nightfall to sneak in. Both options have their problems. Option one will bring all the attention to me. The last thing I want is to seriously hurt the soldiers or cause an incident between the drows and the Empress''s people. Option two sounds the safest, but I''ll have to wait several hours before nightfall. My skin and dark clothing might make sneaking in easy if I stick to the shadows.

    "What am I going to do in the meantime?" I say while looking around for something to kill time. Two women with white-painted faces catch my eye. They wave down anyone walking by, telling them to come inside. Their soft, playful voices pique my interest. One of the women spots me looking. At first, her eyes shoot open, but then she grins. I look away to pay her no mind. She, alongside her friend, approaches me. "Listen," I say without looking at them. "I''m not interested in your service."

    "We offer other services, sir," the woman says.

    "Food, shelter, company," the second woman says. "Are you with the army?"

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    "He''s not," Ethan says. A gust of wind hits me in the back. It''s strong enough to make me inch forward and make the women''s dresses sway.

    "Ethan?!" I say.

    "Where did you come from?" The second woman says. "You weren''t there a minute ago."

    "Step porting," he says. "I can move in an instant while taking a step."

    "Wow!"

    "Come," he says in my ear. "Zadione wants us. We''re heading to Tranquilith."

    "What?" I say.

    Ethan teleports us four times. We head back inside the second-floor palace in a matter of seconds. Penny and Theo stand outside a portal. Zadione and the Empress are on the other side of it.

    "Let''s go," Ethan says. His hand gradually pushes against my back, guiding me in with Penny and Theo. The bright sunlight coming through the open holes above the hallway stains my eyes. I squint until my eyes can adjust.

    "Ah, there you are?" Zadione says. "Where did you run off to, Kaden?"

    "Brothel," I say, keeping my eyes squinting. She hums with a chuckle. I look around to see where I am. To my right are six royal Kromagian guards in gold-plated armor. "Wait a second," I say, slowly opening my eyes.

    "Zadione," Bearbolt says, descending from the steps of King Menassah''s throne room. "My King is ready to hear you."

    "Excellent," Zadione says.

    "Before you enter, everyone must leave all of their weapons." The royal guards surround us with their hands on the ready to draw their weapons. I''m the first one to surrender my weapons. I tie my dagger to my sword so I won''t lose it. Penny, Ethan, and Theo hand their weapons without causing an issue. When the guards look at Zadione, she lifts her arms.

    "I''m unarmed," she says.

    "Check her." The guards frisk every inch. Ethan frowns angrily and depends on his breathing. Penny and Theo watch the guards closely.

    "So feisty. You do realize weapons are the least of your worries."

    "We''ve considered all measures."

    Once the guards thoroughly check Zadione, they walk with us into the throne room. The first person to meet us at the top is a sight for sore eyes. My wife is back in her original, glorious human appearance. She''s protected from neck to toe with black padded reinforced leather except for her hands. Her right-hand grips her belt buckle with her thumb behind it and index finger pointing down her leg. I nearly crack a smile once I see she''s still wearing her emerald ring.

    Ulrika stands about an arm''s length to my right. She takes a few glances at me. I''m hesitant to look her in the eyes while being in the presence of Paragons and Zadione. I give in when I see her eyes move to me. We briefly look at each other. Standing behind her along the wall are more royal guards, Haleema, Rhyndac, and Zadock. They have their eyes facing my way.

    "Tell His Majesty that Zadione and Empress Tan Da are here," Bearbolt says. The closest guard to the backroom next to the King''s throne opens the door. The second the King steps out, Zadock stands in the middle of the room.

    "Zadione, Tan Da," the King says after taking his seat. "Step forward." Zadock points to an empty spot for them to stand. Haleema spwans in her staff. Penny lets everyone know how she''s feeling by letting out a grunt.

    "Hello, Menassah," Zadione says, smiling. "It''s been a while."

    "Yes, it has," he says, slowly spacing out each word.

    "I remember when you were just this tall." She taps the side of her knee. "You must''ve been five."

    "What do you want?" He says, barely cutting her off.

    "Fine," she sighs then points both of her fingers at the walls to her left and right. "My war is coming. Submit to me now and you''ll see no harm fall upon your kingdom." The King stares at her without blinking or moving a muscle.

    "What is truly you''re end goal out of this?"

    "She wants to war with the gods!" Haleema says.

    "I did."

    "You did?"

    "Plans change," she says, gradually walking towards Haleema. "I''ve changed." She stands about a foot from her.

    "No, you haven''t."

    "I have," she says, dropping her voice down a pitch. "I don''t want my start a war with Xanlos anymore," she says, addressing the crowd. "I found a more... wiser choice. Less... revengeful."

    "And that is?" The King says.

    "I will take over Inaubira and be its supreme ruler." Everyone except the Paragons reacts with disdain and shock.

    "What?"

    "That''s right!" She says, giggling.

    "You don''t want to war with the gods anymore?"

    "Why take out my frustrations with Xnalos when I can take over his pride?" When she mentions the gods'' pride, she opens her arms out to the king, his people, and the Paladins.

    "You''ve got to be kidding," Rhyndac says.

    "No, my child. I am not. Get on your knees and kiss the hand of your supreme." She puts her right hand out for the King. "Or suffer the hell I will unleash." The King slowly approaches her. My heart rate beats faster the more he gets closer. He stops, looks down at her hand, and spits on it.

    "All of the tribes of Kromagia will stand against you and your allies." The spit on her hand starts to steam. It boils until it evaporates from her skin. Haleema points her staff at her seconds before all of the guards aim their weapons at us when Zadione''s mana spikes.

    "You disappoint me, Menassah. You could have made this easy on yourself."

    "Get them out of my sight!" He says, firmly pointing at the hallway behind her.

    The guards close in around Zadione. There are more weapons pointed at her than around the Paragons and I. Haleema walks behind us and points to an open spot in the wallway. A portal opens.

    "Leave," Haleema says. Zadione looks at her Paragons and nods to signal them to enter the portal. She gets behind them. I stand behind her when she walks by me. They enter through except for her because Rhyndac holds her hand out to me.

    "Yes?" I say.

    "Ready to come home?" Rhyndac says. Ulrika watches Zadione like a hawk. She''s gnawing on her molars. I can see her jawline flex and shift.

    "What''s going on here?" Zadione says.

    "Take my hand, now."

    Ulrika looks at me and tries to hold in her smile. Her lips are tight and somewhat puckered. It finally dawns on me why Rhyndac is offering me to come home. I hold her hand, and my drow disguise morphs away. My skin ripples away, revealing my true identity. She suddenly yanks me into her body with enough force to throw us on the ground. Zadock blasts Zadione into the portal, and Haleema shuts it.

    "Damn," Zadock says and chuckles. "That''s going to piss her off."

    "So," Rhyndac says, inches from my face. "How was life being a drow?"

    "Overwhelming," I say and roll off her body and over Ulrika''s boots. "Oh! Hey!"

    "Don''t you hey me," Ulrika says and gets on her knees to hug me tight. "I missed you. Did Zadione harm you?"

    "No."

    "Did she threaten you?"

    "No."

    "Did she torture you?"

    "No," I say, laughing. "She was quite... friendly."

    "Friendly?" Haleema says. I tell her about my time with Zadione and the things she''s looking for from me. "That''s... odd."

    "You have to remember, Haleema," Rhyndac says. "We were created by her. Drows are her children."

    "Same as the orcs, yes?" I say. Rhyndac nods. I mention how Zadione interacts with children lovingly. The King scoffs. He shakes his head like he is displeased. His frown bends into his chin.

    "She''s sadistic," the King says. "There is nothing friendly about her, boy. Bearbolt!"

    "Yes, my King," Bearbolt says.

    "Send word to our allies that the Empress has aligned herself with Zadione."

    The King sends emissaries to all of his allies. He sends word to King Braman, the brother of the former King Andodon, to ready his men just in case Zadione attacks Shemor again. Oraya receives additional Kromagian troops. The free elves around Thaa Alora, Rainor, and the mixed multitude get a few hundred Paladin agents for extra protection. One nation that piques my interest he doesn''t warn is Thubet''s.

    "Why not her?" I say. "She''s not with Zadione, right?"

    "She cares for no one," the King says. "Her kingdom will come under attack unless she seeks help."

    "If I remember correctly, Kaioson, didn''t she falsely imprison you and your wife?" Haleema says.

    "She did more than that," Ulrika says. "Screw her."

    "Hmm... Your Highness, I recommend keeping the door open."

    "I''ll keep your suggestion in mind," the King says. When he stands up from his chair, all the guards stand to attention. "This hearing is adjourned," he says and walks back into the backrooms.

    "Well," I say, looking at Ulrika, Rhyndac, and then Haleema. "What''s our next move?"

 Chapter Six: United Zadione Force

    A day after Zadione''s hearing, Haleema gets word of Zadione leading an attack on Galfalian and Stoneglen. Ulrika and I are practicing different forms of hand-to-hand combat situations together in one of Thyrna''s private rooms in her school when we hear the news. I have one of Haleema''s portal rings so that when I''m ready, I can leave on my own accord. She says one of Oraya''s soldiers will be waiting for me in the library before making a prompt exit through a portal.

    "Sounds bad down there. Do you want to head there now?" Ulrika says. She''s sweaty, out of breath, and red in the face. Unless she takes an elixir, we are not going anywhere.

    "Once we''re rested," I say.

    "Very well." She grabs her boots next to the doorway before heading out. I grab my boots and follow after her. She stands in the middle of the hallway, looking at Hayden chatting with a female student. He''s putting all of his weight on leaning against the wall. Her arms are crossed, and her waist is shifted over her right hip. She''s actively engaging with whatever he is saying. When I pass them, I overhear him gloating battles against Nite.

    "Oh, hey guys!" Hayden says. "Remember the time when I was slaying cultists in Thaa Alora?" Ulrika rolls her eyes and continues walking. "Kaioson." He jumps in front of me. "Do you remember?"

    "Hayden," I say like I''m sighing. "What are you doing here?"

    "Fraternizing with any woman he finds!" Ulrika says

    "I am not," he says and tries his best to keep his cool in front of the student. "I''m not," he says softly to the student. I roll my eyes too and continue walking. "Kaioson, wait a sec!"

    "What do you want?"

    "I want to journey with you two down south."

    "Why didn''t you go with Haleema?"

    "I was," he says, looking over his shoulder to see where the student is. "Busy with work. Are you guys heading straight there?"

    "No," Ulrika says before I can open my mouth to say the same thing. "You go find a way there. My husband and I need to rest."

    "How long will that take?"

    "As long as I want it to be," she says in his face. "Leave us." She jabs four of her fingers into his chest. He walks back over to the woman to resume talking. "Darling," she says and then bumps my hip with her hip.

    "Yes?" I say.

    "Let''s bathe together."

    "Bathe?" I say, nearly gasping. "Ulrika, we can''t do that here. The men and women have separate rooms."

    "If I keep my voice low and cover my crotch, the men won''t notice," she whispers between giggles.

    "Ulrika..."

    "I''m just kidding!"

    "Gods," I say, holding my face with my hand over my eyes. "So, my home?"

    I set up all the things Ulrika and I need to relax in the tub. The water is hot the way she likes it. I add a Kromagian soap ball to make the water more soapy. The flowery fragrance fills the bathroom, the more it dissolves into bubbles. Once it is all gone, the white pedals inside of it float on top of the suds.

    Ulrika hopes in first and submerges herself in the water for a few seconds. Some of the pedals adhere to her skin. She then takes a sponge and immediately cleans herself. By the time I join her, she''s nearly done. The last part of her body she needs to clean is her back.

    "Kaio?" She says, turning her back to me. I''m so focused on how big her back has gotten that I don''t realize she''s trying to hand me the sponge.

    "Sorry. I was distracted."

    "Hmm?" I tell her she''s getting bigger again while I clean her back. Apart from her back, her arms, legs, chest, and ass has gotten more prominent.

    "We''ve been training hard, haven''t we?"

    "In war, you must be at tip top shape." She turns around while I''m trying to clear her back. Even though she isn''t flexing, her physique is immaculate. Her muscles are showing more. She''s beginning to favor a toned look like mine.

    "Is that a golden rule?"

    "Yes," she says and turns around. I continue scrubbing the last parts of her back. "Plus, I''m a woman. Naturally, I''m weak. I have to double my efforts in everything I do."

    "At this rate, you''ll surpass me, my love," I say, snickering a bit. "Don''t overexert yourself," I gently say. I sink my hands underwater and sterilize the water in an explosion of heat. The bubbles evaporate and the foggy water turns clear. She drops in another soap ball and takes the sponge from me.

    "I''ll do what''s necessary for us."

    "That sounds... ominous, don''t you think?" She faintly smiles. "Don''t do anything crazy."

    "No promises, Kaioson. I love you too much to let anything bad happen to you."

    After our bath, we sit on my bed in our underwear, discussing a backup plan just in case the fight in the succubus land turns for the worst. If the worst is to come, I will use the portal ring to take us to my room. The current plan we have agreed upon is to minimize fighting alone. She wants me to stay close as much as possible. I feel like I''m a child being told to stay close to my mother.

    "Why must I do this again?" I say.

    "To ensure your survival." Before I can respond and breathe a response, she tells me to shut up with a stern point. I try to speak again, but I can''t get past her nonverbal commands. "I can''t leave you out of my sights again."

    "I was fine. She didn''t see through my design."

    "What if she did, hmm? They would have kept you a prisoner." My heart sinks in my stomach when I picture how she would react. All I can see is an endless worry for my safety and vengeful anger toward anyone causing me harm.

    "Yeah..."

    "We''ll join the front after I find someone to make improvements to our gear."

    "Why?" I say, glancing at them on the floor. She grabs my gear and spreads it out on the floor. Each set is placed as if someone is lying on the ground.

    "Look at the cracks and rips." I don''t have to look since I already know the condition of the leather and metal. "I''m not letting you go out there wearing this."

    "Fair enough. Let''s find an armorer."

    Ulrika wants to speak with Bearbolt in hopes she can point us in the right direction to the best armorer that can craft gear to our specific needs. We travel south near the southern gate to enter the garrison. She finds someone willing to do the work for free because of our Paladin affiliation. The armorer provides us with different outfits to choose from. His team hammers gauntlets, offers shin guards, and provides leather gloves and sturdy, lightweight boots for us.

    "This''ll do well for us," Ulrika says. "Thanks."

    The armorer''s assistant loads all of our equipment on a mule to take us back home. Ulrika rides in the back while I walk beside it.

    "Hey, Kaio." Ulrika says.

    "Hm?"

    "What if we had boys instead of girls?"

    "Will you be mad if we do?"

    "No," she says and sighs. "I''ll just ask you for more children." I chuckle at the idea of her trying to make children until she can bring forth daughters. I''m apprehensive she''ll harm herself. Births look taxing. I don''t know if the strongest woman I know can go through that if we don''t get our girls on the first attempt.

    "You are crazy, my love," I say.

    "Am I?"

    "What if it takes five tries?"

    "Then we''ll be a big family," she says and crosses her arms over her stomach. "I don''t mind having sons."

    "You don''t?" She shakes her head, no. "Why? I thought you only wanted daughters."

    "Because it isn''t a guarantee. You can''t always give me what I want."

    "Sure, I can. I have spoken it," I whisper.

    "Kaioson..."

    "Yes, my love?"

    "Can we leave a few days from now? I want us to enjoy our time together before going."

    "Yes."

    **

    Ulrika and I arrive in the south via a portal. I open it in front of the library. A succubus guarding the building alongside another guard jogs over to me. Ulrika grabs the handle of her sword but doesn''t reach over to pull it out.

    "Are you Kaioson?" The guard says.

    "I am," I say.

    "And you," she says, looking at Ulrika when her head is slightly tilted. "You''re Ulrika, yes?"

    "Mhmm," Ulrika says.

    "Excellent. Glysith is waiting inside. Follow me, please." The guard guides us inside a room filled with succubus conversing around a map table. Glysith is sitting on a chair in the corner of the room next to them.

    "You came!" Glysith says, jumping out of her seat. The succubus around the table ceases their chatter and looks at us. "Come." Glysith walks me to them with her on my back and the other on my arm. I stand near shoulder to shoulder with them. Ulrika quickly inserts herself between the one on my right. The circle moves over to fit us within the group. "Ladies, bring them up to speed."

    "Kromagian," a succubus head of me says. "Your people are taking on a sec west from here in our most fertile lands." The succubus to my left points around the map where my people are. "Haleema and some of the Paladins out there too, so there isn''t much to worry about around there."

    "Good," I say. "What about your forces? Where are the majority of them located?"

    "North with our beloved, Oraya," the succubus standing to my right says to me. She points at Stoneglen. "It''s not looking too good there, sir." Her calling me sir catches me off guard. "We''re also hearing reports that Thubet is under attack too."

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    "You''ve got to be kidding me."

    "Does she have enough soldiers to open two fronts?" Ulrika says.

    "With the orc, drow, and fairy nations on her side, it''s possible," Glysith says. "I heard you were teleported to Orc lands. Did you see an army there?"

    "No," I say. "Just locals."

    "Okay," she says, sighing, and then stands behind me to look over my shoulder. "Haleema is north of Stoneglen." She shows me a portal ring on her finger and says, "Whenever you two are ready, we''ll be on the battlefield."

    "We''re ready."

    "May the gods protect you three," a succubus says. Every one of them wishes us well in their way. I hear three of them ask for Xanlos for protection. Another group bows their heads and mumbles something under their breath. One kisses her finger before touching our foreheads. I feel a cold shiver rush down my face. It reaches my chest and turns into a soothing warmth.

    "Why did you do to me?" Ulrika says.

    "It''s called a succulent farewell," Glysith says. "We''ve been enchanted with a boost to our mana, including our stamina."

    "Oh... wonderful."

    "Thank you," I say. "We will use this well."

    "Weild your weapons," Glysith says. I stand clear before pulling out my sword. She activates the ring in front of me. It puts behind a row of Paladins fighting the cultists. "No! They''ve pushed us back! This was a secured line the last time I was here!"

    "When was that?" Ulrika says.

    "Less than half an hour ago."

    "It sounds like a counterattack. Kaio, are you ready?"

    "Ready!" I say. She steps through with her sword raised. A man immediately tries attacking her. She backs away from the portal while deafening herself. I chase after them without checking the people around the portal. A man rams into me when I step out. He goes for a swing but I conjure my sword to pierce his chest. "Fuck," I say. "They are all over the place!" Soldiers rush me from all sides. I block, parry, retreat, and strike until none of them are standing. Two men and three women lay dead me. The battlefield wastes no time in sending more soldiers to kill. I can''t even get the chance to search where Ulrika is or see where most of the allies are.

    "Kaioson!" Glysith says and then throws me in the air with telekinesis. The tip of a cultist''s spiked mace grazes the fabric of my pants. I swing down at his head, splitting it in half down the neck.

    "Thanks for the assist!" I say.

    "I got you covered." We stand back to back with a few feet between us. Anyone approaching her gets violently tossed into people or the sky. "My people are getting slaughtered. There are too many of them."

    "Maybe I could drop their numbers."

    "How?"

    "With a spell." I shove all of my fingers into the ground. Lava streams underground. I reach as many cultists as I can. The lava erupts all around me. It burns an unusable amount of cultists close and far.

    "Amazing!"

    "I couldn''t reach the ones furthest away."

    "Let''s get closer so you can."

    The succubus army advances, pushing the battle line closer to the cultist. I drive my fingers into the ground for a second time. The eruption takes out the ones attacking the line and several forces behind them. Our line steadily advances on the retreating cultists. Glysith singles out a few of them with her power. Their bodies rip apart as she uses them as blunt objects against them. I can''t watch without feeling sick. The succubi cheer her on and tell her to continue slaughtering them.

    "I wish I could, sisters!" Glysith says and puts her arms down. "I don''t want to deplete all of my mana!"

    "You should stay out of the battlefield to preserve your energy, sister," a succubus says in front of her. "So should you, kromagian. I think we can keep them at bay."

    "I''m," I say before the ground explodes in front of the line. Everyone flies several feet back. I lose my sword in the explosion. A succubus near the front line hurls into me. I catch her with my body. "What the hell was that?" I say, writhing in pain. I try to sit up, but she won''t move. "Hey, can you get up?" She doesn''t say a word. She''s quiet and motionless. I look over her shoulder to see her face. There''s blood coming out of her eyes, nose, and mouth.

    More explosions take out our forces. I roll away from the deceased succubus to get a better look at the carnage. The cultists aren''t moving. I can''t tell what''s hitting our forces. No one stands out to me. I can''t sense any impulse of magic.

    "What''s going on?" I say. "Who is hitting us?" The explosions get closer to me. It zig zags, blowing up the succubi into pieces. Moments before it reaches me, I try to use my sword to get out of its path, but something teleports me in a flash of light away from it. I see it again out of the corner of my eye. Ulrika suddenly shows up in a flash of lightning with Glysith beside me, seconds after an explosion goes.

    "Ulrika?" Glysith says. Ulrika sits on the ground, pantining.

    "Just in time," Ulrika says. The explosions stop. The cultist split their line to allow someone to walk between them. They''re too far away from me to get a good look at them.

    "Who''s that?" I say.

    "Let me check," Glysith says. Her pupils dilate and then constrict back to normal. "It''s a woman with red eyes and white hair. Is that... her?"

    "Yes."

    "Xanlos, protect us," she whispers with her head down and eyes closed.

    "What is she doing?" Ulrika says. Glysith''s eyes dilate again.

    Glysith says Zadione is walking up to our line. She doesn''t look happy or angry. Her eyes are focused on the succubi closest to her. She''s not armed nor clothed in armor. Her hair is tied behind her head. Glysith says an archer can take Zadione out, but no one dares enough to attack her.

    "Let''s kill her," Ulrika says. "She''s right there. We should all attack her."

    "I don''t think that would be wise," I say.

    "No, we should," Glysih says. "She''s getting more and more isolated from her demons." Moments after her statement, two succubi runs at Zadione. She points to the sky and the ground underneath one of the succubi explodes. It almost kills the second succubus. She continues running towards her. Zadione pulls out her golden sword from nothing and merely flicks her hand out to the succubus. The sword flies through her, into five other succubi, and narrowly misses Glysith. It vanishes in thin air a second later.

    "By the gods," Ulrika says under her breath. Glysith trembles. She puts her hand over her mouth and starts crying.

    "Glysith, are you all right?" I say. She clears her tears, swallows her mucus, and nods once.

    "What is Zadione doing now?"

    "She..." Glysith says and gets cut off by Zadione speaking telepathically.

    "Hello, my disobedient children," Zadione says. "Where is Oraya?" No one speaks a word. I look around to see if I can find her. "Oraya! Stand before me, now! Or I''ll level this field!"

    "I''m here!" Oraya says somewhere to my left. I hear a commotion. Succubi, a distance away from the disturbance, ran over to it.

    "What''s going on?" Ulrika says.

    "Glysith?" I say.

    Glysith''s ears focus in on the crowd. Zadione looks at them, then walks towards them. The succubi form a circle around someone. Glysith runs over there with her sword in hand. Ulrika and I run together behind Glysith. Once I get closer, I realize what''s going on. Oraya is wounded. There''s a makeshift bandage wrapped around her right leg. She wants to confront Zadione, but her people refuse to get out of her way. They beg her to sit down. Some say flee back to Galfalian.

    "Oraya!" Zadione says. "Get on your feet, girl, and come before me!"

    "How dare she say that," a succubus says and then snarls, showing her fangs.

    "Control yourself," Oraya says. "All of you. Now, somebody help me over to her." With the hold of two succubi, she stumbles over to Zadione. The protective circle around her goes around Zadione. I get close to them, but I stay out of sight of Zadione. "What do you want?"

    "You know exactly what I want. Surrender before I tear your stratocracy asunder." Out of the corner of my right eye, I see Glysith slowly back away. She swirls her fingers. I can see transparent magic build around her hair like a heat vapor. "For the sake of your people, pick wisely, child. I am not in a forgiving mood at the moment."

    "What shall it be, sisters?"

    "No surrender!" All of the succubi scream in a thunderous war cry.

    "Have it your way!" Zadione says.

    Oraya attacks Zadione without warning when she takes one of her soldiers'' weapons. With every gnarl, she tries to power through the pain. Zadione blocks every swing like it is nothing. Oraya falls to the ground when Zadione sidesteps away from a jab. She kicks Oraya''s sword out of her hands, puts an arm around her, and stands her up facing us.

    "Witness a new beginning, my children!" Zadione says and plows her sword through Oraya''s stomach.

    All of the succubi wildly rush Zadione. No one stands a chance. One by one and sometimes simultaneously, they die. Glysith begins to walk towards the carnage. I want to join her, but Ulrika intervenes. She grabs my belt to hold me in place.

    "Ulrika, don''t," I say. When I push her away, she yanks me to the ground. "Ulrika? What are you doing?"

    "Can''t you see we''ve lost?" Ulrika says. An explosion goes off. She hits the ground, protecting her head with her arms. "Fuck! We need to get out of here!"

    "We need to help!"

    "No! We''ll die here! She''s too powerful!" I don''t fully see that. Zadione is skillful with a sword. She seems to be using explosives at a distance. If Glysith and Ulrika overwhelm her with magic, we can kill her.

    "We can take her."

    "No, we can''t!"

    "We must try!" She tries to grab me when I take off, but misses.

    "Kaioson, no!"

    "Glysith, toss her around!" Glysith throws Zadione into the air before she can strike the soldiers. She slams her into the ground hard enough to loosen the band holding her hair back. She goes for a second slam, but Zadione suddenly breaks the telekinetic tether by slicing it with a sword. "Oh, crap! She can see it just like you can."

    "You!" Zadione says, pointing at Glysith. The second she lets go of her sword, it aims for Glysith. I conjure my sword to intercept. They collide tip-first. Sparks fly as they rub against each other. Her sword goes over Glysith''s head. It pierces the ground and disappears. I conjure my sword immediately into my hand. "It''s you," Zadione says with her eyes flushed open. Her sword blips into her hand. She blows away the succubi in her way with force magic, making a clearing. "You seem to be everywhere," she says, chuckling.

    "I''ll go anywhere to stop you," I say.

    "Dedicated," she says and snickers. "I must admit, Kromagian, that disguise was good. I had no idea you weren''t a drow." A succubus attempts to attack her. She turns the succubus''s head to face the other direction without looking or touching her. Glysith screams and then tries to use her powers on her. "Not so fast." She negates Glysith''s magic. I sweep my hand to blast her away before she can attempt a sudden fatal move. "Is that the best you can unleash?"

    "I know things that would rip you apart."

    "Me too." She hits me with the same force. It kicks up dirt in my face. A second force slams me to the ground as if someone yanked me from my shoulders. She leaps into the air with her sword over her head. Ulrika twirls her in the air. I use my sword to leap in the air to get an easy kill. Zadione notices me coming. Her eyes hawk me down at every turn. She parries my sword without looking and grabs me by the throat.

    "Oh, no!" Ulrika screams.

    "I could kill right now faster than the blink of an eye." I quickly pull out my dagger and aim for her stomach. "Not so fast, boy!" She grabs the bend of my arm before I fully straighten it. I struggle to move my arm. It feels like she''s two times strong as me. I don''t sense any force being applied. "Wanna hear something weird?" She says, straining.

    "I rather not," I say, straining too.

    "Let him go!" Ulrika says. She appears above our heads in a flash of lightning. Zadione shocks her out of the sky with purple lightning. The lightning electrocutes me. I lose all feeling within my body and awareness for a moment. When I regain it, she has me in a headlock.

    "Let me go!" I get a good elbow shot to her stomach, but it''s not enough to break her grip.

    "No," Zadione says through her teeth and wraps her legs around my stomach. Her arm gets tighter. "You will witness my power." A green book appears floating to my right. It scrolls through pages and lands on one. It is written in the Kromagian and Elven languages. She reads the elven lines while I read ahead with the Kromagian words. It''s an Earth-bending spell. The ground swallows and buries the dead bodies. The living succubi get trapped underneath, too.

    "Glysith! Get Ulrika and Portal out of here!" I say. Ulrika is unconscious behind me. It looks like wherever Zadione is looking, the terraforming consumes all of the soldiers. Glysith brings Ulrika''s body to her and opens a portal behind her moments before she catches her. They safely exit the field with moments to spare.

    "That is a taste of what I can do!" Zadione says. Her spell consumes everyone. There is nothing left. All that remains is tilled soil. "There is no one who can stop me."

    "We will stop you."

    "With what, hmm?" She says, and partly chokes me with her arm. "My Paragons will take Thubet''s kingdom, the succubi are done for, and my people will overtake the lands that remain." Her arm softened. "What is your name?" she whispers.

    "I''m not telling you."

    "If you don''t tell me, I will shove my sword through your back and let you bleed out."

    "It''s Kaioson."

    "See you around, Kaioson. I have a job to finish." She tries to strangle me. The more I struggle and resist, the harder she squeezes. "Fine then," she says, giggling. "I''ll do this."

    She tells me to sleep. Her voice echoes. My body goes limp, and my eyelids drop over my eyes. Everything goes dark. I can''t breathe. When I try to gasp for air, I wake up to the moon out in the sky. I can barely see where I am. The ground feels soft. I set up several fire orbs to light up the ground.

    I''m on the battlefield?

    Ulrika''s safety immediately comes to mind. I look around to see if I can find the city, but it''s too dark to tell which direction I''m facing.

    "Point me to Galfalian," I say to my sword. For some odd reason, I can''t feel its presence. I reach behind my back to find it not in the scabbard. "Who took my sword?!" I hold my palm flat out so when I call my sword, the direction of the handle will show me where it is. It warps instead of traveling because of the huge distance it has to cover to reach me instantaneously. The handle is pointing to the right.

    So, that''s where you were, huh?

    The second I take a step to see where my sword is, I hear a thud to my right. I grab my sword and face the noise. It''s a portal. I can''t see who''s inside, but judging by the dark silhouettes and multitude of voices, I fight might occur.

    "Who goes there?" I say.

    "By the gods, he''s alive?" Hayden says.

    "Ulrika! We found him!" Glysith says.

    "Kaioson!" Ulrika says, sprinting out of portal. She screams my name again. I can''t tell if she''s happy, sad, or pissed to see me. "Kaioson, you fucking idiot!" She slows down moments before tackling me to the ground, sits in my lap, and grabs me by the shirt to keep me close to her. Her eyes are flooded with tears, and some of them fly on my face.

    "Easy," I say. "You''re going to rip my shirt off."

    "I don''t fucking care! I''m so pissed with you right now!"

    "I''m sorry."

    "Guys!" Glysith says. "Get inside before something bad happens."

    Ulrika stands me to my feet and demands I run into the portal. She runs close behind with one hand always touching. The portal closes when we make it through. Glysith is the first person to praise my safety. She hugs me and then ends up weeping. I look around to see where I am. We''re in a well-lit room with chairs and a square table in the middle of the room. Haleema is sitting in a chair next to a door. She''s bloody, but I don''t see any bandages on her.

    "What''s wrong?" I say.

    "Zadione won. Her army overwhelmed our entire military," Glysith says.

    "What about the Kromagians and the Paladins?"

    "We were outnumbered," Haleema says. "She used her new Paragons, drows, orcs, and her fucking cultist to destroy us."

    "She didn''t pull any punches," Hayden says. "While you were believed to be dead, we got word that Thubet''s kingdom was taken within hours."

    "Gods," I say. "What are we going to do now?"

    "Pray for a miracle," Haleema says.

 Chapter Seven: An Act of Selflessness

    Zadione''s united force has most of Inaubira under her diabolical will. There are three kingdoms left now. Kromagia, the new administration for the Shemorites, and the people of the free lands are the ones that remain. The chances of winning the war seem like an impossible goal. Everyone I see around the Paladin HQ looks hopeless. Their doom and gloom is beginning to rub off on me a little bit. I try to avoid seeing their long faces to keep my spirit up. I train alone and keep to myself. Sometimes, the loneliness seeps in. Forcing myself to be isolated is hard.

    Ulrika is still furious with me. She spends most of her time with her father or around her brothers. I can''t help but think I have gone to the extreme against her wishes. I''m afraid to seek a resolution. The thoughts of what she might do if I try to speak with her stop me from training due to the stress.

    "Damn... I need to go relax," I say.

    Instead of using meditation to calm my nerves, I opt for the healing pools. I believe its warmth and healing magic will offer a better peace of mind. I head to the back of the building. Most of the changing rooms are vacant. I immediately notice Glysith sitting in a pod by herself. She''s far to the right, away from everyone. I join the side with the most people, but I can''t stop looking her way. I wonder why she''s not with us. Curiosity drives me away from the little group to see if she''s okay. I walk near her without her taking notice of me. Her arms are crossed over her lap. She''s crying, but she is quiet.

    "Hey," I say.

    "Kaioson?" Glysith says after shirking. She covers her mouth and apologizes.

    "Mind if I join you?"

    "Oh," she says, slowly crossing her hands over her crotch. "I... I don''t mind." The moment I sit next to her, I realize she''s wearing some sort of bathing undergarment. It is thick, black, and wrapped tightly around her.

    "Y''know, these pools are meant for you to be unclothed."

    "So I''ve read," she sighs. "I don''t want to give these people the wrong impression."

    "Of what?"

    "I''m a," she says and stops to whisper, "succubus. My physiology and reputation could bother people."

    "You shouldn''t be worried about what others think." Ulrika''s reaction to me looking at Haleema''s naked body comes to mind. I can''t help but laugh at what she''ll think of me sitting with a race that makes her uncomfortable.

    "What are you laughing at?"

    "My wife would have a fit if she found out I was sitting with you."

    "Oh, really?" She says with sass. "What''s her issue with me? Is it because I am a succubus?" I chuckle when I hear that question. "See?! Humans and their misconceptions. Gods, they piss me off."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Hey, you''re not a... a..."

    "What?" I say, looking straight into her eyes.

    "I was about to say you''re not a human," she says, glancing off to her left until her sentence ends. "Your people are not dumb like the rest of the humans," she says, nearly smiling. "And you," she says and points at me. "You treated me fairly and saved my life. You''re a good human."

    "A good human?" I chuckle.

    "Well," she says with a high giggle. "A good Kromagian." She stands out of the water to pat my head.

    "I''m still human."

    "Yeah, yeah," she says, sitting down. She goes silent. We don''t say anything for a few seconds. I look around the nearly empty room to help me think of something to discuss. No one is talking. Everyone is minding their own business.

    "This is depressing."

    "I''m sorry."

    "I wasn''t talking about you. It''s... the room."

    "We lost so much, Kaioson. How can we be happy?" There''s nothing I can say to answer her question. "I lost my general, and my love is trapped with Zadione."

    "Serith, yes?"

    "You remembered?" She says with a teary smile. "I''m worried about her. She can''t defend herself."

    "Is there something uniquely wrong with her?"

    "No," she weeps, shaking her head. "It''s just not in her nature to be violent." Hearing her plight deeply bothers me. It sounds like all is lost for them. Serith will have to find a way to survive. Unless there''s a way to help. Maybe I can reunite them. I have Haleema''s portal ring. It still has a few uses.

    "I''ll go find her."

    "What?" She says once she gains control of her emotions. "You''ll¡ª"

    "Die? Get captured?"

    "Yeah... at least one of those."

    "I''ll be in out before I''m noticed."

    "Are you leaving now?" She says, sitting out of the water. I tell her I''ll seek Serith at night despite the moon being out. "Why are you doing this, Kaioson?"

    "I don''t have a better reason other than I want to end your worry."

    "That''s a good reason," she says, tearing up. "Let me accompany you. You won''t know where to look if you go alone."

    "Fine."

    At night, Glysith and I gather in a vacant room on the second floor far away from everyone. I plan out what I want to accomplish. We''ll go in light. I''ll cast a TM spell to conceal our movements. If we have to talk, we''ll use hand signals. There is no telling what race will be there to hear our sounds. Glysith thinks Serith will be at their home. If she''s not there, she might be at Catsha''s pub.

    "And if she''s not there?" I say.

    "Will you pray with me?" She says, gently grabbing the fingers of my hands.

    "I will." I get on my knees and press my hands together. She gets on her knees too, but bows her head to the ground. Her prayer is something to behold.

    "O'' Xanlos and to his angels accompanying the heavens. Please hear me, a creature not made in your image. Bless you all for giving me one of your dearest in my time of dismay. Protect us as we return to save my love. Let it be so."

    "Let it be so," I say.

    "Ready?"

    "I''m ready. Let''s get her." I open a portal back to the battlefield and send my sword out to see if the coast is clear. "Is there anybody out there?" She whispers.

    "None," I whisper. I cast the deafening spell on both of us from our shoulders down to our feet. "Sit on my lap. I''ll tether you to me so you won''t fall off." Once she finds a stable spot, I tether her to me and tether myself to my sword. We take off to the city. She wraps her arms around my body the second I command it at soaring speed.

    "Gods! How is this possible?"

    "Magic. It''s a mental command."

    "No kidding," she says, laughing. I tell her its name and that it is a gift from my adoptive mother.

    "It can protect, levitate, sense people within its presence, and along many other things."

    "Sense? Can it find Serith?" There''s a hint of excitement within her question. She is intensely looking me in the eyes. I don''t want to give her false hope. My sword can bring people to me, but it has to accept them as a trusted friend. Ulrika and Thyrna are the only people it accepts. The sword requires a significant amount of time to understand Glysith''s intentions with me.

    "It can''t," I say. "She would have to gain its trust in order to give it a command like that."

    "What?!" She says and glances at the sword. "That''s stupid! Can''t it see that my love could be in danger?"

    "Quiet," I whisper.

    "We fought together," she says, using hand sign language. "We''re arm brothers."

    "It''s brothers in arms," I say, signing back while trying not to laugh at the butchered phrase. "Do you really see me as that?"

    "Well, you''re not a woman, so I can''t say sister."

    "True," I snicker.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    "If that term bothers you, what about a friend?" She presses her lips in her mouth and waits with bated breath. Suddenly, my sword makes an abrupt right turn. It curves around two cultists walking in the direction we''re going and then re-centers on the path.

    "Did they notice us?" She looks back, her ears honing in on the cultist. "Good."

    My sword reaches the outskirts of the city. I remind Glysith to avoid killing or subduing any targets. Catsha''s pub is the closest. She wants to check the house first to see if Serith is there, but I don''t want to backtrack if she isn''t. I rather search as we go in one direction. She insists we check there.

    "Fine," I say.

    We sneak through narrow streets that are not lit by the moon. Oddly, there aren''t that many cultists roaming around. It feels like the city is on lockdown. Glysith can hear the succubi inside the houses we pass. From their brief conversations, she says that the majority are scared. At one house at an open intersection, two succubi are speaking about their worries. One of them is breastfeeding a baby. While we wait for a chance to cross without being seen, we listen to their conversation.

    "Come inside, Anila," the succubus who''s breastfeeding. "Head to bed."

    "I can''t sleep."

    "I''ll brew something for you."

    "No, thank you."

    "What''s wrong?" Anila turns her back to us.

    "I''m worried what she''ll do to us." The other succubus turns her back. I signal Glysith to make her move. The moment Glysith leans into her step, she has to jump back into cover to avoid being spotted by the second succubus. "Zadione wants all soldiers to report to the barracks first thing in the morning."

    "What for?"

    "I don''t know," she says and walks near us. Glysith nearly trips over me trying to back up. I clutch her from behind to keep her from bashing into something. "None of our sister comrades know either."

    "Maybe we should..." The succubi go silent. Glysith turns her head slightly. Her ears push forward as she listens.

    "What did she say?" I say.

    "She wants to flee," Glysith says. "She wants to take the White River north."

    "Is it possible?"

    "It doesn''t seem like it," she says after listening to more of their secret conversation.

    The succubi head into the house to resume their talk. I follow Glysith through more neighborhoods. She points at a house with one light on and suddenly stops when she gets near it. Her ears twitch forward. She pulls out her dagger and puts her finger over her mouth.

    "Two men inside," Glysith says. I grab my dagger.

    "Your so-called sisters gave you up, creature," a woman with a raspy voice says. "We know you are married to a warlock. Where is she?" No one answers her question. "We''re getting nowhere. Make her talk." Something shatters before two thuds make a sound. Glysith sprints to the front door without warning. She kicks open the door and goes to the nearest person. That person casts a powerful icy force blast. It sends her flying into me. We crash through a door on the opposite side of the street.

    "Ouch," I say.

    "Gods," Glysith groans. "It burns!" There''s ice attached to the fabric near her stomach. It''s misting frost. I melt it off before it can inflict more damage.

    "How''s that? Does it still burn?"

    "A little. It''s just cold now," she says and then looks inside the doorway. "We need to get inside, now!"

    "Why the rush?"

    "Serith is in there!" The woman steps outside. I can''t see her face. Her hood is over her head. "Get out of my way!" Glysith says in a hissing-like growl. Her hands go up as if she''s going to claw the air. The woman quickly hurls a stream of ice at her. I negate it a mere moment after it touches her hands with a plume of intense heat vapor. "My hands!" Her hands are wet and red.

    "Zadione was right," the woman chuckles. "Go for her hands." I stand in front of Glysith, wielding my sword.

    "Are you a Paragon?" I say.

    "You should already know that Kaioson," she says and takes off her hood.

    "Penny?" The second man gets behind Penny with Serith clutched tightly in his grasp. "What do you do with them?"

    "Them?" She says and glances at Serith. "I want her." She points at Glysith. "Zadione wants a word with her."

    "A word?" While she speaks, Glysith whispers to me that she can''t use her magic. The pain in her hands is too great. She can''t cast the slightest nudge.

    "Please, save her," Glysith says.

    "What about you?"

    "Focus on her."

    "Would you like to share what''s so secretive?" Penny says, smiling. "Or would you mind pissing off? Go back to your sanctuary and wait out the last of your days."

    "Don''t tell me what to do," I say. She takes out a small axe hidden under a cloak and throws it at me. I deflect towards the sky. When it falls on the road, I rush to her. She reaches on the other side of her cloak and tosses a second at me. I blast it away. It strikes the corner of the house.

    "Impressive!" She manifests a long axe made of ice and uses it to block a lethal swing from me. The edge of my sword cuts into the upper half (handle). She stares at it intensely while grinning. "Those damn elves know how to make a sword, eh? Who gave you this beauty?" I''m not in a talking mood to answer ungenuine questions. I drop my right hand to cast a force blow to her stomach. She interlocks my hand before I can unleash its magic and tries to freeze it. I have to ignite my hand to counteract. "Whoa! That''s hot!" The ice and fire mixing makes water pour from our hands. "You''re making me wet!" Her sexual jokes don''t amuse me in the slightest. I ram the top of my head into her chest. She falls over my right shoulder and into a perfect grabbing position. I push her into the house. The man inside tosses Serith to the side to catch us. My strength isn''t enough to topple him over.

    "Serith, run!" Serith fails to get on her feet. She trips and stumbles out of the door.

    "Go after them!" Penny says. "I''ll deal with Kaioson." I charge up a DG while I''m using my body and hers as an obstacle for him. She tries kicking, punching, kneeing, and elbowing me to free her. Her assaults are too much for me to take, but luckily, the DG is ready to fire. The man manages to walk past me as I''m about to hit both of them with it. I aim at him with moments to spare. The force hits his left shoulder blade and takes a chunk out of the door frame. His body skids across the street before stopping at Glysith''s feet.

    "Flee!" I say.

    "But you have the ring!" Glysith says.

    Damn! She''s right. I need to figure out a way to get away from Penny. I''d rather run than have an all-out fight with her.

    Penny jumps on top of me when I try to stand up. She jabs a small knife into my hip. The pain goes from a sharp sting to a burning cold.

    "Try running away with that!" Penny says.

    "I don''t have to run," I say. "I''ll just crawl." I blast Penny to the ceiling, tether her body to it, and open a portal in the doorway. "Go!" Serith runs in first. Glysith goes around it to pull me in with her.

    "Kaioson!" Penny screams. A surge of mana and cold air surges out of the portal. The ceiling shatters with falling ice. Somehow, she breaks free of my tether. I close the portal before she can come through.

    "That was close," Glysith says. "Are you all right?"

    "Despite the ice-cold knife in my side, I''m okay," I say, chuckling through the pain.

    "Serith, help me pick him up. We need to find a doctor." They carry me out into the hallway by my armpits and legs. "Can anyone help? We need a doctor!" Out of all the people around that can possibly help, Ulrika is the first person to see me. Instead of taking the stairs, she propels herself to the second floor.

    "Where in the yell were you?!" Ulrika says.

    "Galfalian."

    "What? What were you doing over there?!"

    "Relax. We went through to save Serith," Glysith says.

    "Did you persuade him to go there?" She says with hostility in her words.

    "Ulrika," I say, raising my voice. She folds her lips in and frowns momentarily. "We need help," I say in a softer tone. "I''m hurt."

    "Gods! You''re dripping blood!"

    "Find a healer." She frantically looks around and runs down the stairs, screaming for anyone to help. It takes almost a minute for her to find one.

    "Where is he?" A man says.

    "Up," Ulrika says. She flies up to the second floor with a man in her arms.

    They haul me into a medical room. The doctor is a traditionalist. He doesn''t know magic and has to brew tonics before mending my wound. I drink a sedative to numb the pain. The drink puts me halfway to sleep. I can hear him answering Ulrika''s questions about his qualifications and operating on me. She''s worried about the wound infecting me. He doesn''t believe it will, but to be on the safe side, she''ll need to send for a magical healer. The best he can do for me is clean, apply ointment, and sew the wound shut.

    Once the doctor finishes with me, he administers aid to Glysith''s hands. Luckily, they''re not severe. She''ll make a quicker recovery than I. He leaves minutes after dealing with her, putting the room in silence for a time. I can barely hear Glysith talking. She''s whispering. Ulrika is silent. I can''t tell if she''s in the room until she speaks.

    "Why did he go?" Ulrika says.

    "I already told you," Glysith says. "He wanted to bring my love to me."

    "So, he just suddenly wanted to do that?"

    "He''s a good man, Ulrika. Don''t try to bash him for acting heroic."

    "I don''t think I can," she whispers. The direction of her voice is directed at me. Even though it is soft, I can hear every word. "I worry this war will take his life."

    "I''m sure he worries about that too for you."

    "I know he does," she says after sighing. "But you have no idea how much this man means to me."

    "If you don''t mind, I''d like to know. I mean... we like to know."

    Ulrika discloses her tragic past with her brothers to them, including bits and pieces of the year that followed it. I open my eyes a few seconds after she concluded. She''s sitting on a chair in front of me. Glysith and Serith are off to the right. I can''t see them because Ulrika is blocking my view. I want to sit up, but I can''t. The sedative is making me feel heavy.

    "Ulrika," I whisper. My voice is so soft that the back of my throat doesn''t vibrate. Luckily, Serith and her sensitive ears step into my sight.

    "He''s awake," Serith says.

    "Ulrika, Serith said¡ª" Glysith says before Ulrika turns around to look at me.

    "Oh!" Ulrika says. "Hey," she says, holding my hand with her hands. "How are you feeling?" All I can do is sigh. I roll my eyes and try to smile to show her I''m okay. "Thank the gods," she says with a smile. "You''re gonna make me gray before I turn thirty." Serith comes to my bedside to touch my head. Her thumb gently caresses my forehead. Some brightness shines in her eyes. I feel a force pulling me into her palm and then releasing me. "What are you doing?" Glysith comes to stand next to Serith to see what''s going on.

    "You want to speak with him?" Glysith says. Serith nods once.

    "Speak?"

    "Telepathically. She rarely does this." Serith grins, nodding and jumping excitedly.

    "So, what do you want to say?" I say in my head. Her grin gets wider when she hears me. "You''re not the first to speak with me like this."

    "Kaioson," Serith speaks slowly as if she''s talking with her lips. The sound of her voice is in my head and not coming from her mouth. Ulrika squints at her as if she''s seeing something abnormal. Her attention quickly snaps to her. "I''m sorry this happened to you." She speaks with care. All of her words are soft. "I hope your wife won''t be furious with me."

    "Don''t mind her. I am the apple of her eye. She planned a wonderful life for us before the war started."

    "Could you tell me?" She leans closer. Ulrika puts her arm against Serith''s chest until she returns to her original position.

    "Ulrika," I say out loud.

    "It''s my fault. I think I should go now. When you''re better, can we speak again?"

    "Sure."

    "We can go now."

    "Thanks again for your help, Kaioson," Glysith says as she takes Serith by the hand. "Get well soon."

    Ulrika closes the door once they walk out. She rests her back on it and stares at me silently with her arms crossed. Her eyes don''t move. I don''t have the time to deal with whatever she''s trying to accomplish, so I close my eyes to fall asleep. She stands there quietly for minutes. The lack of sound keeps me from trying to sleep. I look at her to see what she''ll do. Instead of seeing a blank expression, she''s trying to stop herself from smiling.

    "Don''t let this face fool you," Ulrika says, putting her arms down to grab her hips. "I''m mad," she says, coming over to me.

    "Are you?" I say like I am drunk.

    "Very," she whispers as he gets on her knees to be in my face. "You got yourself stabbed for a succubus." When she glances at my hip, she stops smiling. "Who did it?"

    "Penny."

    "She''s dead." Her threat makes me chuckle.

    "She''s deadly."

    "So am I. I will do tenfold what she did to you."

    It''s alarming to see Ulrika that furious. I can''t tell if she''s mad at me for going or seeing what Penny did. Her expression is making it hard to decipher where her mood might be. She''s calm for now. Maybe in a few hours, once I''m on my feet, I''ll see the side of her that''ll tell me if she is proud or angry with my actions. For now, I''ll rest. The sedative seems to have another phase kicking in. My eyelids fall over my eyes. No matter how hard I try to push them back open.

    "Sleep well, darling," Ulrika says. "I''ll never leave your side again."

 Chapter Eight: Bygones

    Word of my heroism spreads through the agency. Two days after getting wounded, Haleema leaves a meeting with Thubet''s asylum hearing to come to see me. Ulrika brings the doctor into the nursing room to remove my stitches so Haleema can flash-heal the wound. The instant relief takes away the throbbing pain.

    "I can finally walk," I say, placing my weight over my foot.

    "Make sure you have full mobility," the doctor says. I squat, jump, and walk around to check for issues. "Well?"

    "I''m back to normal."

    "Doctor, you should learn magic," Haleema says. "It can be useful in a pinch."

    "No, thank you," he says. "I prefer using and studying medicinal uses."

    "Suit yourself." He takes his leave. She heads to the door but stops to look at me. "Kaioson."

    "Yes?" I say.

    "Your mother is here. She''s in the war room with Thubet and her cousin. I thought I let you know." She leaves after I thank her for notifying me that Thyrna is around.

    "That''s one less thing to worry about," Ulrika says. "Now I got to deal with Thubet."

    Ulrika doesn''t have to tell me what she means by she has to deal with Thubet. Thubet has some sort of bounty on her. It is not international, therefore no one has come after her in months. But now Thubet is here. Zadione has full control of her kingdom. All I know is that her cousin and a few of their people are here. Haleema is deciding what to do with them since they''re a hostile nation to us. The new king of the Shemoreites, Rainguard, Andodon''s brother, has given her the authority to decide their fate. With all of that going on today, I need to visit my mother.

    "I wonder what my mother is doing there," I say.

    "Shall we see what''s going on?" Ulrika says.

    "What about the bounty? Wouldn''t it be best to not show your face?"

    "It would," she says, smirking. "I''ll keep my distance."

    We head down to spectate the hearing. I recognize a few faces in attendance from Garret''s trial. The five senior Paladins are here. Thyrna, Zadock, and Haleema are sitting with the seniors. And to my surprise, Coretha is with them. Thubet and Elred stand before them. I don''t see any of her people among the crowd. Everyone in the room is human.

    Ulrika and I take a seat on a bench near the door. I sit next to the aisle with a perfect view of Thubet and Elred.

    "Listen well," one of the senior Paladins says. "You are welcome here," she says before sternly pointing his finger to the ground. "But, your neutrality during Roven''s war will cause some people to abhor you."

    "I don''t care what your people think of me," Thubet says.

    "Gods, she is insufferable," Ulrika whispers with her hand over her mouth.

    "We''ll set up tents in the field behind our building for the people you brought," the senior Paladin says. While he goes over some Shemorite common laws, I notice Coretha staring at me from time to time. I raise my eyebrow to show her I''m aware. She scratches her head, covers her mouth nonchalantly with her fingers, and glances at Thubet.

    "I heard you were stabbed. Are you well?" Coretha says, speaking in my mind.

    "Thanks to Haleema, I am," I say in my head.

    "I''m happy to hear that," she says and doesn''t say anything for a few seconds. "This war has taken so many lives," she says and scrunches her face. "We need a miracle."

    "What about those champions?"

    "Vahloin and Syren are still working on them. The few they got are in Kromagia."

    I sigh with relief. I''m happy the plan isn''t in the water, but I worry for the future. If our combined armies can''t turn the tide of the war, I pray the champions can create a devastating dent in Zadione''s vision. It is still hard to believe that Xanlos refuses to intervene when one of his own is closing in on taking his created world. Will he make his move once she wins? Will he remain silent, or does he truly think we can win?

    I have to stop overthinking. I need to focus on the now. Thubet and Elred are about to leave. Coretha catches his attention and speaks with him in private. Thubet walks down the aisle with most of her attention forward. She glances to the left, looking at something ahead of me. The second we''re parallel, she stops. She blinks and looks past me. I stand to block her line of sight to Ulrika.

    "Keep moving," I say.

    "You don''t scare me," Thubet says in my face. "You better watch your back," she says, leaning around me. "I won''t forget your crimes." She leaves before I can make a rebuttal.

    "Stop," Ulrika says the second I walk after Thubet. "Let her be." Thubet looks over her shoulder, and the second Elred excuses himself to pass by me. His polite jester catches me off guard. He says my name, nods his head to Ulrika, and jogs after Thubet.

    "That was..." I say.

    "Yeah..." Ulrika says.

    "Kaioson! Ulrika!" Coretha says. "A word?" As everyone exits the room, Ulrika and I walk over to Coretha. "Gentlemen, this is Kaioson and his wife, Ulrika."

    "These are two bounty hunters you hired, yes?" A male senior Paladin says. Haleema grunts to confirm. "Greetings," he says and offers his hand to shake. "They call me Ayborn."

    "Hold on," Ulrika says, while I''m shaking his hand. "Aren''t you a priest?"

    "I was, twenty years ago," he chuckles. "Did you come to my sermons?" He offers his hand to her.

    "No," she says and crosses her hands over her lap. "I heard your voice a lot when I was little, visiting the square." He crosses his hands just like hers.

    "Most people don''t recognize me with the long gray beard now. Anywho, Coretha brought you two over here to talk strategy."

    "What''s the plan?" I say. He glances at Ulrika with the side of his eye.

    "It involves you, Ulrika," Haleema says.

    "What do you want from me?" Ulrika says gently.

    Haleema has what seems like an impossible task. The Paladins and their allies are already creating strategic counterattack operations. They going to send warriors to cripple Zadione''s fairy forces from within. She also plans to do the same with Thubet''s lost kingdom, but there is one problem she needs to solve before anyone can set foot within the walls. Ulrika and Thubet must reconcile their difference to help rebuild human and elf relations.

    "You''re crazy," Ulrika says. "And, how in the hell will I make tensions better?"

    "I''m with her. She can''t do this alone," I say.

    "I''m aware of that," Haleema says. "Elred will speak with her to drop her senseless hatred against humans so we can unite against Zadione."

    "Good luck with that," Ulrika says.

    "Will you do it?"

    "Last time I talked with her, we fought. The answer is no."

    "Ulrika," Coretha says.

    "What?"

    "Please." Ulrika squints her eyes and gives everyone but me a stern look, then abruptly walks away.

    "Ulrika!" Haleema says. Ulrika continues walking. "Ulrika!" She continues to ignore her. "Kaioson, go speak with her." I take her demand under consideration. I''m not in a hurry to sway my wife to make peace with a personal enemy. What Haleema is asking will be tough, or impossible. She needs to make sure Elred can open Thubet''s mind to anything considered peaceful.

    "I''ll see what I can do," I say. I head outside to find Ulrika standing near the entrance of the room with her back to me. "Ulrika..."

    "Don''t."

    "I wasn''t." She looks over her shoulder to see me. "Thubet wanted you dead. I''m not going to tell you to go make peace with her." She smirks and soothes her forearms.

    "She was close to killing me," she says and then frowns angrily. She tightens her lips for a moment. "Fuck that elf," she whispers through her teeth.

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    "Agreed." Her frown turns into a grin. She wraps her arm around my waist to lead me to the front doors of the agency. "Where are we going?"

    "My home."

    I ride with Ulrika from Neblas to Ambagra. It takes us a few hours to get there. When we arrive, we are drenched in sweat. She hands off the horse to one of the two gardeners tending weeds in the courtyard without asking him to look after it.

    "Evening, sir," the second gardener says softly. "I hope you and Mrs. Pence are in good spirits." Ulrika curls her finger for me to come. "She seems happy."

    "Was she not?" I say.

    "Not after what you did," he whispers. "By the way, I think what you did was heroic," he says, covering his voice with his hand.

    "Kaio, let''s go!" Ulrika says.

    "Coming!" I say. I run after her as she walks inside. She walks straight inside despite the maid''s greeting her. "Where are you rushing off to?" I say when she turns down the hallway to her room. When I turn the corner, I see her finger over her mouth. I close my mouth. She draws me to follow quietly by curling her finger. She strips when I close the bedroom door behind me. "So," I say, staring at her naked body as she stands boldly with her fists resting on her hips. "I take it this is what you wanted to do on this trip, yes?" My question is answered with a slow thumb point to the stand-in bath.

    The second I enter the stand-in bath, she pulls me close to her wet, warm body underneath the falling water. She lays the side of her face under my jaw. Her arms are locked firmly yet gently around my back. Our bodies press and rub against each other. I hug like there is no tomorrow. We stand under the water for a minute without saying a word. My mind is at peace. Nothing but her essence fills every corner.

    "Darling," she says under an erotic breath. "O darling."

    "Yes, my love?" I say, matching her arousal voice. "What do you need?"

    "Anything you can give to subdue my worry," she says, and then looks at me. "And my anger."

    "Are you still mad with what I did?" She nods while looking away, and then rubs the scar on my hip.

    "You did something good. I can''t deny that."

    "But?"

    "No buts. I''m just a bitch, Kaio."

    "Don''t say that."

    Out of nowhere, she surprises me with a long kiss. She moves away and does it again. We kiss, bathe, kiss some more, and then lie on the bed. She dozes off. I follow suit. We sleep into the evening. I wake up in the dark with her on top of me.

    "Ulrika," I whisper while rubbing the back of her thighs.

    "Five more minutes," she says. Ten minutes later, she wakes up. "Gods, what time is it?"

    "Here." I hand her a fire orb to light her. She takes it with her to peek around the bedroom door.

    "Oh..."

    "What?"

    "Must be dinner time. I can smell the food." I ignite my hand to search for my clothes. "You don''t have to wear those again," she says the second I grab my shirt. "I have clothes for you under the bed."

    "When did that happen?"

    "I learned this yesterday. My mother made sure to have something spare for you if you want to live here." She pulls out a large chest from underneath the bed. There are several colorful shirts to choose from. They are folded next to multiple pairs of pants and underwear.

    "Did she think of shoes to wear?" She pulls out a second chest. It''s slightly bigger than the first one. Inside are leather boots ranging from light brown to black.

    "She even thought about giving us a room and room for our children."

    "Seriously?"

    "Mhmm."

    I have a newfound respect for Ulrika''s mother. Our children will have access to more things here than in Thaa Alora. Even though Thaa Alora is beautiful and has a friendly community, I think living here for a few years won''t hurt. Plus, we''re closer to Kromagia. My mother can come and visit from time to time. Maybe when the war is over, I might be able to convince Ulrika to start a family here for a time. As of now, let''s see what''s cooking.

    Ulrika puts on a sage dress. The sleeves go down her arms. The hem barely touches the ground. It''s stitched with a white ribbon, including the cuffs. Her physique is shapely, but the dress has enough room to make it not conform tightly around any section of her body.

    "Whatever they''re cooking, it is making my stomach growl," Ulrika says. "How do I look? This is the second time you''ve seen me in a dress, yes?"

    "It is," I say, rubbing the back of my hand against her flat stomach. "You look splendid."

    "If I weren''t so hungry," she says as we head into the hallway. "I would''ve used Syren''s makeup kit." Two of her mothers, Violetta and Anemone, walk by without noticing us. Jenifry, the third mother, calls Ulrika''s name from down the hallway to our left.

    "Evening," Ulrika says.

    "Welcome home," Jenifry says. "It''s been a while since I''ve seen you." She gives her a hug and kisses on the cheek. "Gods! Have you gotten bigger?" I get the same greeting after she asks that question.

    "I guess." She bends her right arm to see how much her bicep grows without flexing it. "Kaioson keeps track of that."

    "This war is making us work harder than before," I say.

    "It still rages on in Dako and Clane. What''s the news in the south?" As we walk to the dining room, I explain in great detail what''s going on since Ulrika and I departed. I continue talking until I realize everyone sitting at the table is looking at me in awe. No one except for Ulrika is eating their hot food. Even the maids have stopped what they are doing to listen.

    "Forgive me. I''ve spoken too much," I say.

    "It''s fine, son," Anemone says after taking the first bite of her food. "We don''t hear much of what goes on beyond these walls."

    "So, is it just us?" Jenifry says. "Kromagia and Shemore?"

    "Yup," Ulrika says. "Haleema is trying a different approach to turn the tide. And she thinks I can help."

    "What does she want you to do?" Violetta says. Ulrika shifts her mouth to the side and glances at me, turning her head as if she doesn''t like something.

    "She wants me to speak with Thubet and reconcile our differences." All of her mother''s reactions are negative. They frown and look at her as if what she is saying is a joke.

    "Why would she want you to do that?"

    "Doesn''t she know that bitch tried to kill you and let a madman run wild against our people?" Jenifry says, nearly shouting. "What the hell is she thinking?" Ulrika shrugs.

    "She''s desperate," Ulrika says.

    "She''s acting foolish. Thubet is an enemy of the people." For a moment, she pauses and stares blankly at her food. "My sons were killed because of her actions."

    "Jen, that was Roven''s doing," Anemone says.

    "Her neutrality caused it!" She says after slamming her fists on the table. The whole room goes silent. My ears feel like they are searching for sound. I can hear a faint buzz. "Forgive my outburst."

    "It''s fine."

    "Ulrika, why does Haleema want you to talk with Thubet?" Violetta says. "What''s the end goal?"

    "More allies," Ulrika says.

    "Well," she says and looks at everyone. "Do we need them?"

    "Um," she says, sighing. "The bigger our armies are, the more we can fight, I guess." Her mothers talk to each other about whether Haleema''s idea is smart or stupid. They discuss for minutes. The more they go on, the more heated it becomes. Ulrika chimes into the fray. She supports Jenifry. Jenifry doesn''t want Ulrika to talk with Thubet because of Roven''s war. Anemone and Violetta like Haleema''s idea. Unfortunately, I''m on the fence. I don''t know what to say. I understand what Anemone and Violetta are proposing, yet I feel for Jenifry''s anger.

    "Ulrika," I say, resting my hand on her lap. She pulls out of the conversation to give me all of her attention. Her face is a mild pink from all of the talking. It is not as red as Jenifry. "Don''t get mad at me... But..."

    "No," Ulrika says, nodding her head no. "I thought you agreed with me."

    "I do, but I''m starting to see the bigger picture."

    "And that is?"

    "To end this foolish war."

    "Kaio," she says with a stutter and sighs.

    "I know you don''t want to," I whisper, soothing her lap. "But could you at least see if it can be done?" For a long moment, she thinks about it. Her eyes look down at the ground and jitter. All of a sudden, she tells her mothers to stop talking. The echoing authority in her voice makes them cease their debate.

    "I will speak to her."

    "Ulrika?" Jenify says.

    "I understand your worry. If Haleema thinks that''ll break the tension between our people, I''m going to try it."

    "What if it doesn''t work?"

    "Then it doesn''t."

    We eat in silence. One by one, after Ulrika''s mothers finish their dinner, they leave heading in a different directions.

    "I''m going to see if Jenify is okay," Ulrika says.

    "I''ll head back to your room," I say.

    I head there after eating and meditate as I wait. Training on a full stomach is not an option, plus it is too late in the night to do such work. I picture our bedroom in the cabin. The bed is plump and soft to the touch. Across the room, on a table, are our swords neatly placed on top of each other. All of the wooden walls, floors, and furniture look to be freshly cut.

    "Interesting," I say. Suddenly, I hear a faint noise in the doorway. Ulrika steps inside without taking her eyes off me. Her face is dazzled with beautiful colors of makeup.

    "Why are you smiling?" Ulrika says.

    "Because you look beautiful."

    "Are you..." I open my eyes back to reality. She''s standing in the same spot I last saw her.

    "Not anymore. How was Jenifry?"

    "Disappointed," she says, lying next to me with her legs out to the side. "And worried for my safety because of what Thubet tried to do."

    "You can handle her."

    "I know," she says with a smirk.

    The next day, we ride back to the Paladin headquarters and walk to the fields behind the building where Thubet is camped. Her tent is set up in the middle of several other tents. It isn''t cone-shaped like the rest of them. The fabric is red with white open flaps. Her tent is wide and comes to a point at the center. I can see her inside staring at us. She''s sitting sideways on a chair with her left leg over the armrest, and her right arm propping her head up. Ulrika puts me behind her arm once we make it a few feet from the tent.

    "Who''s that?" Elred says. His voice is coming from a small area to the left of the tent.

    "A murderer," Thubet says. Ulrika''s arm braces the moment I think about defending her honor. I bite my lip to avoid speaking.

    "She''s here?"

    "Mhmm." He steps out to see Ulrika. She puts her hand down to rest it on her sword. "Looking for a fight?"

    "You would want that, wouldn''t you?"

    "You''re damn right, bitch," she says gnawing her teeth as she stands up. "Draw your weapon!" She takes out her sword, but Ulrika hands me hers.

    "I''ve come to talk peace."

    "There will be no peace between us," she says, pointing at her. "Fuck you."

    "Thubet!" Elred says.

    "You will pay for your crimes."

    "If you lay a hand on her, I will not hesitate to¡ª" I say before Ulrika cuts me off by whispering my name sharply.

    "For the sake of everything we hold dear, we must find a compromise," Ulrika says.

    "Yes, please," Elred says, eyeing Thubet closely. "Cousin," he says, pulling her arm down to bring the tip of the sword to the ground. "Let this obsession with the knights go."

    "I won''t till they are dead or tried and executed."

    "At least forgive her. She is innocent! I''ve seen her actions."

    "What you saw was fabricated." She points her sword at her. Elred manifests a shield from his hands and steps between her and Ulrika. I pull Ulrika away from them.

    "Back off!"

    "How dare you!"

    "She came here in peace. All we want is unification."

    "Unification?" She says, raising in volume as if she''s moments from yelling.

    "We need to unify against Zadione," Ulrika says. "Let''s put our differences aside. If you can''t, then think of all the innocent from our worlds."

    "Thubet, consider all we''ve lost to Zadione," Elred says. "Do you want our people under her thumb?" Thubet doesn''t answer but gives Ulrika a dirty look. "If you don''t conceive, then I will."

    "I''m the queen. Not you," Thubet says.

    "Then act like one." She sheathes her sword after taking a deep breath in and through her nose. I keep my guard up just in case she tries anything funny. Just because she''s not armed doesn''t mean she won''t try something.

    "Let me be clear," she says, walking towards Ulrika with Elred''s shield inches from her chest. "Once I regain my kingdom, this truce will be void and I will hunt you down."

    "Thubet!" Elred says.

    "Good," Ulrika says. Her response confounds me. Elred seems shocked, too. He''s staring at her as if he is hearing something outrageous. "Send your warlocks after me. No, send yourself."

    "Ulrika?!" I say.

    "Let''s agree to a duel to end this shit once and for all."

    "I like that," Thubet says, grinning in a sadistic smile. "Once I kill you, I will find the rest of you murderers and kill them myself."

    "Do you agree?"

    "I do."

 Chapter Nine: United Paladin Force

    Ulrika and Thubet shake hands. Thubet sits back in her chair while Elred argues with her about how big a mistake she is making. She doesn''t look like she''s paying a single word. Her eyes stare back at Ulrika and me. I''m so livid with Ulrika''s decision that I have to walk away to avoid yelling at her.

    "Kaio," Ulrika says, walking after me. "Wait." I continue walking. "Kaioson, don''t be like this." She continues demanding I stop walking away. I don''t stop until she forces herself in front of me.

    "Get out of my way," I say.

    "No." When I grab her arms to move her to the side, she looks at me from the side. Her eyebrows hang low over her eyes. She shifts her lower jaw forward and frowns. "You better not push me away." I keep my hands still yet firmly grasped. "Kaioson, simmer down just for a moment. Just listen to what I have to say. There''s a reason why I did that."

    "It better be good, Ulrika. Because what you have done threatens everything we wanted!"

    "Kaioson, my love," she says in a soft voice. "Don''t be angry with me."

    "Fine!" I say, turning to my right and holding my arms crossed. From the corner of my eye, I can see her soothing her hands. "Speak."

    "I don''t want to be looking over my shoulder, darling," she says, resting her hands on my arm. "I have to face her and end the shit between us. It''s the only way."

    "Is it?" I snap.

    "What would you have me do? I want to be free from her!" She stands in front of me with her hands gripping the tops of my forearms. The anger in me refuses to look her in the eyes. She tries to make me look at her by moving her face in my line of sight. "Kaioson, look at me." One direct glance is enough to keep me from avoiding her desperation. Her eyes are sparkling from the sunlight. Her jaw keeps flexing in and out when she bites with her mouth closed. "This is the way to my freedom from her anger. I must face her."

    "What if you lose?"

    "That would be embarrassing."

    "Embarrassing?" I chuckle, but I''m not happy.

    "Don''t worry about me," she says, resting her forehead against mine. "I can handle the toughest of foes my way."

    "Even me?" My stupid jest to make light of the situation makes us giggle.

    "How could you ever be my foe? No god could turn me against my amazing husband," she says and gifts three long kisses afterward. "You are my lord, Kaioson."

    "You praise me too much," I say, walking to the Paladin building, clutching her to my side. "I''m just your husband."

    "Wait until we get back to my home. I''ll show you that you are more than you know."

    "What''s going to happen?"

    "Hopefully, something you''ll be proud of."

    Once we make it to the stable to get our horse from Vaeril, the stable master''s assistant, four of Ulrika''s youngest older brothers come to us on horses. Kindric, Oliver, Geminos, and Gnaeus are here.

    "Guys? What are you doing here?" Ulrika says.

    "We''ve come to see Lyra," Kindric says. "She sent offers for former military soldiers to join the Paladin forces."

    "Guys," she says, taking several glances at her brothers. "None of you wield magic."

    "But we''re pretty good with a sword," Gnaeus says.

    "Paladins are magic users."

    "We know that," Geminos says and steps off his horse. "The agency you work for is desperately looking for help." The rest of them get off their horses. They walk inside to let Vaeril place the horses in a stable. Geminos remain with us.

    "I thought you guys were retired."

    "War brought us out."

    "What about Vladimir, Maxwell, and Spyro?"

    "Those guys?" he says with a smirk. "They''re too old. Plus, they have families to take care of."

    "So do you," she says, tapping her finger on his chest. "Everyone but Gnaeus and me. Why are they here?" She points her thumb over her shoulder at her three brothers.

    "Look, I don''t want to explain their motives. We came to help, just like what you''re doing."

    Vaeril takes Geminos''s horse to a stable while the rest of his brothers head our way. They gather around us except for Oliver. He walks past us a few feet with his eyes intensely fixated on something. I look out into the crowd and spot a person bending over. His skin looks gray. For a split second, my heart jumps. He doesn''t look like an orc. His eyes are round like a human, plus he isn''t that tall. Three people around him come up to him to say something. Suddenly, he bites and rips the flesh off the man''s shoulder. The two others flee. I conjure my sword through the attacker before he can get on top of the man.

    "What the hell was that?!" Oliver says.

    "What?" Ulrika says twice. The victim grabs his bloody shoulder and takes off towards the Paladin building, screaming for help. Two seconds later, chaos and panic ensue. People scatter everywhere. Corpses from out of nowhere attack everyone in the streets.

    "Quick! Shut the doors!" I say. I maneuver my sword up to split the creature down the middle to kill it for good and call it back just before the door closes.

    "What''s going on?" The stablemaster says.

    "We''re under attack." My immediate attention goes to securing the building. I frantically check all around the stable for any possible ways those things can enter. Every window is closed, but they aren''t locked. "Vaeril, help me lock the windows!" There are six windows in total. He takes the three on the left side while I secure the ones on the right side. I lock all of mine first. When he goes for his third window, a creature nearly jumps through it. It gets close enough to grab his shirt. He locks the window and runs to me for safety.

    "Kaioson, what''s happening?" Ulrika says.

    "The Echo Ripper is back."

    "What?" Her teeth clench, making the muscles on the side of her jaw flex.

    "Who''s that?" Gnaeus says.

    "Some bitch I should''ve killed. She can manipulate the dead like they are her fucking soldiers."

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    "How can she do that?" Oliver says.

    "She''s a necromancer," I say.

    "When I find her, I''ll kill her," Ulrika says.

    "Let''s find out a way to get out of here first."

    Our only option out of here is through the front doors. We can run along the sidewalk leading up to the agency. The problem I''m seeing is that Ulrika and I are the only two armed. That is five people in our care until we can get them to safety.

    "Ulrika, escort your brothers into the agency," I say. "I got these two. I''ll head out first."

    "Boys," Ulrika says. She pulls out her sword and levels it over her head. "Stay close." An arch of lightning sparks across her sword from her hand.

    "Vaeril, get on my back." I set my sword to proximity. It will attack the undead without direct command. As long as they stand around me, they will be fine. "Okay. Let''s go!"

    I head out first with the stable master ahead of me. The streets are in absolute pandemonium. Echo Ripper''s undead are attacking everyone. There are mangled corpses about, including in my pathway. My sword cuts down the undead as we run. I make it untouched. Haleema and her Paladin forces storm by me. I return to the stable to give Ulrika a helping hand, but my services are unnecessary. The lightning arching off her sword zaps the undead near and far. She safely delivers her brothers to the building.

    "Does this place have an armory? Kindric says.

    "Why do you want to know?" Ulrika says.

    "I want to help." His brothers want to join him too.

    "I think you should hide and secure yourselves in a room." All of her brothers frown nearly at the same time. "Guys... no. Hide until it is safe."

    "Ulrika, we want to help," Gnaeus says. Glysith, Hayden, and Elred run past us with swords in their hands. "They could use our help. Why do you want us to hide?"

    "I don''t want any of you hurt or killed. Especially you, Gnaeus."

    "What?"

    "You are all that Jenifry has."

    "Ulrika," he says, patting her right shoulder from behind. "I know that," he says, smirking. "We had this conversation before we came," he says as he glances at his brothers. "Don''t be worried, sister." He runs into the building, followed by Oliver and Kindric. Geminos is the last one to follow. She reaches her hand as if she wants to grab him.

    "Gods, protect him," she says softly. "Kaio, I don''t know what I would do if I lost another brother."

    "He will be fine," I say. "They will be fine. All of your brothers have military training, yes?"

    "So were Decimus and Numerius. It doesn''t mean shit!" The undead coming up the steps interrupts our conversation. We cut down seemingly countless numbers of them. They begin to overwhelm the Paladins in the street. "Why are there so many of them?"

    Their numbers continue to increase. Ulrika and I try our hardest to keep the undead from reaching the building. They swarm in groups. Sometimes I have to blast them away to keep them from attacking me all out once or incinate them with a stream of fire.

    If I keep this up, my mana will deplete too soon.

    "There''s too much!" I say. "Conserve your mana!" After telling Ulrika not to use magic, she unleashes a massive lightning strike upon the undead. The sky directly above us suddenly blackens. Lightning strikes the undead at random. Rain falls from the sky but only briefly. There''s a short period of peace before I can hear the roars of a distant fight come into my ears. She falls on the steps ass first, panting.

    "I will never do that again," Ulrika says. She catches herself from falling forward. I sit with her and use my body to keep her upright. "Did we get''em all?"

    "We?" I say, snickering. "You were the one who got them."

    Haleema returns from the city with her Paladins. She doesn''t stop to ask if we are okay. The Paladins follow her inside the building. As they enter, Ulrika''s brothers come out with Glysith and Coretha. Thubet and Elred randomly show up from the street.

    "Are they all dead?" Gnaeus says.

    "I am unsure. I hear fighting further in the city," I say.

    "Well, let''s get out there."

    "Whoa there," Kindric says. He stops him from running off by placing his scabbard against his stomach. "Haleema told us to wait out here for further instructions."

    "What is she doing?" I say.

    "Call to arms," Coretha says. A massive horn blares from the roof of the building. They sound like Kromagia''s warhorns. The sound makes the ground rumble. It roars five times before stopping. Haleema comes out of the building with every Paladin I know.

    "What''s happening?" Glysith says.

    "Kaio," Ulrika murmurs and then points to the sky. Dark, thunderous clouds rapidly form, covering the sky in a thick raincloud. It stretches as far as I can see. Green lightning from the left and right converge into a center point. It slams into the street in a cloud of black smoke. The demonic mana radiates from within. As the smoke settles, the Echo Ripper emerges with Zadione''s three new Paragons. Penny points at me and points at her left hip to taunt me.

    "Great," I say.

    "Who is she?" Ulrika says.

    "Penny."

    "Hello Kaioson!" Penny says as if she''s happy to see me. "You look well! How''s the hip?"

    "Ugh, that bitch," Ulrika says.

    "What are you doing here?" I say.

    "To initiate absolute dominion," Echo Ripper says. It suddenly begins to rain hard. The blood from the victims of the undead starts streaming down the street. "This kingdom will be hers."

    "Over my dead body!" Haleema says. Penny burst out laughing.

    "Oh, I really hate that woman now," Ulrika says.

    "Then it shall be," Echo Ripper says. The Paragons vanish in a purple lightning strike that accents and disperses through the cloud. It travels to the left in the sky. "I will take your corpse and use it against your friends," she says while rising into the sky. The rain comes down even harder. "Then their corpses shall be mine to command!" Her voice increases tenfold. It rattles my ears from how loud it is. A horde of the undead sprints towards us from the streets ahead. "Ravage that building!" She says and laughs maniacally.

    "Get ready, everyone!" Haleema says. "Do let them get in! Rhyndac, get the sorceresses to put a protective barrier around the building!"

    "Right away!" Rhyndac says.

    "Paladins, attack! I''m going after her." Lightning builds around her. The same with Echo Ripper. Suddenly, they vanish into the sky.

    "Here they come!" Ulrika says.

    Ulrika''s brothers leap into the fray first. Their attack is not enough to keep the undead from speeding through their line. Zadock obliterates four undead to dust as I''m about to use force magic to send them back into the streets.

    "Come with me, Kaioson," Zadock says. "Let''s try to split their forces towards us." He forms a massive ball of fire between his hands. "Launch it with force magic." The ball shatters into several orbs when I force it out of his hands. It scatters and hones in on the undead, burning them to a crisp.

    The rest of the Paladins join in as Zadock and I draw more of the undead to us. I slay fifty of them. Zadock and his incredible amount of mana reserves kill hundreds. Their numbers don''t dwindle. But I notice each wave looks different from the previous ones. The undead''s bodies are more skeletal than rotting flesh.

    "Where is she getting these corpses?" I say.

    "Good question," Zadock says.

    "Look at them. How are they able to stand and move?"

    "Necromancers can raise the dead even if the bodies are nothing but bones."

    "So..."

    "She''s using bodies from graveyards. Diabolical..."

    Our might continues to take some of the heat off the rest of the group. The more I fight, the further I move away from the main group. Sometimes I have to command my sword to do the heavy work.

    "Give me a fucking break!" I say as I slice an undead in half. "This is tiring me out."

    "It''s up to Haleema to end their onslaught," Zadock says. "If she can''t, then we''ll have to kill every single one of them."

    "Gods, I hope that''s not the case."

    "Prepare yourself for the worst."

    The worst is yet to come. I may be in a shitty situation, but Echo Ripper and her undead are the least of my problems. She''s nothing compared to Zadione. That mad woman can send hellfire from the heavens. There is almost no escaping such a show of force.

    Zadock and I tirelessly continue diverting the undead to us. Their numbers start to dwindle. I catch my breath while he is doing all the work.

    "Head back to everyone. I''ll finish them," Zadock says. I waste no time running back to the building. He electrifies the rest of the undead near him and arcs it to the undead around everyone.

    "Well done, Zadock!" Hayden says. "But you could have done that from the start."

    "Just be glad they''re all dead here," Ulrika says and lightly backhands his chest. "We can breathe for a moment."

    "So, what''s the plan now, guys?" We all look at one another for an answer. When I look at Lyra, she''s checking the clouds.

    "Lyra?" I say. "Do you see something?"

    "Guys," she says and pauses to glance at us. "The storm hasn''t let up." It''s still raining. Two sets of lighting rage across the clouds in random directions. One is green while the other is blue.

    "Is she still fighting her?" Hayden says.

    "Looks that way," Zadock says, running over to us.

    "Maybe she shouldn''t have gone alone."

    "Zadock, scower through the sky and help Haleema," Lyra says. "We''ll go through the city and eradicate any undead we find."

    Zadock takes to the skies. Lyra groups us into three. Ulrika, Thubet, Elred and I are together. Lyra will be with Ulrika''s brothers. Hayden and Glysith are the last group.

    "I don''t want to be around this dog," Thubet says.

    "I second that," Ulrika says. "Kaio and I will be fine together."

    "Elred and I will be fine too."

    "No," Lyra says, wagging her finger. "This isn''t up for debate. Do as I say and get out there," she says and then points towards the city. "This is a time to unite. Let go of your issues with each other."

    "Okay... okay," Ulrika says. "I understand."

    "Good. Thubet, do you understand?" Thubet rolls her eyes and turns her head away. "Do you understand?" She says, standing in Thubet''s face.

    "I understand," Thubet says.

 Chapter Ten: Undead Nightmare

    Lyra wants everyone to fan out in three directions. The goal is a feat in itself. She wants to clear Nebulas of the undead. My group will head northwest from the agency. I take point with Ulrika and Elred close by my side. Thubet doesn''t have the urgency that we do. She''s walking while we''re jogging.

    "Thubet, pick up the pace," I say.

    "Are you in a rush to die?" Thubet says. "Go on right ahead." An undead suddenly tackles a man through a door and onto the street a foot from her. She pulls her sword out instantly to sever the undead in half. It doesn''t die. Its upper torso tries to grab her legs. She gets behind and splits it in half from the crotch up.

    "By the gods!" The man says.

    "Run along, human. Find a better spot to hide."

    "Thank you!" He kisses her hand and then runs into a neighboring house.

    "Gross," she says, rubbing hand on her butt. "He left his saliva."

    "You are insufferable," Ulrika says.

    "Let''s not start whatever is about to happen," I say to cut off Thubet''s response. "We need to cooperate."

    "Yes, please," Elred says. "I don''t want to die because you two can''t get along."

    "Same."

    "Thubet, stop lollygagging and stay close."

    "I''m coming!" Thubet says. She marches over to him.

    "Shall we continue?" I say.

    "You may."

    It doesn''t take long for us to run into more of the undead. Most of them are rotting skeleton corpses. They stop ripping the civilians apart and sprint at us. Ulrika clears half of them with lightning. Their bodies fall over, burning. Her lightning doesn''t disappear from them. It continues to arch around as if it is orbiting. When the rest of the undead come near the ones on the ground, they die from the lightning.

    "That''s new," I say.

    "It''s called Constant Charge," Ulrika says. "I didn''t know I could do that."

    "Why''s that?"

    "I studied arte but could never obtain its power until months ago."

    "That fight with Garret?" I say the second I remember the battle behind the agency.

    "Yes," she says with a nod and a smirk. "I have yet to try all of its spells."

    "Well, you better use all the best ones you got, witch," Thubet says. "Here comes more. And they''re armed." One detail she is leaving out is that they''re protected with a shield.

    "Here," Elred says, manifesting shields for us to use. He changes his sword to a trident and throws it into one of the undead. The trident morphs back into his hand a second later. "These will stop anything." By the looks of it, I have my doubts. It is colored as if it is made of gold and silver. I can move it just as fast as I can swing my sword.

    "Will it?" I say.

    "I''ll show you!" He charges the closest undead. His shield blocks a swing and a thrust. "Do you see now?!"

    "Looks real," Ulrika says and taps her sword against my shield. "Sounds real."

    "Enough checking!" Thubet says, plowing between Ulrika and me. "Let''s kill them all!"

    Elred''s shield is light enough to prevent arm fatigue. We obliterate our way deeper through the streets. The undead''s bones litter the ground like crushed crackers. Nothing seems to stop our might until we are halted by a surprise attack. Archers emerge from the windows.

    "Thubet, give me some cover!" Elred says. The shield and trident in his hands turn into a bow and arrow. Thubet uses her body and shields as a wall for him to fire arrows behind. Every arrow he fires poofs back into his quiver.

    Amazing! Now I see more of why Coretha wanted you.

    Elred hits the last archer square in its chest. It falls halfway out of the window with one leg behind the wall. Ulrika and I walk shield to shield to the house, it is in. We stumble upon a horrific scene. There are mangled bodies everywhere.

    "Shit," Ulrika says. She moves ahead of me to get a closer look. "Kaio..."

    "Yes?" I say.

    "If there is a chance the Echo Ripper could resurrect them, we should burn them." The suggestion sounds like an awful thing to say, but she is right to be cautious. It doesn''t matter what state the dead bodies are in. Echo Ripper can use them against.

    "I''m afraid you might be right." She sheathes her sword and opens her hand out to me.

    "Give me an orb. I''ll do it."

    "Why?"

    "So you won''t have to."

    "Fine." I cast five fire orbs for her. She walks into the rooms, setting them on fire as I''m walking out.

    "Whoa! What is she doing?" Elred says.

    "Burning the bodies."

    "Why?"

    "To keep from coming back."

    "Should we?" He says, pointing at the houses on his sides. "Check for bodies?"

    "You''ll burn the whole damn city if you do that," Thubet says. The fire from the house begins to reflect in her eyes. "That would be crippling," she says, smirking. "Zadione is a smart advasary."

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    "So, what''s the plan?" Elred says.

    "I don''t know," I say.

    "Then I''ll make one for you," Thubet says seconds before Ulrika asks her what she''s talking about. "We''ll have to burn all bodies we find.

    "They could be inside of these houses," Elred says.

    "Hand me an orb, Kromagian."

    "No," I say.

    "Do you want those things to come alive?"

    "Hey! Those things are my people," Ulrika says. "And no, that would be a problem."

    "So let''s set them on fire," she says and then shoves her hand in my chest. "Cast it!"

    "Okay!" I hand five fire orbs. She hands them to Elred.

    "Give me more." She takes the orbs, sets a house ablaze, and then asks for five more.

    "I think we should move on from this," I say.

    "Hand me the orbs!"

    "No! We''re done. I don''t want to do this anymore."

    "Hand me the fucking orbs, you idiot!" Ulrika pushes me two steps back so she can stand in front of me.

    "Back off," Ulrika says softly with a slow, stern voice. Thubet doesn''t take a step back. "My man said no."

    "If you want to get ripped apart by them, go ahead."

    Thubet abandons the mission to pursue her alternative method of fighting the undead. Elred stays by her side despite giving me his displeasure for disobeying Lyra''s command. Ulrika says to let them go instead of trying to convince him to stay. She believes we''re better off not working with them. Thubet''s ego and disdain for humans are an unfortunate problem. I''m partly glad she''s gone. But now we are down two men.

    "Is it wise to continue?" I say.

    "Let''s get away from the fire and then we''ll talk," Ulrika says. "The smoke is burning my eyes." I follow her into a house further in the city. We check every inch to make sure there aren''t any undead hiding. I find nothing alarming on the right side of the house. It''s just empty bedrooms. "It''s clear over here," she says. "Kaio?"

    "We''re clear," I say, stepping out to the hallway to meet her. I lean Elred''s shield on the wall and sheathe my sword. She does the same. "Do you have an answer?"

    "I don''t think we should. That''s too much destruction on our hands."

    "So, what''s our next move?"

    "We''re going to make our way to Lyra and my brothers."

    "What? Is that even possible?"

    "We''ll fly," she says and pulls my sword out.

    I levitate my sword waist level. Ulrika balances herself on it as I walk outside with her. I sit facing left and tether our bodies to prevent slipping off. Once we''re high in the clouds, I fly east. I scan the roofs and keep my shield up just in case an archer feels tempted. Unfortunately, we come under fire. Ulrika puts a wall of air around us. The force behind the wind snaps the arrows in half.

    "Kaio, I can''t keep this up for very long," Ulrika says. "I expunged too much mana from the first attack."

    "Save what you have left," I say. "Get your shield ready."

    "Kaio, stop!" She says suddenly. I make my sword come to a complete stop. "They''re right below us." I lower us down to the street. Lyra is talking with a group of soldiers when one of them points their sword at us.

    "Who goes there?" The soldier says.

    "Friends!" I say and untether Ulrika and me from my sword.

    "What are you doing here?" Lyra says.

    "That bitch abandoned us," Ulrika says. "She''s off doing her own thing with Elred." Lyra grabs the nearest soldier to lay her forehead on.

    "Gods!" She growls. "Why did she leave you two?"

    "Conflict of interests."

    "She wanted me to burn all the bodies the undead killed in the houses," I say.

    "Why?" Lyra says.

    "We were afraid they might come to life." Lyra takes her head off the soldier''s chest to look at me. She hums and raises an eyebrow.

    "That is a great concern."

    "Thubet wanted to burn everybody we found. Most of them were in houses."

    "Damn. We saw bodies too. Some are in these houses."

    A scout approaches us from the direction of the city. He falls on all fours, huffing and puffing for air. One of the soldiers asks him what''s going on. As he speaks to everyone, the heavy rain lessens for a brief moment. It happens again but lasts longer. Seconds later, the rain freezes.

    "Shush for a second," Lyra says. She touches a water droplet floating in the air. It deforms as if she''s smearing it across something solid.

    "Has time frozen?" A soldier says.

    "If that were true, wouldn''t we be frozen?" I check the skies. The storm is quiet. So is the wind. "Scout," she says, curling her finger. "What has your reconnaissance identified?"

    "Mass casualties, ma''am," he says. "Our king has called upon the order of Saint Thomas Defense."

    "What is that?" I say.

    "All current and former Saint Thomas''s knights must return to active duty," Ulrika says.

    "For what reason?"

    "To defend our homeland," Kendric says. He and his brothers emerge from the crowd of soldiers to form a circle around us. "Spyro, Maxwell, and Vladimir will not be pleased by this."

    "Does that mean you must be called too?" I say to Ulrika.

    "Fortunately, no. When the corps found out she was a woman, they stripped her rank."

    "You were a knight?" A soldier says. Ulrika doesn''t confirm or deny the question. All she does is look at me and smirk.

    "We''ll have to somehow make our way to the capital and report for duty."

    "That''ll be a challenge," Gnaeus says.

    "Maybe not. Take one of these," Lyra says. She offers him a portal ring. Ulrika puts her hand between their hands.

    "He doesn''t wield magic," Ulrika says and puts the ring on her finger. "None of my brothers do."

    "Are you going to take them there?"

    "Yes," she says and then gives me a stern gaze. "Don''t do anything crazy while gone."

    "I''ll try my best not to," I say.

    Ulrika takes her brothers to the capital. Lyra and I, along with the city''s troops, continue fighting. The weather remains frozen for a few more hours, then abruptly clears up. A magical explosion decimates the thunderstorm. All of the rain falls to the ground. The clouds wither away, and the undead turn to ash in a flash of green fire.

    Lyra orders the soldiers to quickly burn the deceased to avoid them coming back to life. She gives me the authority to oversee their work while she portals around the city to tell the other Paladins and soldiers to do the same. I can''t stand seeing the dead go out in a raging fire. I observe from afar to keep the stench of smoke and burning flesh from flooding my nose. Once the soldiers complete their task, they move on to gathering other bodies.

    I watch them into the night. The next morning, while I''m sleeping in an empty shop in the corner of the entrance, I feel the wind graze my face. I open one eye the moment it stops. Ulrika walks past me, unaware I''m in the corner. She takes a few glances before turning around.

    "I thought he was here," Ulrika says.

    "Trust your instincts," I say. She helps me to my feet and holds my face still to sneak a kiss on my cheek. "You were gone for a day. Anything happened?"

    "Come and look." She points outside with her hand. I stand in the doorway to see what''s out there. Four knights in golden armor stand before me. On their chests is the crest of a three-headed bird, a symbol of Shemore.

    "Are those..."

    "My brothers. They are assigned to set Ambargara free."

    "Just the four of them?"

    "No," she says, and walks me outside, locking her arm around mine. She points to her right, down the road, where knights gather around soldiers. "Reports came in last night. Zadione''s forces are here."

    "Which ones?"

    "We''ll soon find out. They have orders to head west. I''m going with them."

    "Why? What about heading north with Lyra?"

    "Ulrika is worried about our safety," Gnaeus says and takes a step forward. His voice doesn''t sound muffled. It sounds like it is amplified. "Essentially me," he chuckles. "We''ll be fine, little sister."

    "Stay with the Paladins," Geminos says. "The battles that await us won''t be pretty."

    "Our battles aren''t pretty either," Ulrika says.

    "Don''t try and argue with us," Kindric says. He puts his right hand on her shoulder. The individual metal pieces on his fingers clank open when they grip it. "I won''t let him die," he says gently. "You have my word."

    "All of you make it out alive, you hear me?" All of her brothers nod their heads and then walk to the other knights. She watches them with a sad look on her face.

    "Are you okay?" I say.

    "This is about to get ugly."

    Ulrika''s words come true. Zadione sends a mixture of human and drow troops to seize the city. An all-out brawl hits the streets. I get to see Saint Thomas''s knights battle firsthand. What makes them unique is their armor. It''s enhanced with protective magic. None of the elemental magic from Nite''s mages has any long-lasting effect on it. Despite their resistance, they are not invincible.

    One week after the attack, Saint Thomas''s knight loses ten percent of its forces. Haleema and Zadock are nowhere to be found. Lyra is currently the acting head of the Paladins. She''s trying her best to keep tabs on all of the agents. We are spread all over the city, trying our best to defend it. Zadione''s mixed army is doing a good job at splitting our forces, and it isn''t the majority of what can unleash.

 Chapter Eleven: Paragons Blithe

    Drow combatants try to overwhelm me by using sophisticated striking maneuvers. They are extremely agile. Flashy moves might win against someone who can''t counter them, but not me. I can anticipate when they want to strike. They have a nasty habit of pulling their shoulder back before committing to a swing. My sword makes deadly work on their faults. I continue slaying until the sun falls behind the horizon.

    During the night, Zadione''s forces retreat through barrages of reversed lightning strikes. The light from it lights up the sky in a purple color. It thunders in all directions. Sometimes in the middle of the night, a few men speak about a ghostly woman''s face appearing as a gigantic cloud. They describe it as having a sinister smile, long hair, and red, dimly lit eyes. Ulrika and I think Zadione is the cause behind the aberration. She summons a westward wind to keep the face from haunting them. It comes back the next day after a long day of fighting. Lyra summons Rhyndac to find a solution.

    Rhyndac conducts an investigation all through the night. After the daylight battle, she comes to my makeshift bathroom while I''m cleaning blood off my skin to tell me the news she found.

    "Have you told Lyra?" I say.

    "Not yet," she says. "I thought you wanted to know first. It''s Zadione."

    "I had a feeling."

    "There is more."

    "Oh, great." Ulrika walks in on us and demands Rhyndac to get out.

    "She''s here," she says, ignoring Ulrika. "She''s somewhere in the city, toying with us."

    "What do you plan to do?"

    "I," she says and sits on the edge of the tub, "will create a negating spell to disrupt it." She sticks her finger in the water and twirls it. The dirt floating around her finger disintegrates. "What is the one thing you want but you have to wait for it?" I don''t answer immediately because I''m watching her finger slowly cleanse the water. She suddenly dunks half of her hand under the water and squeezes her hand. Water squirts from her palm. It hits my face.

    "H¡ªhey!?" Ulrika says.

    "Sorry, Ulrika. I couldn''t resist. Kaioson," she says and playfully sings my name.

    "There are a lot of things I want," I say. "You''ll need to be specific." A breeze passes through us. It gives me an idea of something I''m looking for. "Seeing snow." She grins, nods, and then walks into the street. Ulrika walks to me while taking a glance over her shoulder.

    "That woman has no respect for privacy," Ulrika says and then looks in the tube. "Did you just get in?"

    "No," I say, standing up. "She cleaned the water."

    Ulrika takes her bath using the clean water. I tidy our bed and organize our equipment in the meantime. She likes to keep her sword at arm''s reach. Her side of the bed is on the right side since I''m left-handed. We have to sleep partly clothed and geared so we can quickly attack the enemy when they teleport. Our daggers are fastened around our waist. Just in case our enemies try attacking us in our sleep, I use Perfect Geometry for protection.

    I finish prepping everything just in time for bed. Ulrika fastens her dagger around her waist. I cast PG once she sits on the bed. She lies on her back, crosses her arms over her lap, and lets out a long-winded sigh.

    "What''s wrong?" I say.

    "I''m bleeding."

    "Do you need a massage?"

    "No," she says, smiling. "I''m good, my love." She wafts the air over the candles to blow them out. The air directs the smoke out of the room until it''s all gone.

    "Goodnight."

    "Goodnight," she whispers. Five minutes into my sleep, she pokes my arm and says, keeping her voice soft, "Do you like the cold?" I hum to let her know that I do. "What''s so fascinating about it?"

    "Lots of things."

    "Like what?" She chuckles. "Frozen roads? Dead trees? Feezing your ass off?"

    "The Kromagian festivities," I say, and open one eye to look at her. She leans on her elbow to lean over me. "You would love them."

    "Take me to one."

    "Which ones?"

    "All of them."

    Come morning, I wake up to the sound of stillness. I look around the room to get a sense of what''s going on. Nothing is out of place. I send my sword outside to check if anyone is out there. Something stops it at the doorway. I slowly take out my dagger and nudge my knuckle into Ulrika''s hip. She gets her dagger and opens one eye to see me. Whoever is at the door tries to take a step inside. She flips her dagger upside down with the tip of it pinched between her fingers.

    "Kaioson, wake up," Rhyndac says. "Can you move your sword? It won''t let me through!" My sword floats in view of the bedroom door. She peeks her head around the corner and then stands in the doorway. She''s covered in sprinkles of something white. "Get up, both of you. Lyra wants to have a meeting with everyone." Since Ulrika and I are already dressed, all we do is put on our boots.

    "Are we being attacked?" Ulrika says.

    "Oddly no. Put on your gear just in case."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    We do just that. Rhyndac walks across the chatty street, drizzling with snow, and into a house with a huge gathering of Thomas''s Knights.

    "Are you seeing this?" Ulrika says, holding her hands out to feel the snow. It''s warm outside. There''s not a cloud in sight. The snow is cold and doesn''t immediately melt in my hands.

    "Rhyndac''s magic seems to have no limits," I say.

    Every one of the knights has their helmets off. Lyra is standing with Coretha and Ayborn in the center of the living room. I don''t see any of Ulrika''s brothers.

    "Quiet down, boys!" Rhyndac says. "Lyra, we''re all here." Coretha looks at me and smiles as if she''s relieved to see me. She sighs and grins with her lips pressed into her face, making her cheeks puffy.

    "Do you have the connection?" Lyra says.

    "We can hear you," Hayden says in my head. "Glysith is giving two thumbs up."

    "Any updates on the whereabouts of Haleema and Zadock?"

    "No." Lyra closes her eyes and lets out a sigh of disappointment. I feel the worst has happened. It has been many days since they left to go fight the Echo Ripper.

    "Keep an eye out for them." She looks at me and does a double-take. "Kaioson, do you remember Haleema''s plan for the counterattack?" It takes a second for me to remember. Before I can open my mouth to acknowledge, she puts her finger over her mouth. "Nod if you do." I nod. "I think it''s time we make our move."

    "What about Thubet?" I say.

    "Don''t worry about her. Elred has given us authority to operate."

    "I find that hard to believe," Ulrika whispers in my ear.

    "What are you talking about?" A knight says to my right. "Is there another fight happening?"

    "This subject matter doesn''t concern you. It''s a Paladin matter."

    "So, what are we here for?" Another knight says.

    "A new purpose," Rhyndac says and manifests a black stone from her hand. "This is my latch stone." She raises it high for everyone to get a look at it. "Your job is to secure me a prisoner once Zadione''s forces attack us. This will stop them from popping."

    "Popping?" The first knight says.

    "Mhmm." Her latch stone suddenly appears, floating in front of all the knights. "Take it and press it on your armor." The knights place it on different parts of their armor. Most of them stick it on their chest. As she''s explaining what to do with the stone once they capture some of Zadione''s forces, the knight to my far right groans.

    "What the hell?" He says. The stone melts into black goo. On his chest piece, a red-hot symbol burns. The knights around him step away, singling him out. "What magic is this? I can''t move!"

    "Rhyndac?" Lyra says.

    "Knights," Rhyndac says, pointing at a house. "Stand outside and guard this building." Six knights calmly don their helmets and form a line outside the house. "That''s blood magic," she says softly, clenching her teeth. "Nite likes to bathe in that foul magic."

    "Is he a spy?" Ulrika says. Rhyndac doesn''t deny the idea. "You son of a bitch!" Ulrika punches the knight in the face so hard it cuts his lip open. "You made a solemn swear to defend our home!" Two of the knights standing closest to the door outside look inside. She punches the knight again and goes for a third punch.

    "Ulrika, please!" I say. I pull Ulrika to the other side of the room.

    "Traitor!" She shoves me away. "How could you betray your people?!" I bend my arms to get ready to grab her. She stays where she is with her hands in a fist. Her right hand has blood on it. "Answer me, dammit!"

    "I''m not saying shit," the knight says.

    "Do you want to do that?" Rhyndc says. "You will suffer greatly if you don''t open your fucking mouth."

    "Fuck... you¡ª"

    Rhyndac subjects the spy to a painful mind extraction magic. She demands answers to her questions. Each answer amplifies the input. Through her interrogation, we learn that Zadione intends to wear us out with her nearly endless army. If the humans can''t overwhelm us, she''ll send in the drows. If the drows fail, the orcs will take their shot. And if we can defend ourselves against them, she will combine the forces of her fairies to attack us.

    "Is that all?" Rhyndac says. The spy strains as if he''s trying to force his words out. He starts drooling as the blood on his face boils. "There''s more, isn''t there? Tell me, now!"

    "We... have... your leader!" He says.

    "Haleema?"

    "Yes!"

    "What about Zadock?" Lyra says. "Where is he? Is he alive? Did they kill Echo Ripper?"

    "Lyra! One question at a time," Rhyndac says.

    "Where are they?!"

    The spy answers Lyra''s questions in one single breath. Zadock and Haleema are alive. They''re being held somewhere west in the Orcs'' territory. The Echo Ripper''s status is confirmed deceased.

    "Gods, keep her safe," Lyra says, stretching her palms to the sky before placing her attention back on the spy. "Tell me the name of the place they have them."

    "I don''t know!" He says.

    "Bullshit! Where are they?"

    "I have no idea!"

    "Where is my friend?!" She takes out her sword and puts it against his neck.

    "Calm yourself," Rhyndac says. "The spell has compelled him to be truthful. He doesn''t have a clue."

    "Fuck!" She weeps and walks near Ulrika and me with her face in her hand. "We gotta go get them."

    "We will eventually."

    "Eventually?"

    "Stay focused, Lyra. Haleema had a plan." I can see the hard realization set in. Lyra frowns and shakes her head as if she knows Rhyndac is right. "We will get them when the time is right." Lyra shakes her head again. She blinks hard and wipes the tears from her eyes.

    "Kaioson, a word?"

    "What is it?" I say. She points at a space in the room away from everyone. I meet her there.

    "Mute us," whispers.

    "What?"

    "Silence our voices," she whispers softly. I grab her shoulder to cast a boundary around our bodies. No one will hear us as long as I am touching her. "Is it working?"

    "Yes. Why the secrecy?"

    "I don''t want to get yelled at," she says and looks to her right to point at Rhyndac behind her. "I need a favor."

    "You can''t be serious."

    "You haven''t heard what I was going to say." The tears came back.

    "It''s suicidal."

    "You don''t have to go alone. Take Glysith with you."

    "I''m not doing this."

    "Why not?" One reason is standing six feet to my left.

    "Because," I say and glance at Ulrika, who is watching me closely.

    "Take her too."

    "Lyra..."

    An abrupt quake rocks the house. The shake is enough to make everyone in the room fall over.

    "What was that?" I say. Ulrika rushes outside. She comes back seconds later with eyes wide open.

    "Smoke," Ulrika says, pointing to her right. "In the distance."

    "How far?" Rhyndac says.

    "Miles away."

    "Hmm," Rhyndac says, slowing her head to look at the spy. "Do you know what that was?" When she puts her hand near his face, he begs her not to use magic. "Was that Nite?"

    "Zadione is going to kill me," he says.

    "Oh?" She snickers. "She''s been trying to do that since you opened your mouth."

    "What?!"

    "I felt demonic magic trying to bleed into your body. The only thing keeping you alive is that mark." She touches his forehead and says, "Do you know what was?"

    "Our second front."

    Rhyndac gasps when she hears the spy say the new front will be at the agency building. Lyra runs into the street and yells for ten knights to follow her. Rhyndac opens a portal somewhere in the agency. I can hear swords clashing, men yelling, and explosions going off.

    "Kaioson, Ulrika, get in!" Rhyndac says.

    "What about the spy?" Ulrika says.

    "I''ll let the boys deal with that. I''ll join you momentarily."

    Ulrika and I jump through the portal. We rush to frantic fighting and come to a railing overlooking the main hallway. It is an all-out fight. There''s a giant smoking hole in the front entrance. Directly in the center of the room, chaos surrounds Penny and Theo. They watch men battle it out as if they''re overseeing a spectacle. Penny looks up and sees me observing them. She nudges the other Paragons to focus their attention on the second floor.

    "Kaioson!" Penny says with her arms out. "There you are!"

    "Shit," I say through my teeth.

 Chapter Twelve: No Rest For The Righteous

    Ulrika immediately goes on the attack. A violent rush of wind plows into the Paragons. Penny takes most of the brunt. She catapults into the street. Theo sits up, grabs his forearm, and aims the palm of his hand at us. I sense a rapid build of mana form at the railing. Sparks develop like a fuse is burning. The mana within continues to grow until it explodes. I tumble several feet down a hallway behind me. My entire body hurts. I can''t hear anything. I sit up to assess any damage to my body. The outer parts of my armor are torn. My limbs and fingers are intact. I look over to Ulrika to see if she''s okay. Blood pours from her head, streaming over her right eye. She gets on her hands and knees while keeping her eyes shut. The blood drips on the floor from her chin.

    "You''re cut!" I say. "I''ll find something to stop the bleeding!"

    "Don''t go," Ulrika says, grunting. "I can stop it." Sparks of lightning cover her entire body. It moves like a wave, going towards her head.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Cauterizing the wound," she says, straining through her teeth. It takes her a few more seconds to seal the cut. She opens her other eye to see me. "You''re bleeding too." She wobbles over to me on all fours to look at the right side of my neck. I can''t stop looking at the part of her face covered with blood. She stops what she''s doing to address me. "I''m okay," she says. "Stop giving me that look."

    "Is your eye okay?" She wipes as much of the blood away before opening it. Her emerald eye remains untouched.

    "It''s a small cut. You should stop bleeding in a few minutes."

    "We need to find medical supplies to clean you up."

    As I help Ulrika get on her feet, Theo reaches the top of the steps. I place her behind him without thinking and blast him with force magic. He steps down the steps to avoid the shockwave, which cuts a chunk off the corner and parts of the right-side railing.

    "Keep hitting him with those," Ulrika says. "Cover us while I guide you around this corner." She pulls on my shirt to walk me backward as I''m firing concussive waves to suppress him from trying to hit us again with another explosive attack.

    "It''s working!" I say.

    "Okay, try making it seem random."

    "Why?"

    "It''ll make him think about how he''ll attack. Mix it with fire."

    I throw balls of fire to keep him on his toes. Theo tries to take several peaks. He blindly sticks his hand out to hit us with random explosions. His efforts make our escape to safety possible. We cower in what looks like a book closet. The air is musty with the smell of old leather. Its stench is almost unbearable. I open my hand to get ready to sterilize the air with a plume of heat.

    "Kaio, don''t!" Ulrika whispers. She clasps her hands over my hand. "He could sense your mana." We wait without saying a word. Someone passes the hallway intersection. I can hear stomping echoing through the hallways.

    "Where did they go?" Ehan says.

    "I don''t know!" Theo says. His voice sounds far away. All of a sudden, I feel the wind seep through the cracks of the door.

    "They''re not over here!" Air comes through the door again, but I hear someone walking by our door. "Damn," he says right behind the door. "I''m searching the back! Stay around here! They can''t be far!" The air comes through around the door again. I wait for a few seconds and cast TM on Ulrika and me.

    "That was Ethan''s voice," I say. "He can teleport anywhere he''s looking."

    "And who was the one trying to blow us up?"

    "Theo."

    "Fuck," she says, emphasizing the first letter of the word. "Who do you think will be a challenge to kill?"

    Both Paragons will be an issue. Ethan can move at instantaneous speeds, so fighting him will be like trying to cut a fly in half while it is moving in the air. Theo seems to strike at a distance, but who knows what will happen if he''s within arm''s reach.

    "Ethan," I say after shrugging my shoulders.

    "I believe you are right. How do you stop a man who can move that fast?"

    "Freeze his legs."

    "Or blind his eyes." The mere idea of blinding a man doesn''t sit well with me. I''m not a cruel man, but fighting in an unconventional style might ensure us a less strenuous victory.

    "How will we do that?"

    A massive explosion rocks the room we are in. Some of the books on the shelves fall to the ground. We hold each other until the tremor stops.

    "That was from the front left side of the building," she says. "Shall we check?"

    "How''s your head first?"

    "Throbbing," she says, snickering painfully.

    "I think you should stay here."

    "That would be very unwise, my love," she whispers. "Darling, we do this together." It is fruitless to argue with a wonderful woman like her. I warn her if the pain is too unbearable, she must disengage. She responds, saying, "I''m not going to leave my man to die in battle." The pride she possesses is admirable. I stroke the clean side of her face before giving her a long and slow kiss.

    "Let''s go."

    TM disperses from our bodies the second I stop touching her. She cracks the door open for me to look outside. It''s clear. The fighting in the main entrance sounds like more people are going at it. The second I step out, a sword fight breaks out at the other end of the hallway. A Paladin and a cultist fighting in front of me move past my line of sight. I calmly walk to them with Ulrika close behind. More of the cultists show up to attack the Paladin. I attack them before they can overwhelm him. The cultist I swing at manipulates the air to evade me.

    "What?!" I say.

    We violently clash. He sticks his hand out to me when I miss him with a jab. The air rapidly builds in the palm of his hand. I quickly twirl to the ground to avoid the air while swinging my sword across his stomach. The tip of the sword cuts through his stomach as the air whisps past my face. It doesn''t kill him right away. He stumbles and falls on his knees. I waste no time jabbing my sword through the heart from the back.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Ulrika fights against her target. She is between me and the cultist. Their fight rages on longer than what I am used to seeing from her. It is almost like the cultist is getting the upper hand. She continues swinging and blocking, but she''s losing ground. I jump in to assist. We take out the cultist after I use force magic to knock him to the ground. She delivers the final blow, driving her sword into his chest as she kneels to the ground.

    "Thank you for the help," the Paladin says.

    "Damn," she says, breathing hard.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "I''m in so much pain," she says, painfully laughing. "I''m afraid to admit, but I need some healing. That fight was painful."

    "I know where the elixirs are. It''s just down this hallway." He walks around the corner. While I''m helping Ulrika stand up, a massive explosion comes from where he is. Bits and pieces of the Paladin hit the wall.

    "Shit!" Theo walks around the corner. He stares at the bloody mess of the body parts on the ground. Then he looks our way, only moving his eyes.

    "There you two are," he says. "Nowhere to run now!" He points his palm at us. An unstable amount of mana forms around Ulrika and my stomach. I drop my sword, wrap my arms around her waist, and try to jump back before it explodes. It detonates, but in a blink of flashing lightning, we are down the other end of the hallway.

    "What the?!" I say. "What just happened?"

    "Did I hurt you?" Ulrika says, grunting in pain.

    "No," I say, then she suddenly throws us on the ground to the right. I break most of her fall using my body. "Ouch! Ulrika, what are you doing?"

    "Getting out of sight," she says as she rolls off me. "Kaio," she says, huffing. "I have an idea. It''s going to suck though."

    "You can''t keep running away from me!" Theo says.

    "Suck? How?" I say.

    As Ulrika is telling me how I might be able to kill Theo, I can hear him sprinting over to us. I stand up moments before he reaches us and punch him in the face. We have a fist fight. I do my damnedest to keep him from trying to open his hands by remaining close. He quickly counters my onslaught of heavy punches by using my momentum against me. I suffer hard and violent blows to the face and stomach. One unfortunate punch makes me see stars. I shield my face to wait out the daze.

    "This is the best Haleema has?" Theo says and goes for a knee to the gut.

    I see it coming and halt it with my hands crossed around it. Theo''s right fist curls into a hook and hits me square in the cheek. The force spins me around. I use its momentum to knock him down by back kicking the side of his head. His head hits the floor first. While I''m writhing in pain, he''s holding the side of his face, cursing.

    "Kaioson!" Ulrika says. "Get''em when he''s down." I grab my dagger and power through the pain and get on top of him. He fights the blade from reaching him. "I''m coming, my love!" She crawls to us with her dagger in her hand. When she gets her hand on his shirt, Ethan kicks her in the face.

    "Come here!" Ethan says. He yanks me off of Theo. I take a swing at him. He vanishes before my fist hits him, and then he reappears, punching me on the right cheek. Every time I try to hit him, he vanishes and attacks my open spots.

    "Stand still!" I say.

    "Come on, Kaioson," he says, laughing. "You got to be quicker than that!" Out of frustration, stomp the ground with force magic to make him trip or stumble. The force catapults him to the ceiling. He slams to the ground flat on his stomach. "Ugh!" He groans. To make sure he doesn''t teleport on me, I force his face to stay on the ground. Theo rolls on his stomach and eyes me. I glance at Ulrika for immediate assistance. Her head is bleeding again. She''s bracing her face with her hand, covering her wound.

    "Ulrika!" I say.

    Ulrika intercepts Theo before he can throw me off Ethan. They roll around wrestling to gain the upper hand. He tries to fight for control of her dagger. I take my hand off Ethan''s head to blast Theo off of her. Ethan turns his head to the right and opens his right eye. His body disappears out from underneath. The next thing I see is the bottom part of his boot. I don''t move in time to avoid getting kicked in the face.

    "Ugh! Enough of this!" I say.

    I''m so angry that the mana within me abruptly spikes. Fire escapes through my fist and then travels up my arm. I summon my sword. The flames of my anger shoot it to the ceiling. When I point my sword at Ethan, he stands clear from the fire.

    "That''s impressive," Ethan says. "But a little fire show isn''t going to work against me."

    "Is that so?" I say.

    "I''m too quick for your flames to burn me."

    "You are right," I say as I''m looking at his feet. If I''m quick enough, I can tether his boots to the ground. But what if his ability isn''t limited by stepping? Can he crawl-teleport?

    "There''s nothing you can do to win, Kaioson." For a moment, I panic. Ulrika is bloody and in no shape to fight. I need to find her medicine. Theo is slowly getting up. There is no doubt in my mind that he will attack me. I have to do something now.

    "What if I surrender?"

    "You won''t. People like you would rather die than see what you fought so hard against come true."

    "Yeah," I chuckle. "That sounds like me."

    "What about," he says and teleports with his arm around Ulrika''s neck. "Her? Will she surrender?" He tightens his arm. She drops her dagger and tries to break free. "I have a strong feeling she''s not the type either."

    "I''m gonna fucking kill you," Ulrika says.

    "Theo... Blow her up."

    Ethan teleports a distance behind Theo. Theo slowly raises both of his hands as if reality is moving at a leisurely pace. Ulrika doesn''t break for cover. She looks at me with her mouth slightly open. I can see the absolute fear in her face.

    I mentally call upon a protection spell to make my sword do what it thinks is the best solution to save Ulrika. It lunges out of hand so fast that the leather wrap around the handle gives me a friction burn. My sword floats in front of her and expels a stream of fire at Theo. The whole hallway is engulfed. My sword suddenly aims left in a snap of a finger. It torches the hallway where the room of old books is.

    I use all of my strength to hoist Ulrika over my shoulder. I run as fast as I can to the medical room. There are Paladin and cultist dead bodies in my way. Most of them seem to be victims of Theo''s explosive magic.

    "Where do I go?" I say several times.

    "Breathe," Ulrika says. "You passed a few doors. I saw signs on them." I stop and turn back to read one of them.

    "Found it," I say and enter inside. "Wait here."

    There is a table in the middle of the room, I sit her on. The back and both sides of the room hold shelves of different colored liquids. I head to the left wall because I notice a fair amount of red and blue vials. My intuition, from what I remember Rhyndac giving us a time ago in dire situations, I believe blue deals with mana. Red might be for wound healing. Lucky for us, every item is labeled with a detailed description for use.

    "Ulrika, how is the pain?" I say.

    "Terrible," Ulrika says softly.

    "Take these."

    "Did you get the right one?" She says, staring at the bottle in her hand. The blood on her chin drips in her lap.

    "Yes. Please drink it."

    "Okay," she sighs. Within seconds, her wound seals up. Half of the elixir is gone. She hands me it so I can have the rest of it. It warms my body as if I''m drinking strong beer in cold weather.

    "Damn," I say, coughing. "I think we got the good stuff. Why aren''t you bothered by it?"

    "I was a drunkard once. I''m used to it."

    "Forgive me. I didn''t mean to bring that up again."

    "It''s fine," she says, smiling at me behind a bloody face. "That was a long time ago."

    "Let''s get you cleaned up." I''m not taking any chances with the Paragons. I set PG (Perfect Geometry) within the boundaries of the room. No one or thing will come through unless I know them to be friendly.

    "Are we staying for long?"

    "No."

    "Then why did you put your box around us?"

    "To protect you while I clean the blood off your face," I say, looking around the room for a bucket.

    "Kaio." She points underneath the table where a set of three sets of buckets is. Inside each was a rag, a sponge, and a water crystal.

    "Perfect."

    "Is everything all right?" I show her what''s inside the bucket. She takes the sponge and the rag out with one hand. I fill the bucket with warm, soapy water. I wash her face clean, making sure all of the blood is wiped away.

    "This will be tough getting it all out."

    "Don''t bother trying, my love. We don''t have time for that." She stands at the door with her sword in hand. "Call your sword," she says and cracks the door open. I summon it. It comes to my hand, smoking. "Whoa! Do you feel the heat coming off of that?"

    "Not in the slightest." The sword isn''t burnt. Nothing is frayed or singed.

    "So, what was that spell you cast?"

    "I told it to protect you out of panic that you might die."

    "What?" She says and slowly shuts the door. "You told it?" I nod twice. "It''s a rare thing to see you do that without using your hands."

    "Yeah," I say, looking at my left hand. It''s healed. There is nothing left to show for it. "Let''s get out there and put an end to those Paragons. We know what they''re capable of now."

    "Let''s kill those fuckers."

    Ulrika steps out first and immediately looks to her left. When she exhales, she frowns angrily. I step outside to get a glimpse. Down the hallway stand Penny and Garret.

 Chapter Thirteen: The Underdogs

    The chains connecting the shackles around Garret''s wrists and ankles are broken. There''s ice on the tips. His frizzy hair is almost touching his shoulders. There is dirt on his hands, feet, and face. Penny doesn''t look great either. I can tell she''s in pain. She is hunched over. She''s using Garret''s arm as a support.

    "Move aside," Penny says. Ulrika responds with a difant pose. She stands at the ready, both hands on her sword. I can hear the gloves gripping the handle. I raise my sword, too, and hold it firmly.

    "Oh," Garret says and smirks before letting a single chuckle emerge. "I remember you two. How''s your lip?" I gnaw my teeth to keep myself from reacting.

    "Do you want him to rip your head off?" Ulrika says. "I suggest you shut your mouth and return to your cell." He laughs behind a snarky smirk. "Last chance, Garret. We are not going to be merciful."

    "Screw this! Let''s just kill them!" Penny says.

    "That Kromagian is mine!" Garret says. He sprints towards me with his arms out as if he''s going to grab me. Lightning encircles his hands. I step back moments before Ulrika stands between us. Their lightning hits a barrier and then sparks across the ceiling, cracking it. Some of the pieces fall to the ground. The ones that fall over them burn up before they touch them. They continue their standstill for three more seconds and then vanish in a flash. For one full second before fading away, I see their lightning trail moving down the hallway behind Penny.

    Oh great!

    "Damnit, Garret!" Penny says and slaps her forehead. She walks away, heading the opposite way.

    "Hey! Where are you going?" I say. She doesn''t answer me and continues walking. I run after her. When she checks over her shoulder, I stop.

    "You don''t want this fight," she says, smiling. A part of me doesn''t want to. She''s crazy and deadly. But I can tell she''s hurting. I''m perfectly fine, thanks to the exlixers. If I attack her now, I might be able to win easily.

    "Face me!" She doesn''t stop walking, so I tether her left foot to the ground to show I''m dead serious.

    "You do want this, huh?" Her eyes open wide. She grins tightly while laughing with her mouth closed. "Free me, Kaioson. I''ll give you the death you want." My heart is racing. I can''t let my guard down for a second when we fight.

    "Come at me!" I say, breaking the tether.

    Penny forms two ice-curved swords. The tips have two points. She waves them around to intimidate me. All I see is nothing but a stupid show. I''m no stranger to facing duel-wield opponents. Ulrika being my first. I know how to attack and defend against one, but Penny''s weapons are made of ice. How strong are they? Will there be unexpected complex mana-related forces against me? The more I question the abnormal, the less confident I feel in my skills in defeating her.

    "I can do this," I whisper to myself. "Thyrna taught me well."

    "Having cold feet?!" Penny says and then sprints at me.

    So did Ulrika!

    We fight for a full minute. No pauses or outside interruption. She''s the first to break away. I take a half step back and thrust my sword to aim at her stomach. She slaps it down with her swords by crossing them over the top. My sword pierces the floor and gets stuck. I jump back just in time to avoid getting my chest cut open.

    "Come here, you son of a bitch!" Penny says. I call my sword. It breaks free from the ground and travels between her legs to reach my hand. Another minute of fighting ensues. She backs away again but with her weapons protecting her torso. I back off too. "That sword is quite special. Zadione says it is elven. Is it true?"

    "That''s right."

    "Fascinating. Who made that weapon?"

    "I''m not telling you." I conjure it to float between us to intimate her.

    "Fine. I''ll just steal it from you!" She tries to smack it away. It doesn''t move from the position I placed it in. She tries for a second time to no avail. A portion of her sword chips off when she strikes it for a third time. "What the hell?" She says, examining the chip. I take an opportunity to strike while she''s distracted. She drops her chipped sword and uses the other sword to defend herself. "Whoa! Where did all of this aggression come from?" She says, giggling throughout the fight.

    I''m trying my best to break her defense. She''s better than I expected. I don''t think I can win with pure orthodox swordsmanship. I''ll have to use my fire and force magical art to defeat her. I must hold nothing back. Every swing and thrust I do aims to kill, yet her counters are making it difficult to land a hit. If I stream fire from my hands, she creates a wall of ice to block it.

    As I''m about to change tactics, she goes on the offensive. She tosses razor-sharp ice crystals at me. I wave my hand up every time she throws a crystal to construct a wall of flashing heat that instantaneously melts them. One of them misses me and sticks into the wall on my right. It''s so cold that it condenses.

    "So close!" She says. A loud lightning strike from outside stops her in mid-sprint. The thunder afterward rocks the building. "Damnit, Garret." For a short moment, she draws back from the fight. Her attention seems elsewhere. She stares at the wall as if she''s looking past it.

    "What are you doing?" I say.

    "This was fun," she says, walking backward. "But I must go."

    "Excuse me?"

    "Do worry, Kaioson. You''ll get your shot. I have a task to complete." She runs the opposite way.

    "Get back here!"

    I sprint after Penny. She encases a block of thick ice behind her. It completely fills her side of the hallway. I try blasting my way through, but it isn''t effective. A stream of fire does the job of making it through. Unfortunately, the ice can''t melt quickly enough for me to catch up to her. By the time I make it through, she''s long gone. I return to the potion room to grab a few helpful elixirs and then go on the hunt to track her down. The only logical lead I have is to head outside.

    I follow Penny''s possible route to the front of the building. I''m unaware of what lurks on this side of the building. There''s a big chance I might lose her if I don''t hurry, but I''d rather not get killed in the process. So slow and steady are my best options from here forward. The gods only know what kind of forces Zadione has lurking within the facility.

    At the end of the hallway, there''s a ledge overlooking another section of the first floor. No one but dead bodies from both sides lies here. I leap over and use my sword to float safely to the ground. A familiar voice calls out to me somewhere within the corpses.

    "Drake?" I say, looking directly at where I think he is.

    "Help," he says. He''s under a pile of dead bodies. I roll the corpses off of him and help him to his feet. "Whoa! Easy! No, so fast," she says, bracing through his teeth.

    "What''s up with you?" I say as I notice a bloody wound around his right lower abdomen. "I might have something for that."

    "Please give it to me. I''ve lost so much blood since they attacked." I administer a healing potion. His wound bubbles red. It fizzes out and all that remains is a scar.

    "Have you been wounded since the attack?"

    "I''m no fighter," he says, chuckling. "The second I took arms, I was stabbed."

    He''s lucky to be alive.

    "Stick close to me," I say.

    "Okay." Instead of staying around me, he holds on to my right arm.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Not that close." He takes one arm off. "I need space to move around."

    "Oh!"

    "We''re heading outside."

    "Why?" He says, following me with a hand on my back. "Can''t you hear all of that fighting?"

    "Like I said. Stay close." I step outside into a hectic scene. Men, mages, elves, cultists, knights, and soldiers slaughter each other. There are bodies everywhere.

    "Gods!"

    "I know," I say under my breath. "Hey, what kind of magic do you know?"

    "Quite a lot."

    "Excellent. I''ll need your power to help me take down a Paragon."

    "Wait a second," he says and grabs my arm as I take one step down the steps. "Are you expecting me to use them?"

    "Yes."

    "But I can''t. I don''t wield anything. I''m just a librarian." How can a champion help us if he isn''t a magical fighter? What makes him so special?

    "If you can''t do anything for me, you need to find a place to hide." I scan the road and everyone in it to find any glimpse of Penny. No one is standing out. I send my sword in to search for her. It flies through any cultist in its pathway. I can so them fall over one by one.

    "You can conjure your weapon?" The sword stops as a wall of ice springs forth from a space outside the fighting.

    "There she is." All of a sudden, the wall of ice shatters into pieces by a lightning strike going upwards. Chunks rain down from the sky. Some of it hits me.

    "Who could that be?"

    "Hopefully, my wife."

    "Hopefully?" I summon my sword to my hand. The handle smacking my hand makes him jump. "Gods! Where did that come from?"

    "Go! Find some place to hide!"

    The left side of the road has a nearly unobscured view of where I need to go. My path is not as smooth as I wish it to be. I feel as if I am a magnet to trouble. Fighting is the only option. One simple task has me deep in the middle of a quarrel for my life. In the heat of battle, I hear someone calling out to me. They say my full name instead of using my nickname.

    "Kaioson!" Elred says, bashing his shield through two cultists. They fall to the ground. He turns his sword and shield into two spears, and then skewers them in the back. "Here! Takes this," he says, throwing one of his spears at me. It morphs into a shield when I grab it. We stand back to back, rotating in a circle to cover all angles. "Rhyndac brought me here. She''s bringing the others too." I look around to see if I can spot anyone familiar. At the top of the steps of the agency, I see Thubet looking down at us. Her sword is drenched with blood and her hair is stained red.

    "What''s wrong with Thubet?" I say. "Is she injured?"

    "No!" He says as he jabs his spear in and out of a cultist. "She''s resting, I think. There were a ton of cultists west of here."

    "They seem to be everywhere."

    "Yeah," he says and pauses. "Where is your wife? You two are usually inseparable."

    A battle horn blows from somewhere where I need to go. It riles up the cultist into a bloody frenzy. It takes me minutes to respond.

    "I don''t know," I say, panting. "I''m trying to get over there and see if she is."

    "Where?" Elred says. When I point my shield at where I think she is, I see her taking on Penny and Garret.

    "There!"

    "Get me behind me. I''ll make a pathway to them." He forms two shields, one in each hand, and then morphs it into one wedge. The front comes to a rounded point. I follow closely to protect his flank as he jaggedly plows into the crowd. We make it in time to surprise Penny and Garret. They retreat up a road with civilian bodies spread around the ground.

    "Are you okay?" I say.

    "Nearly burned out," Ulrika says, panting while keeping herself upright. "You came at the perfect time, my love."

    "Check my hip." I stand close to her, keeping my eyes on Penny and Garrett. "I have something for you."

    "I fucking love you. Blue one, right?"

    "Correct." Elred''s shield forms into a spear. He stands by my side with it pointing at Garret. "Keep your distance. These two are highly skilled."

    "I can take them," Elred says.

    "Oh?" Penny says. "Is that so? Why don''t you come and see if it is true?"

    "Don''t listen to her," Ulrika says, whispering. "It''s going to take all of us to kill them."

    "Plus, she has ice manipulation magic," I say.

    "Shit," Elred says under his breath. "What about him?"

    "Lightning."

    "Oh..." Penny whispers something in Garret''s ear. She tries to lightly shove him behind her. He doesn''t want to budge. His attention is set on us for some reason.

    "Don''t run, coward!" Elred says.

    "Shut your mouth!" Garret says, then sticks his hand out in front of him. Lightning shoots from his fingers. It hits Elred and arcs over to me. As I fall to the ground, I hear someone else''s voice writhing in pain.

    "What the hell?" Ulrika says. "Drake? Where the hell did you come from?"

    "I was flying around," Drake says.

    "Flying?" I say winded. Ulrika helps me to my feet. My body stings and my legs are wobbly, but the pain is not too unbearable. "I didn''t see or hear you."

    "I can shrink."

    "Huh?" Ulrika and I say together. While Drake explains to us how he can diminish his size to fit inside the palm of someone''s hand, I notice Elred''s ears twitch several times. He''s watching Penny whispering something to Garret. All of a sudden, she tells him to run.

    "Go! I''ll come find you later," Penny says. Garret takes off up the street. Ulrika quickly intercepts him using the speed of lightning.

    "You just won''t quit!" Garret says.

    "Come on! Let''s get them!" Elred says.

    "Wait a second," I say. Penny manifests a spear moments before he attacks her. I want to help Ulrika, but don''t want to leave Elred fighting alone with Penny. "That kid is going to get himself killed."

    "Indeed. Ice is a unique arte," Drake says, still writhing from the pain. "Fire is the only defense."

    "I''ve tried a few spells. She always seems to have a counter."

    "Have you tried Flaming Ringo?" The spell''s name brings back a special memory of my training with Thyrna. Flaming Ringo summons homing fire rings from the user''s sword. The mana comes straight from the chest and passes through the arm and then funnels out the tip of their weapon. There is no limit to the number of rings. Once one is formed, the user twirls their weapon before pointing at the intended target.

    "I haven''t used that since I learned it as a kid. How do you know it will work?"

    "If it doesn''t. I know a lot more." I''m starting to see why he''s Coretha''s champion. If he can guide me on which spells I can use, that''ll be splendid. Most of the spells I use are not cutting it.

    "Excellent. Get somewhere safe to coach me through this."

    "I''ll do this." He suddenly vanishes in a mist of yellow sparkling dust. One of the sparkles flies over to me and then lands on my head. "Can you hear me well?"

    "Yes, I can hear you."

    "I''ll watch you from here. Do your best and if it isn''t enough, I''ll propose alternatives."

    I assert myself in Elred''s fight by blasting Penny on the ground. At first, he gives a concerned gaze. I wave him off, hoping he''ll get the hint, and stand aside. His spear vanishes once he disengages. I wave my sword and perform a show of acrobatic force to challenge her.

    "You look stupid," Penny says. My performance works. She comes at me harder than before. I execute the usual song and dance routine. Nothing seems to work. She counters and anticipates everything I hurl at her.

    "She''s scary good," Drake says. "I think I''m glimpsing cracks in her performances."

    "Like what?" I say as I lock blades with her.

    "Who are you talking to?" Penny says.

    "No one," I say and blast her away. "I''m going to do it now."

    "Go for it!" Drake says.

    "Flaming Ringo!" Three rings of fire spring forth from the tip of my blade. She immediately forms an ice wall. The first ring melts through. She puts up a second wall that is higher and thicker than the first one. The second ring has the same results.

    "What the hell is this?" Penny says. "Why is it so hot?" It''s hot because the rings resemble the searing heat of lava. Anything it touches vaporizes. My eruption spell uses the same kind of heat.

    "Tell me when it is over," Drake says. "I don''t wish to see the outcome." There''s nowhere to run other than into the fire or Ulrika.

    "I''m not going out like this!" Her breath begins to fog. Then her hands. The air suddenly gets cold to the point it stings my skin. Ulrika and Garret stop fighting. He drops his sword to wrap his arms around his stomach.

    "Penny? What are you doing?!" Garret says. Ice forms on the ground around Penny. It spreads in all directions. When it touches the heel of his boot, he jumps and shouts.

    "What''s going on?" Drake says, shivering.

    "Nothing good!" I say. "I think she''s trying to freeze those orbs."

    "By freezing everyone?"

    "Ulirka, come to me!" Ulrika tries but can''t get around Penny. She''s aggressively rubbing her arms to try to stay warm. I heat up my body and the air around me to keep Drake from dying from hypothermia. The colder it gets, the more condensation comes out of everyone''s mouth. "Elred, get over here!" Elred wobbles over to my side.

    "Gods!" Elred says, shivering heavily. I run with him over to Ulrika. She fumbles to place her sword away and ends up dropping it. I wrap my arms around her back to let my heat wash throughout her body.

    "I''ve never been so cold in my life," Ulrika says, squeezing me.

    "Stick close to me, guys," I say. The more Penny drops the temperature around her, the slower the rings approach her. Their red glow starts to dim.

    "Penny, stop it now! You''re going to freeze me to death!" Garret says.

    "That would be a great thing," Ulrika says.

    "Shut up! You''ll live!" Penny says.

    "Who is he?" Elred says. She informs him that Garret is a proficient electromancer working for the cult.

    "You let us take him. He''s highly dangerous," I say.

    "And... vulnerable."

    "Vunable?"

    "This might be our chance!" He steps out into the frigid weather while forming a bident. The ends of the hook have two sharp ends with two hooks bending away. He throws it hard enough to make him grunt. It impales in Garret''s back. "Ha!" He says with a quick chuckle.

    "Damn," Ulrika whispers. Elred''s bident lands deep in Garret''s back. Only the shaft is visible. He falls flat on his face. Elred runs back to me, smiling.

    "One less cultist to worry about."

    "That''s... right," I say, still shocked.

    Penny eventually freezes all rings, seconds later.

    "Garret," Penny says, panting and slowly turning around. "Zadione is waiting..." Garret''s body interrupts her speech. When the bident disperses, she looks directly at us. Her eyes have the gaze of death within them. She isn''t frowning or making any sort of face.

    "I don''t like that one bit," Drake whispers.

    "That," she growls, pointing at Elred. "Was a big mistake." She slowly reaches for something behind her back and then keeps her hand there. "You made me fail my mission," she says, laughing slowly and deeply.

    "You don''t look too mad about it," Ulrika says.

    "Oh, but I am. I''m fucking pissed! That''s why I''m doing this!" She throws something in the air between us. A portal opens. The color is different than the portal rings. This one is white. It reminds me of an Ivish Rune. The more I stare at it, the more I feel it to be true.

    "Guard up, guys! She''s summoning someone." I say.

    "This someone isn''t just anyone, Kaioson." Whoever they are, they slowly descend. When I see the tip of a golden sword, my heart stops.

 Chapter Fourteen: Thy Kingdom Come

    "Who has summoned me?" Zadione says, looking straight ahead. "Oh?" She smirks. "It''s Kaioson and his buddies."

    "Forgive me, my lord. I have failed to bring him alive," Penny says.

    "Where are the others I sent with you?" She says, turning her ear to Penny. "Have these two killed them?" She uses her sword to point at Ulrika and me.

    "No clue."

    "I believe it. They wouldn''t be so silent about it."

    "Is that her?" Elred whispers out of the side of her mouth. Ulrika shushes him. "Is that the bitch who Thubet''s kingdom?"

    "Yes, now remain silent," Ulrika says.

    Zadione shethes her sword and gives us a good look before examining Garret''s vitals. Penny watches us the entire time while Zadione looks over his body.

    "Damn," Zadione says when she rolls on Garret on his side. "They got you good." I''m not able to see what she''s looking directly at, but judging by the pool of blood under him, I think Elred hit Garret''s heart. "Take him through, will you?"

    "Yes, my lord," Penny says. She hoists him on his shoulder and lifts herself into the portal using a pillar of ice. Blood drips and rolls down the ice. When the portal collapses, it shatters the pillar.

    "Gentlemen! And one unusual woman."

    "Demon bitch," Ulrika says.

    "Watch your tongue," she says, chuckling. "I wouldn''t want to cut it out in front of Kaioson." Ulrika nearly reacts to Zadione''s threat. I have to slap her chest to keep her from speaking out. We are outclassed in possibly every method. If we piss her off, we''re dead.

    "Aren''t you going to leave?" I say.

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "Well," she frowns and glances behind her to view the fighting. "I really want that to stop."

    "Huh?" Elred says. "Is that a jest?"

    "No. Watch this."

    A massive mana surge hits me like the warmth of the morning sun. Zadione flexes her arms, pushes her chest forward, and then spreads her arms to the sky. A massive portal opens above the street where the fighting is. The mana from it creates a large enough explosion to nearly knock me over. All of the cultists ascend one by one. Once the last one enters, she crosses her arms, collapsing the portal.

    "What the hell just happened?" Elred says. "Where did they go?"

    Some of the soldiers from the street look over to us. A few curious men start walking over here. The others eventually join in, and suddenly, a woman screams at them to stop. I can see a disturbance of people moving like a ripple effect down a center line. At the front of the line, it opens with Rhyndac walking out with Glysith a distance behind her.

    "Ah, Rhyndac," Zadione says. She rests her hand on the pommel of her sword. A black leather-bound book appears over her shoulder and opens to a section near the end.

    Crap! That''s the second book I have seen use.

    "Drake," I whisper with my hand mouth. "Do you recognize that book?"

    "No. I''ll have to read the cover," Drake says.

    "Greetings, my child," Zadione says.

    "Hello, demon," Rhyndac says.

    "Oh, that''s pretty rude, don''t you think?"

    "I think it''s pretty accurate." Zadione reads something in the book and closes it without touching it. "What''s in that book?"

    "Knowledge."

    "Or power."

    "Mhmm," she chuckles. "There''s some incantations here and there." She chuckles again, but longer.

    "Incantations?" Drake murmurs twice. "Is she a witch?"

    "She''s more," I say.

    Witches are known to cast spells, but they are usually language-specific incantations. Wizards like Ulrika and I don''t always need to say what spell we want to use. Zadione has shown powers that make her look like a warlock or a sorceress. She doesn''t necessarily need to read books, so why does she? Why this one?

    More people are beginning to show up behind Rhyndac and Glysith. Glysith has to put her arms out to keep people from moving past her.

    "Why are you here?" Rhyndac says.

    "I was called here," Zadione answers with a flip of her hair. "One of my men died."

    "Good riddance."

    "Nothing good will come out of it, my child."

    "Cut the sympathetic mother crap," she says, gnawing her teeth. "Get on your knees and surrender."

    "That''s not very godly of me."

    "Do as she says, demon!" A man standing to Rhyndac''s left says. Zadione abruptly clenches her hand and brings it near her face. A telekinetic tether engulfs him and makes him fly towards her. She takes one step to her left and swings her sword through his torso. His body skids to my feet. Death takes him right after his lifeless eyes gaze upon me.

    "Anyone else got something to say?" She says with her arms out, welcoming anyone.

    "That fucking bitch," I say quietly through my teeth.

    "Kaio," Ulrika says, grabbing my shoulder the second I lift my foot. "Don''t." She stares me down fiercely. Her grip tightens. The more I fight to pull away calmly, the tighter it gets. "Stop it, my love." Two men attack Zadione in my stead. They all face a horrific death.

    "Do any more brave souls wish to take a shot at their goddess?" Despite seeing three dead, more people try to take their shot.

    "Stop!" Rhyndac pleas.

    "That''s it!" Her black book comes back. "Spring forth and save me from my adversaries! Nc''tar Venus!" The pages turn green. Particles jump out of the page and into the ground. A massive tree breaks through the street. It nearly throws her off her feet. Its branches wrap around the soldiers like a snake coiling its food. It crushes and tears them into a bloody mess. "Wow!" She laughs. "Amazing!"

    "That''s it!" I say. "I had enough!" I run to her with Ulrika hot on my tail, begging me to stop.

    "Here comes the Kromagian!" She stands up to block my swing just in time. A spark flies off our blades. We lock swords. I start to overpower her one step at a time. "What''s gotten you so angry? Was it something I said?" I go for a headbutt, but she swings her face out of the way. She knees my stomach and elbows my back. "If I believed in the gods, I would have asked them why you are so pathetic," she says and then stomps me to the ground. "But I am the god. I know why. It''s just in your nature." Her ego infuriates me. I use that anger to fight through the pain.

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    "Kaioson, stand down!" Ulrika says.

    "No, Kaioson! Face me! You can kill me if you just try harder!" She says playfully. Ulrika''s command falls on deaf ears. I can''t stand the sight of Zadione''s smug face. I want her dead and gone. She''s cost the lives of many throughout the continent. She has to die today.

    "Someone back me up!" I say. I look at all the soldiers, Paladins, and Champions before seeing if Ulrika will join me. They look at me like I''m crazy.

    "Some friends you have," she says, snickering. "They don''t want to die with you."

    "You''re wrong," Ulrika says. As she draws her sword, the wind begins to swirl around her. "I have your back, Kaio."

    "Of course, this one is not." Rhyndac steps closer to her. All of the Paladins and Champions show some hint of support for me, whether it is a subtle nod, drawing their weapons, or taking steps to close in on Zadione. "Ah, are they finally ready to slay the demon?"

    "Today we rid our world of you," Rhyndac says.

    "You can try," she says, standing boldly with her hand on her hip. "But today you won''t. Today I''m taking this city. Right... now."

    A purple haze blankets the sky, and the air around me starts to shock me. Blimps of purple lightning arch around me and everyone except Zaidone.

    Oh, no!

    "Kaio, to me!" Ulrika screams.

    "You better run!" Zadione says.

    One thick cloud appears over everyone. I run to Ulrika. She catches and squeezes close to her body. Lightning strikes at random. She uses her magic to defend me and our friends close by. The dome around us absorbs Zadione''s lightning.  Rhyndac casts a similar spell to protect the soldiers around her. Her dome reflects lightning upward.

    "Ugh!" Zadione says. "Your shields won''t be able to stop this! I think most of you will remember this one!"

    Flaming rocks hurl down on everyone and everything. Zadione looks like she doesn''t have a care in the world. She stands still, eyeing Rhyndac. When Rhyndac puts her hands over her head, Zadione takes off, full stride towards her.

    "Rhyndac, she''s coming!" I say. I ran after her. She skids to a stop, fires a massive fireball at Rhyndac, and then readies her sword to attack me. The ball of fire explodes before it reaches Rhyndac as I fight with Zadione. Her barrier breaks. The rocks and lightning attack everyone.

    "There we go!" Zadione says. A moment later, I hear explosions. I have a terrible feeling those are not her doing.

    We fight only for a short moment. Ulrika jumps in between us. They clash hard. Despite Zadione''s smaller physique, she''s incredibly strong. She''s getting the upper hand. Ulrika reverts to defensive tactics to keep Zadione away.

    "Ulrika, get back!" I say.

    "One at a time now," Zadione says. She blasts Ulrika away. I immediately return the favor tenfold. Zadione slams against a house on the second story. She stays suck to the wall as she looks down at me angrily. "You''re gonna have to hit me harder than that," she says, growling a bit.

    "I''m already on that!" I say, aiming my palm at her. DG hits her head on. Her body flies through the house.

    "Whoa! What was that?" Drake says.

    "You''re still here?" I say and then go to touch my head.

    "Yes, I am! Don''t squish me," he says, stopping my hand. "What did you cast? That one felt powerful."

    "Delayed Gasm."

    "You''ve read Mildrah''s book on how to manipulate blowback forces, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah huh," I say, watching Zdione emerge from the hole.

    She doesn''t look too happy with me. Her right arm slowly moves up. It stops halfway over her chest. She flattens her palm and aims it at me. The dust around her suddenly moves a foot forward. I pull my sword over my face to block, but nothing comes at me.

    "What?" I say. The second I relax, my sense of awareness is rocked by a crackling force. I end up on the other end of the street with my back against something hard. My entire body is searing with pain.

    "It doesn''t feel good on the receiving, does it?" Zadione says.

    "You know the spell too?" I say, straining my words.

    "Wanna see something you might recognize?"

    "No, he does not!" Ulrika says. Zadione steps back just in time to avoid getting hit by Ulrika''s arcing sword. They quarrel on the second floor. Elred rushes through the front door to get to the second floor. I try to get up, but the pain is too much.

    "Stay still," Drake says as he hovers over my face. "You''re bleeding from the mouth."

    "Shit," I say after I spit the blood out of my mouth. "Is that bad?"

    "Of course it is! You might have internal bleeding somewhere."

    "Oh... Am I going to die?"

    "No," he says and poofs to his real size. "This should save you." He makes me drink the red elixir. It cures my pain through a warm washing effect that runs down my body. "Kaioson? Did it work?"

    "Drake..."

    "Yes?"

    "I need you to gather more of this stuff in the potion room."

    "What? Why me?"

    "Because, if you don''t, we''ll die! Now go!"

    "O-Okay!"

    He takes off flying. I lunge to the second floor with the help of my sword, pulling myself up there. Elred makes it to the room at the same time I do. Zadione notices us coming and jumps back to distance herself from Ulrika. A transparent purple shield forms around her. She stands upright and acts as if we''re not a threat. Elred changes his sword into a warhammer and swings it at her face. It glides off her face and out of his hand.

    "Would you like to try again?" Zadione says. Instead of taking another shot, he creates a shield and rams her with it. She doesn''t move. Not even her hair feels the force behind it. "You can do better than that." He begins to form another weapon until Ulrika tells him to stop.

    "Save your energy," Ulrika says.

    "I think he was getting somewhere," she says, smirking. She blasts her away to attack him. The shield around her disappears the second I attack her, but it comes back almost immediately. It stays around her and flickers on and off when all three of us try to take her down. "When I saw one at a time, I mean it!" An explosion of purple fire and lightning knocks all three of us on our asses. "I''m wasting my time here."

    "Are we too much for a goddess?" Elred says behind a grunting chuckle. Ulrika electrifies her from her left side. It does nothing but make the shield Zadione wobble. She does it again and creates an opening. A portion of her arm loses its protection. The lightning shocks her with enough power to make her clench her teeth.

    "You bitch!" I cast another DG without her realizing it is charging up. Her shield around her torso cracks. The wall behind her crumbles, but she remains standing.

    "What?!" I say.

    "Twice? You should know that attacking me with the same spell after the first one failed is foolish." She raises her hand in the same way she used DG on me. Ulrika grabs Zadione''s arm and throws her out of the hole. The DG goes off, but it is too far to feel its force. She lands on her back, letting out a soft grunt.

    "You should know that doing something twice will get noticed and countered," Ulrika says.

    "Well spoken," Zadione says. "Maybe I should try something that none of you know." The black book appears around her shoulder. Her body levitates to an upward position. Once she stands upright, she stands on the ground. I form five fire orbs to get ready for whatever she casts from that book. She tilts her head, smiles at me, and says, "I don''t have time for this." She casts a thick wall of ice. A portion of it destroys more of the house. Two seconds later, the back of the house crumbles, revealing another ice wall.

    "What the hell is going on?" Elred says.

    "I think she''s trying to encase us in ice," I say. "Everyone, stand back."

    "What are you about to do?"

    "Just," Ulrika says and pulls Elred away. I summon DA (Dragon Acid) in with as much air as my lungs can fill. The fire spreads like a funnel as it bores its way through the ice.

    "Gods, that is hot!" Elred says. I fail to melt through the thick ice in one go. Ulrika circulates air into my nose to help me breathe. "Is he going to be okay? He looks like he''s dying."

    "That spell takes all of the air out of him."

    "While you''re doing that, I''ll try to break this wall." He hammers and chips at the hole. Ulrika helps me regain all the air I lost and more than I can take.

    "I''m fine, my love," I say lightly, moving her hand away from my face. "Your air is stinging my nostrils."

    "I hate it when you use that spell."

    "I hate it too."

    "Then why use it? You have other ways of summoning fire."

    "It''s the hottest." She glances at the hole. "See?" An explosion close by rocks the house when she opens her mouth. She cradles my head into her chest without warning to protect me.

    "We need to get out of here! I don''t want this house crushing us to death!"

    "I''m trying!" Elred says. "Can he do that thing again? It''ll make this job go by faster."

    "Kaio?" She says, saying my name quietly. "Can you do it?"

    "I can," I say. I pack my lungs with air several times and then summon DA. Another explosion nearly goes off.

    "I got you," she says, using her body to keep me stable. She wraps her arms around my stomach and takes a wide stance. As more explosions rock the house, the floor starts to crack. "Keep going!" I go past my absolute limit. My vision goes black for what feels like a short moment. When I open my eyes, I see Elred rubbing my chest and her forcing air into my nose. "Stop!" She screams. "He''s awake!"

    "Thank the gods!" Elred says. "Looks like you won''t have to shock him awake."

    "Kaio," she says, frantically trying to shake me awake. "We need to go." She yanks me to my feet. I catch a glimpse of the agency building in rubble before she turns me the other way. We go through a portal she opened with a ring. On the other end, Kromagian knights with full body shields are standing in front of a gate.

    "Shut it!" She closes it as Zadione''s sword comes through it. It doesn''t collapse. Her sword starts to reopen the portal in a jagged upward line. I can see parts of her sinister smile through the crack.

    "Remember this failure, Paladins," Zadione says with her teeth clenched. "All that is left is your last stronghold. See you soon!" The portal closes immediately after she pulls her blade out.

    "What did she mean by our last stronghold?" I look at Ulrika to see if she has an answer. She shrugs and looks at the knights for answers.

    "It''s this," Rhyndac says with a weak voice. The knights to my left stand aside to let her through. Her arms, legs, neck, and the left side of her face are soaked in bloody bandages.

    "Kromagia?"

    "Yes."

 Chapter Fifteen: No More Heroics

    What does one do if your enemy is about to succeed? Apparently, it is argued foolish and damn near absurd plans of counterattacks. Without Haleema''s direction, Rhyndac and the southern Kromagian oversight are the definition of too many cooks in the kitchen. There are a few things I keep noticing in their bickering. We have no allies left. Not all of us are in here. Lyra, Thubet, Coretha, and Drake are not with us. I don''t know if they''re dead or prisoners. Zadione is doing what she set out to do. She will, in no doubt, take over Nebulas and possibly Ambargara as a whole. King Menassah has sent mages to gather King Rainguard and his family.

    For the time being, I listen for a strategy that doesn''t seem to come. After ten minutes or so, I leave the room. Ulrika is napping on a bench away from the room, clutching our swords. I command the sword to move around just enough to wake her.

    "Huh?" She says groggy. She sits up with them close to her chest. "Oh... It''s just you."

    "Come," I say. She hands me my sword as I walk past her. "We''re leaving."

    "You''re angry," Ulrika says. That word makes me smirk. "Frustrated?"

    "I need to get away from their bickering."

    "What did they say?"

    "Nothing," I sigh. "They''re still trying to figure out their next move."

    "Oh," she says, elongating the word. "What are you going to do now?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Well, Tranquilith is nearby, right?" I hum to let her know she''s correct. "Let''s go home."

    "That''s the best decision I have heard all day."

    On the way home, we stop by a tavern to get something to eat and drink. A wench waiting by the door greets me with a hello and a smile after two men step outside.

    "Just in time," the wench says. "A spot just opened." She guides us to a seat in the middle of the packed room. There''s a stage across from us that has four singing minstrels. "You two are looking rough!" She yells, funneling her voice. "Did you guys just come off from training?"

    "No," I say. "We came from Nebulas."

    "Ne-a-what?"

    "Nebulas!" Ulrika says.

    "Oh... Is there something going on down there?"

    "You don''t know?" She shakes her head no. "Zadione just took over the city."

    "Zadione? Who''s that?"

    "You know what," she says, giving her the biggest fake smile she can muster. "We''ll take two drinks."

    "Right away."

    "And make one of them water!" She says after our wench leaves. "How does she not know what''s going on?"

    "Word of mouth must be slow." Everyone looks merry. People are conversing, reveling, feasting, and singing. I can''t spot one person looking concerned.

    "I think you''re right." Our wench returns with our drinks and asks if we want anything else. I briefly look at Ulrika to see if she''s going to say something. She shakes her head no, keeps her eyes closed, and takes a sip of her water. I pay the wench for her service. She happily resumes serving the other patrons in the room.

    "Are you unwell?"

    "I just remembered that my family is still there," she says and covers her eyes with the palms of her hands.

    "Shit," I say loud under my breath. "We need to get them here."

    "We can''t."

    "Maybe if we can-"

    "Kaio, it would be too dangerous."

    "But-"

    "No!" Every time I try to make a suggestion, she denies me a chance to speak.

    "What''s wrong with you? Don''t you care about their safety?"

    "I do. But I don''t want you risking your life to save them."

    "Ulrika..."

    "Kaioson," she says, leaning over the table. Her hands grip the side of the table. The men to my right take notice of her intimidating me. "Don''t." Standing aside while their life might be in danger is not something I''m comfortable doing.

    "I''ll find a way."

    "Damnit, Kaioson! Can you just turn off your heroic side for this moment?!" More patrons close to us stop what they''re doing and look at her. "Cease those thoughts," she whispers and then slowly sits back down sideways. I''m so livid that I''m speechless. I don''t want to be around her, so I walk out without giving her notice.

    "Where are you going?!" She says, walking after me. "Hey! Answer me!" I keep my mouth shut. All of a sudden, she grabs and yanks my shirt to force me to stand before her. We lock eyes. I can tell she''s angrier than I am by the blood rushing to her face. She won''t stop shifting her jaw around. "I swear," she whispers. "If you go out there, I''ll-"

    "Leave me?"

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    "Worse," she says. The wind starts to pick up from behind her. "Don''t make me do something terrible to protect you."

    "You would do that?"

    "I care about you too much," she says, then lets me go.

    "More than your family?" She nods without hesitation. "Ulrika... Their safety should come first. Let me-"

    "It''s not your job to!" The wind slams into me. I fall on my ass. "Let Rhyndac or someone else figure that out!" The wind rapidly picks up and then stops as if someone extinguishes a fire instantaneously. All that remains is a subtle yet natural flow of air. "Kaioson, my love," she says gently. "I am grateful to have a man like you who has a heart of gold." She offers her hand to help me up. As I''m about to take it, she curls her fingers out of my reach. "But it will get you killed if you are willing to go into danger."

    "It''s my job to face danger." Her mouth curls in, and she frowns angrily. She steps away and puts her hand to her side.

    "Fine," she whimpers. "Go. Do what you think is right." She takes off walking the opposite way towards the city.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I don''t know..."

    Her whimpers turn into cries. It''s hard to hear them, but I can see her body bounce. I turn my back so I won''t feel bad. The safety of her family needs to be my priority. I''m perfectly capable of rescuing them.

    Or am I over my head?

    That city is under Zadione''s forces. What if the Paragons are there? The only Paladin here is Rhyndac. Now that I mention her, Hayden isn''t here either. Nor is Glysit,h and she is the most helpful.

    I consult with Rhyndac to see if I''m in over my head. She''s still sitting in a meeting with Kromagian military generals. Her bloody bandages are gone. All that remains are long pink scars. She spots me before I fully step in and signals me over to take a seat next to her.

    "Come to listen some more?" Rhyndac says.

    "I''ve come for advice for something I want to do," I say discreetly. "My wife severely disagrees with it."

    "Hmm." A purple-pinkish sparkle radiates around her right hand. She waves the stuff of me. For a moment, I see it pop like a bubble. Then the general''s voice almost goes completely silent.

    "Sounds like a big disagreement. What happened?" Her voice sounds clear. It''s like she''s using some form of TM.

    "I want to rescue her family out of Nebulus."

    "And she doesn''t want you to."

    "Correct."

    "And for good reason. Kaioson, they are literally about to occupy it. Ambargara will soon go."

    "What?!"

    "Not so loud," she says, bracing her face. "You''ll break the spell if you''re too loud."

    "It''s only been a few hours!" I whisper. "Has the city given up?"

    "She''s just... too strong, Kaioson. The whole kingdom will be hers."

    "So, there''s nothing I can do for her family."

    "There will be a chance," she says, soothing my thigh. "Mark my words. We will find a way to liberate our friends and family. For now, stay here."

    "Fine..."

    "I''ll see you around."

    My ears receive the sounds of the room. I take my leave and head outside to search for Ulrika. She''s not standing on the road I last saw her, or anywhere close by. I ask around but no one as a damn clue on her wearabouts, so I wait on a stone bench nearby to see if she''ll come back. An hour goes by. My ass is starting to get numbed but I keep waiting. Two hours pass. It is now dark outside and there is no sign of her.

    "I screwed up big time, eh?" I say and look up the road. "Looks like I have to find you."

    "Good thing I''m close," Ulrika says from behind me.

    "Where-"

    "Was I?" She points her head and eyes to the right across the street. At the intersection in front of the barracks, there''s a small inn. "And over there." Next to it is a bathhouse.

    "Did you think I would leave you?"

    "I did. I was about to go search for you."

    "That would be a hard find," she says, holding in a smile.

    "I''m good at finding people." Her smile finally breaks through, but it''s a brief one. "I''m sorry."

    "I don''t want to hear it," she says. She crosses her arms over her chest and faces halfway to where she''s facing the road. "I don''t want to hear anything from you." We stand in silence for a few seconds, and then she tells me to follow her after walking into the road. I pursue her inside the inn. The man running the place asks her if I''m the guy. "Yeah," she says rudely.

    "Oh dear," he says as I pass by him. The second I head into her room, she slams the door shut. She aggressively strips her clothes off as she walks around the room. When she gets to her boots, she throws them on the ground.

    "Are you okay?" I say.

    "Go get cleaned," she says.

    "What?"

    "Go get cleaned!"

    "Okay," I say, rushing out of the room.

    I head to the bathhouse to remove all the filth from my body. Dirt mixes with dry blood and runs down my body. The sight of It is a harsh reminder of all the brutal fighting I have endured. I clean it all off thoroughly three times over. My clothes get the same treatment. It doesn''t take as long to clean them. I return to Ulrika''s room without delay. She is in bed once I enter inside.

    "Forgive me for being late," I say. She sits on her right elbow once I close the door behind me with the heel of my foot. I remain quiet while taking off my gear so I won''t rile her anger. She watches me silently. There isn''t a sense of anger. After I get everything off of me, I gather her clothes all over the floor. They''re clean too. I can smell the same kind of soap I used on myself. I fold them neatly on the table in the kitchen and then walk back into the bedroom.

    "Hey," she says softly, pulling the covers halfway off her body. I remain quiet, but she has my full attention. "Are you hungry? It''s been a while since we ate."

    "I''m not currently. Are you?"

    "No," she says, shaking her head.

    "Then why," I say and cut myself off when I realize she''s acting nice.

    "Okay," she mumbles when she glances down at the bed.

    "We should at least eat something. I don''t want to go to bed on an empty stomach."

    "Right," she smirks. "Let me get dressed."

    "No need. I''ll bring something back."

    "Okay," she mumbles softly.

    We eat dried seasoned meat. It''s not the best I can deliver, but she doesn''t mind. Eating dried meat brings back fond memories of her time in the military. This is her favorite kind of snack to keep hunger away since it''s protein-rich. I don''t like how I have to rip and chew hard. She finds it funny how I eat them. Seeing her smile and laughter is a great sight to see after pissing her off. I pretend to act like it is the toughest meat in the world. Every chew I do is exaggerated. It pays off acting like a fool in the end. We apologize to one another for our emotional behavior. I take one step further, I ask for forgiveness for making her cry. Instead of getting forgiveness, she curses Zadione for making us go at each other''s throats. I tell her it''s natural for us to have disagreements, but she doesn''t believe so. She says that war has made us more emotional.

    "You''re right," I say.

    "I hate getting mad at you. It''s one of the worst feelings."

    "I''ve done things I would never do or say."

    "Me too," she says and rests her head on my shoulder. "Kaio," she says a time later. "I hate this war."

    **

    The following morning, we awaken to the sounds of someone blowing the war horns. Instead of one long-winded blow, the horn pulsates in a coded message. I recognize the short pattern: The horn repeats the pattern five times and then goes silent.

    "What was that about?" Ulrika says.

    "Put your gear on," I say.

    "Why?"

    "That was a threat of attack warning from the north." She asks me how I know that. All I have to say is Thyrna. "Oh," she scoffs. "That woman has taught you everything."

    "Well, she''s a part-time military adviser. She made me learn various military forms of communication."

    "What a woman."

    I''m the first one to dress up. I run outside to see what''s going on. Lots of people flood the streets and sidewalks. Kromagian knight cavalry gallop through the streets, telling everyone to keep the peace so they won''t start a panic when they hear the news that Empress Tan Da is rallying her army against our kingdom in the north. The sentry has issued a final warning on the approaching army.

    "Did I just hear them right?" Ulrika says. "Was he talking about those tall statues?"

    "Yes," I say, looking at her. "Sounds like Zaione is getting ready to attack Kromagia."

 Chapter Fifteen: Backyard Enemy

    Five minutes after the first horn warning, it goes off again in the same pattern. More knights emerge from the barracks. They disperse toward the wall except for one guy. He looks at us for a long moment and then points at us.

    "Gods," I say with some disdain. "What now?"

    "What''s wrong?" Ulrika says.

    "I think we''re being summoned."

    "Oh," she says once she makes eye contact with the knight.

    The knight takes us to the top of the wall, where Rhyndac looks out into the southern desert. When she waves him off, he walks away.

    "Have you two made up?" Rhyndac says.

    "We have," I say.

    "Good. I can''t have my last best soldiers angry with each other."

    "Soldiers?" Ulrika says. "Kaio isn''t a soldier."

    "Is that so?" She scoffs. "If his past fights haven''t shown him as one, then this emanate attack will make him one."

    "What do you mean by that?" I say.

    "War has come to our home, Kaioson." Her serious tone turns my stomach. "Most of our Paladins are out there," she says, taking another glance in the distance. "I''ve sent Elred to the north. He awaits both of you." She sounds so defeated. It''s weird and sad to see one of the most positive people I know act like this.

    "Will you be joining us?"

    "No, I''m afraid. I need to figure out what is left of the Paladins."

    "Isn''t most of them at Nebulas?" Ulrika says. "We''re pretty much all that''s left." Her mentioning our dire situation reminds me of Coretha and her plan to gather champions. That goal is in the hands of Syren and Vahloin''s hands. It has been a while since I heard from them. I wonder if they have them all.

    "The Champions," I say. "There''s still Coretha''s champions."

    "That''s right! I forgot about them. We need to find your friend."

    "Hopefully, they''re here with everyone on that list."

    "Kaioson," Rhyndac says, gently gripping my shoulders. "Do you know where your friend lives?"

    "I do."

    "Take us there."

    Rhyndac slides a portal ring on my finger. I use the ring to open a portal to Syren and Vahloin''s homestead northeast of Kromagia. The portal opens at the front door of their main house. I can hear their nursemaid, Ceocrrya, humming a song beyond the door.

    "Ceoocrrya!" I say, knocking on the door.

    "Kaioson? Is that you?" Ceocrrya says from a distance.

    "It''s me!" She cracks the door open and peers her sapphire eye through the hole.

    "It is you!" The door swings open as she comes charging me for one big hug. Her lush blonde hair flies over my face. "It''s so good to see you alive and well, my friend!"

    "The gods continue to keep me alive," I say jokingly.

    "Pff. Your extraordinary skills are what''s keeping you away from death''s doors." Ulrika''s loud yet soft exhale reminds me of her part in my survival.

    "I have an angel keeping a watch eye over me," I say as I''m looking at Ulrika and wink to the get message across. "Anyways, Ceoccrya. Is Syren or Vahloin home?"

    "Sadly, no. They''re still gathering those champions."

    "That''s not good."

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    "Why? What''s going on?"

    "Zadione is about to engulf the Shemoreites under her thumb," Rhyndac says.

    "What?! How?"

    "She''s..."

    "Just too strong," Ulrika interjects. "And now her allies are approaching the north." Ceoccrya turns to her right to gaze out into the meadow.

    "Don''t worry," I say. "We will defeat her."

    "I shall pray for you, Zavi," Ceoccrya says and gives me a farewell kiss on the cheek. "And your friends."

    "Thank you."

    Rhyndac tells Ceoccrya to bring the champions to the north if Vahloin or Syren return. I hand Rhyndac the ring so she can take us to the right spot since all I can remember is standing on the mountains outside of the walls. Without Haleema''s special tent, we will most likely freeze to death at that altitude.

    Rhyndac takes us directly on top of the northern wall, directly behind the sentry. She runs off to speak with the leaders in charge of keeping this gate secured. Ulrika and I stay where we are. The sentry isn''t posing in front of the main gates like the other sentries. It''s standing several feet down the slope of the mountain, looking across the hill into Empress''s Tan Da territory. From here, I can make out several rows of her soldiers arranged in formation. The sunlight gleams off parts of their armor, creating a shimmering effect. Their numbers seem endless, almost swallowing the open terrain entirely.

    "Ulrika, what do you know about Tan Da''s military?" I say.

    "Unfortunately, not much," Ulrika says. "Their society is isolated."

    "When I was a drow, they were very curious about my appearance."

    "Makes sense. They''ve probably never seen an elf either."

    "Or the rest of the world."

    "Isolated yet powerful," she says slowly. "They are stupid to think that they can take up arms against Kromagia."

    No one to my knowledge has fought against Kromagia and won. We are the richest, most powerful, and protected nation. Xanlos, the primordial of this realm, needs to intervene before the existence of our nation becomes nothing more than a memory. Zadione is about to bring her force upon us. I don''t know how we''ll manage if she''s able to crack our defenses. If she gets within the walls, we will be limited to fighting space.

    I lean over the wall to hang my head down my chest. This war is taking a toll on my soul. How long can I endure this before I break? I''m barely getting by as it is. Now there''s an army assembling in our backyard, waiting for orders to strike.

    "Whatever you''re going through," Ulrika says, leaning on the wall with me, "I feel it too, darling." She rubs my back while cuddling me from the side.

    "This war is going to kill us."

    "Don''t think that. We''ll make it through. You made a vow, remember?" The reminder makes me smile.

    "Do you remember the names you want?"

    "Of course I do. Did you forget?"

    "No," I chuckle.

    "Well, tell me." As I''m about to tell her, I see my mother walking up to us. She''s wearing scaled armor. Parts of the armor around her breasts, shoulders, and legs are colored dark blue. The torso and arms are stained black. Around her torso is the Kromagian northern sigil of a four winged falcon.

    "Kai!" Thyrna says, opening her arms out to me. Ulrika steps away to let my mother embrace me. We squeeze each other tightly. "I missed you, my son."

    "I missed you too," I say.

    "I''m glad you two made it out of Nebulas," she says as she lets me go. "I heard Zadione took it over like it was up for the taking."

    "I don''t know how we can defeat her," Ulrika says. "It''s like she is too knowledgeable in magic and combat."

    "Ah," Thyrna says, tapping her lips. Ulrika mentions the black book that appeared when Zadione summoned a giant tree to attack the Paladins. I bring up the green book from Drake''s library and question its role with them. "Sounds like pure sorcery to me, guys. I''m not well-versed in incantations. I''m just a simple wizard."

    "How well is your knowledge?"

    "Tons," I say. "My mother knows spells I have yet to learn."

    "I alone won''t be enough," Thynra says. "From what I''m hearing, it''ll take an ungodly amount to subdue this woman."

    "The Paladins weren''t enough," Ulrika says after sighing. "If Coretha''s champions fail, we''re done for."

    "Pray to the gods that won''t happen."

    I look down at the army and then at the sky above them, trying to see through the bright blue canvas for a sliver of something hopeful.

    Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

    I feel as if the gods want us to suffer. I know some of them care, but there needs to be more support for us. Zadione might be days away from getting her damn wish. What will happen when she does? Will the gods finally send help and free us from a madwoman from their stock? Or does Xanlos still believe we can do it on our own?

    "Kai, why the long face?" Thyrna says.

    "It''s nothing worth discussing," I say. "Anyways, why are you in armor? Plan of fighting them?"

    "That''s right. I volunteered."

    "But you are a teacher now. Why would you abandon that?"

    Thyrna gives me a harsh yet insightful response. Nite''s attack near the southern gate is the reason she is taking a stance against all threats to Kromagia. Kromagia is her second home, and it has created the best memories for her. One of those is raising me.

    "I lived a long life," Thyrna says. "This place has given me so much joy," she says and stares down at the army. "I feel sorry for the Empress."

    "Why?" Ulrika says.

    "You''ll see once they make a move."

    As the hours go by, the northern tribes gather under the order of our king. Ulrika and I watch them from a bakery shop''s second-floor balcony. They assemble their soldiers, warriors, and warlocks to defend the northern border.

    "That''s quite the force," Ulrika says. "They look vibrant too. Their garbs are much more colorful than the South''s."

    Our northern tribesmen have a peculiar tradition. They like to try outdoing each other by seeing who can create the best designs. Unlike the south, they mostly have uniform colors depending on the branch. For example, Bearbolt is a special knight. Her armor looks better designed than the standard knights.

    "We should prepare for the worst," I say.

    "Train?" Ulrika says.

    "More than that."

 Chapter Sixteen: The Demons Sister

    For the first time in a long time, I visit a temple in the south. I''m looking for answers, whether they are in the form of prayer or somewhere in their small library. I need to find more affirmation on why Xanlos has a hold on the gods from intervening. Maybe there is a book I have yet to find the information in. If there isn''t one, I might have to summon the Three Lights.

    The temple has a strict rule of antitheft. Accessing the library requires an assistant to follow me around. I tell him to the back end of the library that focuses on Kromagia''s ancient history.

    "These are our new editions written by the churches in our kingdom," he says. "Is there anything particular you''re looking for besides our history?" The spines of the books are engraved with a swirling gold pattern. Each book is wrapped in dark brown leather, and the pages are made of thin metal sheets.

    "I''m trying to figure out Xanlos''s way of thinking."

    "On what?"

    "Something that''s probably not well known."

    "Oh?"

    "I want to know what he thinks about his gods," I say, gently opening to the first page.

    "Ah!" He says, pointing his finger to the ceiling. "His pantheon of female deities."

    "His what?" I say a bit too loud. My voice echoes in the room. "What are you talking about?"

    "You don''t know? Wait here." He walks past me and goes around the corner to the other side of the bookshelves. "Here it is! Come here!" I rush to the other side and find him halfway down the aisle, holding a book. He gently flips through some pages before stopping on the second chapter. The page has a colorful and detailed illustration of ten women around a man.

    "Is this all of them?"

    "No. There are a lot more. These are just a few well-known ones." I recognize Coretha. She''s the only one on the page who has two different skin tones of different colors.

    "What about these women?"

    "They are called The Three Lights. Stra-"

    "Stratus, Sinara, and Anasha. I''ve met them."

    While he''s looking at me weirdly, I flip through the book and skim for anything that stands out. The next two chapters focus on Coretha''s purpose and her interactions within the lower realm. It mentions the former goddess of peace, Phopasis. Just like the beginning of the second chapter, this chapter has a depiction. But this one is special. Phopasis stands next to an unusual-looking Zadione. They''re twins. Zadione looks nothing like herself. Her hair is black, long, and curly, and her eyes are black. Her sister is blonde yet taller. She has curly hair too, but yellow eyes.

    "You look bothered, sir. Is everything all right?" The assistant says.

    "I''m fine," I say and smile. "I just need to study a lot of history."

    The assistant entrusts me to handle the books with care while I spend hours examining Kromagian history. The day turns into night. Most of the worshippers are gone. The people who tend to the cleaning or maintenance of the church begin their night shift. I let myself out so I won''t get in their way. As I''m walking out of the door, three women in the middle of the street wearing black cloaks approach me. I reach for my dagger, thinking I''m about to get attacked, when the shortest one pulls her head down.

    "We come in peace, Kaioson!" Anasha says.

    "Anasha?" I say, then look at my surroundings. The world isn''t frozen. People continue walking,g and the ambient night remains undisturbed. "What are you ladies doing here?"

    "We''ve come to talk," Sinara says.

    "In private," Stratus talks softly. "Do you know a place we can conversate?" The first thing that comes to mind is my home but that''s too far.

    "Follow me." I take them to an inn, Ulrika, and I are staying in. She''s sitting at a table with her head down next to two steaming bowls of soup. The sound of boards creaking under me makes her jump.

    "Just in time," Ulrika says and yawns. "I just finished cooking."

    "Smells good," Anasha says.

    "Who was that?" I step inside and hold the door open for the women to come in. "Oh, it''s you three," she says like she''s not surprised but a bit annoyed. "Is this why you were gone for so many hours, Kaio?"

    "No. I was reading," I say. She doesn''t look too happy about my response. "What?"

    "Eat," she says and slides my chair out with her foot. "What are you three doing here? Are you trying to convince my man to do something?"

    "Nothing of the sort," Stratus says.

    "Uh-huh," she says, looking at me briefly.

    "May we sit?" Ulrika doesn''t say anything. She quietly sips on her soup.

    "Please," I say, directing Stratus to take the open seat across from me. Sinara pulls out the last seat for Anasha to sit in. She levitates beside her with her legs crisscrossed. "It''s been a while since we last spoke. Why are you all here?"

    "My sister says you''ve been reading a lot of history," Sinara says with her right hand open, aiming at Anasha. "You seek specific answers, yes?"

    "That''s correct." She slowly looks over her left shoulder where the door is. It unlocks without anyone touching it. Ulrika jumps out of her seat and pulls her dagger out. I react the same way the moment I see hands wrap around the door. The door stops short.

    "Who goes there?" Ulrika says.

    "Everyone, calm down," Sinara says. "Why are you two so jumpy?" Ulrika doesn''t let her guard down. When the door opens further, she tenses more.

    "Forgive me, child," a woman with a calming voice says. "I didn''t mean to startle you so greatly."

    "Who are you?" Ulrika says as the air in the room starts to rile up.

    "I am Phopasis," she says. She swings the door open wide enough for me to see her. She''s a damn near spitting resemblance to Zadione just like the book''s depiction.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "Hello, sister!" Anasha says. Phopasis leans around the door and waves at her. "I''m glad you came."

    "May I come in?"

    "No," Ulrika says as I say yes.

    "Ulrika?" I say.

    "She looks exactly like Zadione! What if she''s lying? What if she-"

    "I am not my sister," Phopasis says and steps inside the room. She stands straight. The bottom of her chin is higher than the door frame. I have to tilt my head back to see her face.

    "I don''t believe you."

    "Ulrika," Stratus sighs. "That''s Zadione sister."

    "Prove it."

    "How can she?" Ulrika examines Phopasis and the checks around the room. "With that." She points her head at our swords. I immediately know what she wants to see.

    "How does a pile of swords prove I''m not her?" Phopasis says. My sword floats to her by a mental command. Ulrika tells her to wield the sword. Phopasis doesn''t grab it. Ulrika sternly advises her to take the sword. Phopasis carefully draws my sword with her left hand and points it to the ground.

    "Now what?"

    "Squeeze the blade." All of the sisters gasp and tell Phopasis not to hurt herself. "If she doesn''t, then she can leave."

    "Do you want me to cut myself?" We remain silent. "This is barbaric. There must be another way that doesn''t involve hurting myself."

    "You must do it," I say. "Squeeze the blade."

    "I hope your magic is good in this realm. I hate feeling pain." It takes her five attempts to touch the blade. The moment she does, she says, "It''s dull." She taps the top of the blade with her finger, including the tip. "You want me to squeeze this dull blade?"

    "You passed," Ulrika says, taking my sword away from her then comes close to me. "Do you trust her?" She whispers. I nod.

    "Passed what exactly?"

    "Never mind that. I do have questions. A lot of them," I say.

    "So, ask away," Sinara says.

    There''s one big question I have. After seeing Phopasis, I''m curious to know the aftermath of Zadione''s fall from grace. If I recall, they lost their roles. Yet she''s the one who remains in the higher realm. The more I ponder, the more questions I add. I need answers before I overwhelm my mind with too many queries.

    "What happened after Zadione was banished?" I say. Phopasis looks directly at Sinara. "Excuse me," I say, cutting off Sinara from answering. "I want to hear it from Phopasis."

    "Um," Phopasis says, soothing her arm. "Sister caused an uproar after she left."

    "A very big one," Anasha says.

    "A strict rule was enacted. Any mishap in our roles, we were removed and replaced." Sinara, Stratus, and Anasha shake their heads. The mood I''m getting from them isn''t a good one. They''re all showing some sort of disdain or sadness.

    "One error and you are fired?" Ulrika says. Everyone nods. "You''re gods. How can you screw up?" I don''t say anything, but I''m curious to know the answer. These beings are revered more than Kromagians. There are countless statues, churches, books, and songs praising them.

    "We are not flawless," Anasha says.

    "Have there been others who lost their roles since the new rule?" I say.

    "One," she says, holding one finger up. "Coretha."

    "Sounds to me like you all have been flawless." Sinara disagrees. When Ulrika challenges her, Sinara becomes tight-lipped. "What''s wrong? Am I right?" Anasha puts her hand over her lips to soften her words. She admits to being faithful to Xanlos''s order but finds it hard to stand aside while Zadione wages war on us. Many goddesses want to lend their aid, but the rule keeps them back.

    "The ones that are afraid need to be courageous," I say. "We are losing here."

    "Do you know what will happen if they do?" Sinara says.

    "Same thing that happened with Coretha?"

    "Yes," she nods. "We were created to manage everyone in this realm. Can you imagine losing your purpose? It is a severe punishment."

    "Coretha seemed to be doing well," Ulrika says nonchalantly. "I think this so-called punishment isn''t the worst thing he can do."

    "Imagine if you will," Phopasis says, approaching Ulrika with her palms out to her.

    The example Phopasis provides is about a warrior family. All the father wants from his son is to be a warrior like him. He worships his father and obeys everything he asks of him. Every day the boy trains and fights. But one day he skips a day or two. When the father gets word of his son''s inconsistencies, he stops his training and doesn''t take him out to fight. The boy has become unless in the father''s eyes.

    "The standards are high," I say.

    "I think it''s worth it," Ulrika says. "All of you are about to lose the world you help maintain." Everyone goes silent. They can''t even look at her as they ponder. Ulrika looks at me, rolls her eyes, and resumes eating her dinner.

    "Child, what is your name?" Phopasis asks gently.

    "Ulrika," she says while eating.

    "Ulrika, I think it is worth it too. What say you, sisters?" Anasha and Stratus simultaneously look at Stratus.

    "I..." Stratus says as a war horn rattles the room.

    "Uh no... Kaio?" Ulrika says.

    "Let me listen," I say. The code pattern signifies the northern tribes are at war. After the code ends, three more come. My heart sinks into my stomach. I feel suddenly ill and on the verge of a panic attack.

    "Kaio, what''s happening?"

    "All sides of Kromagia are being attacked."

    "Oh no!" Phopasis says. "What are we going to do?"

    "First, we need to head back to the high realm," Sinara says.

    "But I said I would help them."

    "Now is not the time," she says, standing out from levitating. "Sisters," she says sternly. "Leave." Stratus is the first person to vanish. Anasha doesn''t at first. She shakes her head, refusing to leave. "Please," she says and then whispers something in her ear. Anasha disappears after giving me a worried gaze. "Phopasis, come. Don''t make me force you."

    "Why are you abandoning us again?" Ulrika says.

    "We are not," she says slowly as if trying to keep from yelling. "We can''t be here for too long."

    "Some help you are," she mumbles, crossing her arms. "The gods are nothing but cowards." Sinara and Phopasis return to the higher realm without saying a word. "Unbelievable."

    "You took the words right out of my mouth."

    "What are we going to do?"

    "The thing we''ve planned to do."

    "Right now?"

    "No," I say, looking at my bowl of food. I cup my hands around it to warm it up again. "We''re not soldiers, my love," I say, cracking a smirk. "No one is calling us to serve but us."

    "That''s true."

    "I won''t fight them until we''re ready."

    "You shouldn''t wait on me," she says, smirking. "I''ve prepared myself mentally for anything to come."

    "I don''t believe you." The moment her smile goes away, I say, "You loathe it." She looks at her bowl, scoffs, and eats all her food.

    "I''m going to meditate." Her words don''t dawn on me until after she''s gone to the bedroom and I finish my food. She isn''t known to meditate. I''m the one who does it, but it has been a while. This war nearly makes it impossible to relax. Not even sleeping works.

    I stay in the kitchen to meditate alone. The peaceful world within my mindscape is a sight for sore eyes. I miss seeing the open grasslands. For once in a long time, I feel calm. Some time goes by when a sudden disturbance nearly takes me out of reality. I open my eyes and look to my left. There''s no one there. The sensation doesn''t go away. I close my eyes and open them to reality. Ulrika is watching me from the bedroom doorway.

    "Are you going to sit there all night?" Ulrika says.

    "No. I''m done. Do you need something?" She curls her index finger, inviting me to something she won''t say. I accept her invitation. The second I get in arm''s reach, she puts her hand down.

    "I''ve been thinking," she whispers, holding herself. "About what could come after us in this shitty war."

    "What''s that?"

    "If one of us..."

    "It won''t."

    "We have been cutting it too close, my love," she says, gnawing her teeth. "I don''t think I can take this shit anymore."

    "Stay strong."

    "Not tonight," she says as she takes a step back, shaking her head. "I need you to do something for me before we go to battle."

    "What''s that?"

    "Make love with me without our promised restriction."

    "Ulrika... No... We promised after the war ended we would-" Her silence and dead-like stare tells me there is a deep concern I need to focus on. She presses her lips in her mouth and aggressively soothes them. "What if we make it out fine? Remember what you told me?"

    "About?"

    "If you were with child, you wouldn''t be able to be by my side."

    "What am I supposed to do?" She says, resting her head on my chest.

    "Continue to be patient."

    "I can''t." Out of desperation, she strips nude. It''s messy, frantic, and uncontrolled.

    "Ulrika, stop."

    "Has war desensitized you? Does my husband no longer hunger for my body?" When I try to push her back, she puts my hand on her breast. It is extremely alarming to see her so desperate to mate. I keep my hand soft and still. "Grip it, my love," she whispers as she presses my hand. "Kaioson... please..."

    "No. I will not do this out of fear. Only out of love." My decree begins to fight within her. She stares silently. After a few seconds, she backs away and looks at the ground, frowning. I don''t want to see her sad, so I prepare myself for bed. She snaps out of her frozen state and walks over to me once I am stripped to my underwear. "Hey," I say, catching her waist as she passes me. "We''ll be okay. I made you a promise, remember?"

    "I know," she says, then moves out of my reach. She takes the side of the bed I''m usually sleeping on. I don''t question why. The night has brought too much turmoil, and I rather smother the tension between us until tomorrow.

 Chapter Seventeen: No Other Options

    In the middle of sleeping, Ulrika shakes me awake. The first thing I see when I open my eyes is two glowing eyes above me. I sit up almost in a panic if not for her holding me close. She grabs her dagger underneath my pillow and puts her arm over my chest to point it at my eyes.

    "Who goes there?" Ulrika says as an arc of lightning passes down her arm. It shocks the person square in the face. They shriek. "Am not asking you a second time!" The second electrical charge lets out a half-second stream of lightning.

    "Ulrika stop! It''s me!" Phopasis says.

    "What the hell, Phopasis?! What are you doing here?!"

    "I told you. You should''ve waited until they were up," Anasha says.

    "Can this wait until the morning?"

    "M-maybe," Phopasis says.

    "Then get out! And don''t you ever bother us in our sleep again!"

    "Yes, ma''am!" She says and bumps into Anasha as she backs out of the room. Ulrika tucks her dagger back under my pillow and pulls me down to lie with her.

    "These fucking angels or whatever they''re called are pissing me off," she mumbles. "I''m tired of this shit."

    Ulrika''s frustrations don''t end that night. Phopasis and Anasha await us in the kitchen after we awake. Ulrika is more heated than ever. She refuses to get out of bed to hear what they have to say. I get dressed to meet them on my own. As I head to the door, she tells me something that makes me second-guess myself.

    "Why you?" Ulrika says. Out of all the people I know who are far better than me, I always seem to be in the spotlight. Sometimes I wonder if others are taking some sort of responsibility from these gods and angels.

    At the end of my momentary pondering, I find no simple answer to Ulrika''s question. I exit without giving any answer.

    "Is she coming?" Anasha whispers after standing out from her chair.

    "No. You will speak to me only," I say. "What was so urgent last night?"

    "We know where Haleema is," Phopasis says.

    "Where is she?"

    "Moonbay. Specifically, under Zadione''s estate, you went to."

    "How did you know I went there?" Anasha slowly raises her hand halfway past her head. "Okay... How do you know she''s there?" Anasha wiggles her raised hand.

    "Have we ever mentioned what makes my sisters and me special?" Anasha says.

    "No."

    "We," she pauses and crosses her hands over her heart, "essentially grant gifts to the needy."

    "What kind of gifts?" Their specialty has no limits to what they can provide. They can grant the smallest issues like growing hair or big ones like saving someone from near death. But not all people receive their grants, only a select few. Two of those lucky people are Syren and Vahloin.

    "Through her needs, we found you. That''s why Coretha contacted you to protect her baby."

    "Ah," I say, pondering their abilities. Since they seek out selective people''s needs, I''m curious to know how they choose. "How did you find Haleema?"

    "Her prayers lit a beacon in an area who don''t believe in the gods. Her soul shone like a star."

    "Shined?"

    "The essence," she says, touching my chest. "It glows when you want something. Sometimes yours fluctuates."

    "Do you know what I want?"

    "I do," she says, looking around behind me. "Both of you."

    "Can you see..."

    "She was ready for you last night," she whispers. "She still is, but I know it isn''t the time. We won''t grant it." She takes her hand off my chest and grabs my shoulders firmly. "Haleema seeks to be free. Since you''re not actively fighting Zadione''s army, I ask you to free Haleema."

    "What about the people in Nebulas?" She frowns tightly and shakes her head.

    "The best my sisters can do is soothe their troubles."

    Another daring task from an angel. I can''t help but continue to question the people they can use, why me? Why do they continue to trust me? I can''t say no even if I want to. Haleema is calling for a miracle. And I''m the unfortunate instrument to her plea for help.

    "How am I supposed to get there when Kromagia is surrounded?" I say. "Do you have portal rings?"

    "I will get you there," Phopasis says, stepping forward. "I can create an opening straight to her, but we must be quick."

    "Why''s that?"

    "It is a direct rule break," she say,s almost whimpering. "I''ll be reprimanded for aiding you." This plan isn''t sitting right with me. If she can take me there directly, why can''t she do it herself? She can grab Haleema and come back without anyone knowing.

    "That sounds easy. Too easy. You can do this yourself, so why don''t you?"

    "I''m a near spitting image of my sister. Do you think she would listen to me?" She has a decent point. Zadione is Haleema''s prime nemesis. She''ll see red if she sees Phopasis.

    "I see."

    "Let''s make this quick."

    When I open my hand out to receive my sword, I hear the bedroom door unlatch. Ulrika walks out with her eyes aimed at the floor. She is dressed in clothes not fitting for casual wear. It is as if she intends to go out to work. She''s wearing the bare essentials for protection. Her stomach is wrapped with her stab and slash-proof black corset. She has her forearms wrapped too, but she isn''t wearing the set of gloves that comes with them.

    "Anasha," Ulrika says, takes one slow blink, and looks at her. "Hand us our swords." I grab my sword as Anasha fetches Ulrika''s sword.

    "You don''t have to do this," I say. "I''ll be in and out quickly."

    "I don''t care if you return in the blink of an eye, I''m going with you." She straps her sword to her back instead of putting it on her left hip. "You said you can open directly to her, yes?"

    "That''s right," Phopasis says.

    "What happens when a person like you breaks the rules? You have no purpose." That''s a great question. Even though I don''t say it out loud, I silently await Phopasis''s response.

    "I... do not know. I''ll become human, I suppose."

    "What if that isn''t the case? What if something worse happens?"

    "Ulrika... I don''t care what happens to me. All I want to do is help Haleema." I''m convinced. I don''t think Ulrika is. She hasn''t changed her smug look since asking Anasha for our swords.

    "Is everyone ready?" Anasha.

    "Let''s go."

    "Give Phopasis some space."

    Ulrika and I step to our left. Once Anasha gives Phopasis a few reassuring pats on the shoulder, Phopasis summons a portal by meticulously waving her arms in a sequence. It opens with a somewhat loud boom. The force is enough to swing her hair back. I come around the table to see inside. Haleema is lying on the ground behind a cell in a dark dungeon. I step inside and ignite my hand bright enough to illuminate her body. She''s dirty and in some sort of sackcloth dress.

    "Kaioson?" Haleema says softly. She slowly yet strainingly sits up to meet me at the bars. The heavy metal chains binding her arms drag against the ground. "Is that really you?"

    "Yes," I say.

    "Thank the heavens," she says, chuckling with a soft cough. "And... is that Ulrika?"

    "What have they done to you?" Ulrika says.

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    "I''d rather not talk about it."

    "Fucking bastards..."

    "How," she says, using the bars to pull herself up to stand, "did you guys find me?" Ulrika stands to the side and points at Phopasis on the other side of the portal. "Is that... Zadione?!"

    "Surprisingly, her sister."

    "Phopasis?" Phopasis ducks through the portal to come inside. When she approaches, Haleema quickly steps away from the bars.

    "Fear not," Phopasis says as she pries the apart bars. As they bend and creak, a few of them snap. "I am nothing like my sister. Let me see those chains."

    "They''re spellbound. If you manage to break them, the guards will know."

    "We''ll be gone before they notice." She coils her index and thumb around the center, holding the cuffs. The cuffs break apart and then disintegrate. The second she goes inside to deal with the ankle restraints, I see a white flash of light beam through the door.

    "That''s them!" An orc slams the door open after it unlatches with his boot.

    "Intruders! Sound the alarm!" The guard says.

    "Hurry!"

    "Kaio, do the big one!" Ulrika says. I unleash the strongest blast that isn''t DG. It sends them and the door into the other room.

    "I got her! Let''s go!" Phopasis says.

    We all make it out. Phopasis carries Haleema into the kitchen and places her gently on the table. Anasha and I fill the buckets in the room using a few of the water crystals. We wash the dirt away from her wounds as she fills us in on what happened after they left to fight Echo Ripper. It sounds like a wild tale. She boasts Zadock''s abilities like he''s a god.

    "He gave her a tough time. In the end, we won," Haleema says. "But we weren''t prepared for Zadione''s sudden arrival."

    "What happened?" I say.

    "We were beaten and then captured. And then beaten some more."

    "Goodness," Phopasis says.

    "By the way, where is Zadock?" Anasha says. Silence fills the room. Haleem pulls her knees up to her chest despite reacting to the pain and locks her arms around them.

    "Gone," Haleema says. "They executed him a day ago." Anasha crosses her arms over her stomach and cups her eyes as she puts her head down. "An eye for an eye for killing one of their own."

    "What a sick woman," Ulrika says.

    "I need to gather my team," she says, trying to scoot off the table. "Kaioson, come help me. I need to find a healer."

    "Haleema," I say, holding her up and thinking of a way to summarize the dire situation of the world.

    "What is it?"

    "Zadione has us surrounded."

    "Surrounded? How did she get the city surrounded?"

    "This isn''t Nebulous. We''re in Kromagia."

    "What?!" She shouts.

    "Also, most of the Paladins are stuck in that city."

    "Who made it out?"

    "Rhyndac," I say.

    **

    Two hours after rescuing Haleema, she enlists her service to Kromagia''s southern special knight units. The quartermaster outfits her with mage armor. It will enhance all of her magical capabilities. It''s made of hardened bronze and gold.

    After Haleema''s fitting, the quartermaster offers Ulrika and me similar enhanced armor. He takes us into a separate room with two sets of full armor on a stand in the middle of the room. Each plate is meticulously crafted to give the wearer great mobility. Unlike Haleema''s suit, these are gray with a silver polished finish.

    "I''ll help you get in," Ulrika says.

    "So, this is the kind of equipment you''ve worn?" I say.

    "It was," she sighs.

    "You sound bothered."

    "Very much," she says sharply, ensuring all the laces in my armor are fastened. "I hated the thought of seeing you in something like this."

    "I''m sorry."

    "For what? It isn''t your fault. It''s hers." When she blames Zadione, she clenches her fists for a moment. "Help me with mine." As I fasten each protective section to her body, I notice her sulking.

    "Is everything fitted properly?" She rolls her arms, squats two times, and practices swinging her sword around while it is inside the scabbard. "It''s if you are not wearing it all."

    "Far more superior than the ones I wore." I hand her helmet and almost wear mine when she stops me. "Don''t... Not just yet..." She places our helmets on the ground near the door and pulls down the collar of my armor to kiss my lips until they are wet. "If you want more, you know what to do," she says, picking up her helmet.

    "And that is?"

    "Live," she says after donning her helmet.

    **

    Zadione''s southern forces are a mixed multitude. They are not the same combatants from Nebulas. Every race and species from the south is attacking us. I feel bad for our former allies and anyone forced to raise a sword against us. Kromagia isn''t sparing anyone. According to Bearbolt, our king wants to show that all adversaries against Kromagia will be utterly destroyed. She believes he''s doing that to make Zadione''s soldiers turn on her or one another. Most of the elves, succubi, fairies, and some of the drows do not like her. It sounds like wishful thinking. Unfortunately, as the days go by and more bloody battles ensue, that belief is gone.

    The fight goes on for days with no end in sight. Kromagia and its borders remain protected. The death ratio of our people versus Zadione has her at the highest of losses. We can''t gain ground, only hold the lands and ocean outside our kingdom.

    Every night after battle, I return to the barracks with Ulrika more tired than the previous day. Since our city is close, the military relieves our company with fresh, ready-to-fight men. We head straight for the baths since I''m constantly getting soaked in sweat, blood, and sand.

    Afterward, Ulrika and I meet at our usual table in the great hall for food and elixir replacements. This time she''s not alone. Three men sit with her. The one facing her from across the table is talking with her. I listen, standing closely behind her. They don''t bother asking who I am or telling her who''s behind her. She has suddenly accumulated admirers. Two find her skills remarkable. The third fancies her. She shuts down any opportunity to flirt when his advances get too direct.

    "I have a man," Ulrika says and then points her thumb at me.

    "How did you know I was behind you?" I say.

    "Their eyes," she giggles, pointing at each one of them. "Gentlemen, if you would, disperse."

    They leave us to resume our private daily supper. The next day, we conclude a battle with a terrible loss of life. Zadione''s Paragon, Theo, causes mass casualties on our side. In the evening, we learn from citizens'' gossip that Penny is on the Western Front. Reports say parts of the ocean are frozen with giant ice walls. I can only guess where Ethan is. No one has mentioned sighting his power. For the next battle tomorrow, I plan to end Theo''s life with help.

    Come morning, Ulrika, Haleema, and I stand atop the castle walls, watching the army march for another fight. Haleema scans ahead with her eye enhancer tool for signs of Theo. Once she spots him, we''ll make our move.

    "How do you want to do this?" Ulrika says.

    "No quarter," I say. "He''s a serious threat to everyone."

    "We go lethal. Don''t even speak a word to him."

    The battle erupts half an hour later. The southern sentry activates and watches something off in the distance to its left. It takes three steps and then throws its spear on the fourth step. An explosion diverts the spear to the right. Theo''s mana signatures appear on the sentry before a series of explosions go off. Most of them hit their mark, cracking thick chunks of stone off the sentry. Some of the explosions destroy the walls. Haleema, Ulrika, and I sprint to the side, getting attacked.

    "Solo target! Black hair! One crazy look on his face!" Haleema says.

    "That''s him!" I say.

    "I''ll open a portal right behind him!"

    Ulrika and I run through Haleema''s portal the moment she opens it. Theo sees us coming, but we attack him before he can point his hands at us. We keep him dancing on his toes. Once Haleema jumps in on the action, it all goes downhill for him, and the fight ends in mere moments. She muddies the sand under him, turning it to quicksand. I get close enough to touch his shoulder to apply a full freeze tether. Ulrika drives her sword through his heart. He dies frozen, sinking into the sand until fully submerged by it.

    As we are congratulating our swift victory, the ground rubbles. Ulrika points to a plume of dust near the walls. When the dust settles, I see the sentry toppled on its side.

    "Shit! That''s not good," I say.

    "Have those things ever been destroyed before?" Ulrika says.

    "Not to my knowledge."

    "We should get..."

    "Get what?" She points to the sky where a purple cloud rapidly forms. The center opens in a spiral. A heavily armored knight descends between the two armies. Behind him is a woman with white flowing hair.

    "Was that her?"

    "Let''s find out. Jump through my portal," Haleema says.

    As soon as she opens the portal, I hear Zadione making a speech. I get behind a soldier near the front of the line to get a good look at her. She''s covered from neck to foot in plated armor. Standing beside her is Sir Solomon Serf, the drow''s burgomaster.

    "Look at you all," Zadione says, grinning. "Fighting so hard to stop me from claiming the last portion of Inaubira." She continues saying, "You guys are good. The magical and combat knowledge you all possess is greater than the other nations."

    "That''s why you will fail," Bearbolt says somewhere from the crowd. "The gods have blessed us well."

    "They sure have. But it''s starting to crack."

    Zadione''s red eyes radiate. The wind picks up out of nowhere and blows sand our way. Ulrika puts her palm forward to direct the wind upon Zadione. She braces her face from the sand and takes one glance at Solomon. He flexes his arms and yells at us. A powerful force comes out of him. It knocks over our entire army. Her army relentlessly attacks us while we''re trying to get up. Her hellfire rains down on everyone, too. To add insult to injury, Bearbolt orders everyone to fall back.

    "After them!" Zadione says. I stand my ground fighting.

    "Kaioson, don''t be stupid!" Ulrika says. "Pull back!"

    "But we need to fight and stop her!"

    "Kaioson, listen to me!" She screams after she slaps my chest. Her hit shakes me up and rattles me to comply. We sprint for the portals. A flaming rock, hurling down on us, destroys the portal we''re heading to and crushes six soldiers.

    "Shit!" The portals closest to us all get stuffed out. There are only two left. One on our left and another on our right.

    "Damnit! We are about to be trapped here!" Soldiers trample over one another to get inside. I don''t want to put myself in danger, so the only quick solution I can think of to get us out of here is to go straight up the wall.

    "Hold on!" I wrap my arm around her waist, tether her body to mine, and use my sword to fly up the wall. Our weight makes it extremely difficult to hold. My hand nearly slips off the handle seconds before I tether it to me. Once I clear the wall, I untether Ulrika and we run for cover. "Where do we go?!"

    "I don''t know! Just keep running!"

    The barrage stops after an hour of nonstop bombardment. Over half of the southern wall is gone. For the first time since the battle, kromagian casualties are higher than our enemy''s. Zadione''s unrelenting attacks continue for days. The southern tribes start losing ground. Her army marches in, and her other ones are beginning to overwhelm the kingdom.

    Ulrika and I continue doing what we can. Zadione seems to have an infinite source of soldiers. One particular soldier, a succubus, nearly kills me. During a sudden night battle, she backhands my helmet off of my head and stops herself from driving her sword into my neck. She looks shocked to see me. The hesitation nearly cost her life. Ulrika drives her away, but we quickly get separated from a swarm of succubi. I''m forced to flee into hiding behind enemy lines. I ditch my armor in a horse stable to make myself less visible and wait for an opening to head north, but it never comes.

    Days go by. Any opportunity feels like a death gamble. I''m struggling to survive without being noticed. I have to hide anything that looks like I''m a combatant to move around freely. The various species roaming here have different tolerance levels of Kromagians. The succubi are the most tourable. I believe they are like that because of my people''s relationship with them before they fell to Zadione. They feed the prisoners of war and civilians. I don''t know how long I will last around here. But hopefully, I''ll find a window of opportunity to get my ass out of here.

    <figure>

    </figure>

 Chapter Eighteen: Desperate Measures

    Two weeks into being trapped behind enemy lines, I''m starting to hear rumors of a truce. Some of the soldiers are heading north to get a glimpse of it. This might be a good opportunity to travel. I hate being here. I''m constantly looking over my shoulder despite being around mostly friendly succubi, I can''t let my guard down.

    I stash my weapons in an empty stable and then travel north to Tranquilith. By the time I reach my childhood neighborhood, it''s dusk. Some succubi forces occupy Kromagian homes. Most of them have encampments in the middle of the street. They pay no mind to me as I walk through their camp, except for one. By her slurring speech, bubbly voice, and lack of clothing, she''s on something strong.

    "Where are you going?" She says, then grabs my shirt from my chest. I don''t smell any alcohol coming from her breath, but rather a floral scent.

    "Home," I say, pointing at my house in front of me.

    "That''s your home?" She says, smiling. "Mind taking me inside?" She snuggles her chest on my arm, putting her massive breasts between them.

    "No," I say, moving out of her grip. "I want to be alone."

    "Ah, come on," she whispers erotically. "No man should be alone. Especially a man like you." I try to ignore her disgusting advances. Every time I step away, she jumps in front of me and becomes more aggressive. "You must be tired. I can smell the sweet sweat from your body."

    "Back off," I say, raising my voice.

    "Sweetie, let me take care of you."

    "No! I have a-"

    "Woman? Where is she?"

    "Right here," a scubbuss says behind me. She shoves the harlot away and walks to my house. "Just play along," she whispers. "Leave us be," she says to the harlot. "Go find someone else to fuck." We walk into my house. I can''t see anything but her green fluorescent eyes. "I''m sorry about that. We''re not all like that."

    "I know."

    "Thank Xanlos, you understand," she whispers. "Let''s find some light." Her eyes dart around the room. "It must be extremely dark for you." I ignite my head and then increase the flame to get a good look at her face. "Whoa! Close your hand. Don''t use magic around here."

    "Why?" I say, absorbing the fire.

    "They''ll arrest you," she whispers, glancing over her shoulder.

    "Who will?"

    "People like me," she whispers almost in a mutter. "Let''s find a place with more walls." The bathroom upstairs is the most enclosed part of the house. I take her there and tell her to wait while I check on something. She does what I ask without asking for any specifics. I crack open my bedroom window and summon my sword. Instead of flying across the kingdom, it warps halfway before flying into my hand. My dagger remains attached to the sword belt.

    Oh, thank goodness everything came.

    "Alright," I say, walking back to the bathroom. "Speak."

    "I come peacefully."

    "What''s your name?"

    "Jaeneth. We met on the battlefield."

    "We did?"

    "I almost slew you." I remember her eyes. I draw my sword and point it straight at her face. "Wait, wait, wait!"

    "Why did you stop?"

    "A woman told me."

    "Huh?"

    "An angel. Can you believe it?" She says and chuckles. "She said, don''t kill him," she says as she tries to mimic the angel''s voice. "Then all of a sudden, something pulled me out of harm''s way from that big woman with green eyes."

    "Who spoke to you?"

    "She didn''t give me her name. But her voice was deep for a woman."

    Sinara...

    "How did you find me?" I say.

    "Through her," she answers, pointing at the ceiling. "She insisted I follow you."

    "Why?"

    "Protection." The word makes me raise a brow. I''m perfectly capable of defending myself. What makes Sinara think I need protecting?

    "Strange... Has this angel said anything else?"

    "Make sure no one bothers you." The more she talks, the stranger this whole situation is getting. I do not trust her entirely. She is my enemy, yet she claims to be working for Sinara, supposedly. I need to keep my distance and remain vigilant just in case that isn''t true.

    "I''m staying up here for the night. Sleep downstairs."

    "Alright. I''ll see you in the morning."

    All through the night I sleep well. Come morning, I wake on my own. The sun is barely coming over the horizon. I head straight to the bathroom to ready a bath. The tub is already filled with clean, cold water. The floor around the tub is wet, including all sides of the inner lining of the tub.

    "Early bird," I say.

    I clean up and head downstairs. Jaeneth stands with her back against the front door, fiddling with her tail. I get a good look at her before she notices I''m examining her. She''s lightly pink with textured skin. Her horns are directly on top of her head. Unlike the scubbus I know, their horns are on the side of their heads. Also, her horns are stubby and barely emerge from her hair.

    "Is there something wrong?" Jaeneth says, letting go of her tail but keeping it near her stomach.

    "It''s nothing. I was just looking at your horns."

    "Ah!" She says, grinning. "Aren''t they cute? They came in over a month ago."

    "You sound so proud of them."

    "It''s a big deal," she says as we walk out. While she''s explaining why her horns are important to her, I lock the front door with one of Thyrna''s master key spells. The whole house gets encased by a thin, nearly invisible magical barrier.

    We travel north on foot. Just like before, my weapons are safely hidden. Several miles later, I can see the terrible outcomes of a recent battle. Blood stains the streets. Kromagian weapons are placed into unorganized piles scattered randomly on the streets. One soldier tosses a spear near a pile I''m walking past. It bounces, and the tip of the spear narrowly misses my ankle.

    "Hey, watch it!" I say.

    "Excuse me?" He says and grabs my arm tightly.

    "Sweetie," Jaeneth says, pulling me into her body. She cradles the side of my face against her breasts. "Forgive my concubine."

    "What?!" I say.

    "Just play along," she says quietly through her teeth. "Apologize to the man."

    "Forgive me, sir." Just to add dramatic effect, I bow my body. Instead of accepting my apology, he punches me in the face.

    "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

    "Apology accepted," he says. "Now scram!" I''m seconds from lashing out.

    "Let''s go." She takes me away at the perfect time. "I''m so sorry for that. Best you stay close and remain quiet." My face hurts and I''m beyond livid. I can feel my heart trying to beat out of my chest. The mere idea of delivering a solid punch across his face excites me. It entices a stare, but I realize that I need to relax. There are too many soldiers nearby. One satisfaction will be the end of me.

    Jaeneth continues guiding us. We eventually arrive behind the enemy lines by nightfall. The ceasefire is taking place on an open field near farming land. Long stick torches light most of the field. There are camps, tents, and social gatherings all over the place. At the center of it all is a special-looking tent. It''s purple, tall, rectangular, and guarded by orcs.

    "I wonder who''s in there," Jaeneth says. "Shall we check?" No one but Zadione''s soldiers is here. I''m not about to surround myself with enemies more than what''s around me.

    "Not a chance," I say.

    As I''m checking my surroundings for a way around the line, Jaeneth directs my attention to the purple tent. One of the orcs guarding it opens the right flap. Zadione steps out with Rhyndac. She watches her exit through a portal. Even after it closes, she stares at it as if it is still there. Then she tilts her to the left, gazing at the stars above. Ethan comes out of the tent to join her. He speaks to her in an irated manner. I make Jaeneth take us close enough for her to eavesdrop on them.

    "Wow! He''s angry," Jaeneth says. "Your king remains defiant. He won''t surrender."

    "Good. We need to keep on fighting," I say.

    "Wait... oh... no..."

    "What is she saying?"

    "Officers, rally your troops!" Ethan says. The soldiers go into formation. I get bumped into the ground and nearly trampled on. Jaeneth squats over me to use her body as a shield. She shoves, directs, and blocks people until she''s able to stand me up.

    "You okay?" She says.

    "I''m fine," I say.

    As the soldiers gather together, portals begin to open behind the officers. Once one formation collects, they march in. One portal far to my left suddenly collapses. It shatters like glass and then explodes.

    "Move through!" Someone says. Everyone begins to rush to the other side. The portals funnel crowds of war-crying soldiers. I watch Zadione step inside the purple tent. Another collapsing portal blows the flaps open, giving me a glimpse of her opening a portal.

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    "I''m going after her," I say.

    "Who? Zadione?" Jaeneth says.

    "Yes!"

    "Wait!" she says, holding my arm so I won''t run off. "I''m supposed to protect you."

    "And you''ve done that. Your service isn''t needed anymore. Farewell, Jaeneth."

    "I guess I have," she says, letting me go. "I shall pray we never meet on the battlefield as enemies."

    I use the soldiers to cover my approach. The orc standing on the left sees me coming. He nearly snatches my head as I sprint by them. Zadione turns around and sees me as I''m a few feet from her. She grins from ear to ear and opens herself wide to me. I tackle her through the portal. She throws me off by pressing me over her body without much effort and draws her sword.

    "I like your persistence," Zadione says. "How were you able to get within my camp?"

    "I walked," I say. She laughs as if she heard a joke. She dips her sword and clutches her chestpiece with her other hand. The second I try to make an attempt to take advantage of her dropped guard, she freezes me. I can barely move my body. My arms and legs feel like they are twice their weight.

    "Kaioson," she says slowly, walking closer to me while looking around at the fighting. "You should surrender while you''re ahead. Look around you." The telekinetic hold allows my eyes to move. All I can see is dead bodies and her soldiers overwhelming Kromagians. Fairy archers fly through the sky, raining down arrows. When she steps over to my right, I can see burning ships. The fire lights up the ice, holding them in place. "All that work the Paladins did to stop me was for nothing," she says with her lips against my ear. "I have won. This world is mine." I refuse to believe this is the end. I try to break free, but I start to exhaust myself. "Here." She rubs her thumb over my mouth to free them from her power.

    "You haven''t won!" I say. "We will stop you!"

    "Who?" She says, smirking. "Haleema? Rhyndac? Xanlos? I will have this kingdom by the hour!"

    "No!"

    "Yes!" Her hold suddenly ends. I fall on my hands and knees to catch myself. The tips of her boots come into view as I stare at the ground. "Look at me, boy." She aims the tip of her sword between my eyes as I slowly lift my head. Her eyes start glowing. "Surrender to me and I''ll spare your life."

    "No."

    "Pretty please?"

    "Fuck you!"

    "What a shame."

    I summon my sword mentally to come to my aid faster than calling it to my hand. Zadione somehow sees it approaching. She blocks it from taking her head off. Her smile has turned into a teeth-grinding frown. I grab my sword to fight her one-on-one. Sparks fly from our blades. Despite all of my efforts, I''m unable to throw her off.

    I ignite my sword when she blocks my swing. The sudden intense heat burns her face. She rolls away from the blade and takes several steps back.

    "Ouch," she says, rubbing her cheek.

    "You are no god. You''re just a crazy, egotistical woman."

    "Watch your mouth, Kromagian."

    "Did I strike a nerve?" Instead of replying to my question, she throws me towards the ocean. "Yup!" I say, grunting. I use my sword to stop myself and land on the coastal wall.

    "Kaioson!" She says from the sky. It''s so dark that I can barely see her. The few things visible are her eyes, white hair, and golden sword.

    I light up my sword and stand ready for another fight. The wind randomly begins to stir. It rapidly picks up speed as if some gigantic storm is on the horizon. Zadione sways around but steadies herself. The fairies flying around can''t storm the force. All of a sudden, lightning electrizes a fairy, killing it on the spot. Another strike hits three more.

    "Who''s doing this?" Zadione says. "Show yourself, mage!" Any fairy circling us dies. The wind intensifies, but more so around her. For a moment, she loses her balance. She bends her knees and locks herself in place even more than before. As the wind throws the fairies around, some slamming into the ground, she remains still as a statue. The only thing moving is her hair. "Enough of this childish magic! Face me!" A bolt of lightning comes down between us. I shield my eyes from its brightness.

    "Kaio," Ulrika says gently.

    "Ulrika?" I say, pulling my arm down so that my left eye can see. Her body is sparkling, including her sword. She presses her hand into my chest, guiding us away from Zadione. "What are you doing?"

    "Getting us out of here."

    "Why? I could use your help."

    "We both know that''s not going to work."

    "Where are you going?" Zadione says, coming to the ground.

    Ulrika unleashes a powerful shock of air at Zadione as she lifts her foot to step forward. It''s strong enough to throw her off her feet. She disappears in the distance. Ulrika summons another intense flow of air to keep Zadione down.

    "Follow me. We have no time to wait," Ulrika says and then makes me run with her.

    "Where are we going?" I say.

    "To a ship on the other side of this pier."

    "Why?" She doesn''t answer. I ask why again. I get the same answer, but she hesitates. "Ulrika? Are you okay?"

    "Stratus says Zadione''s takeover is imminent. She has instructed us to flee west."

    "What?" I say, stopping. "You can''t be serious? We must continue fighting."

    "Kaio, just do as I say!" She takes me by the hand as we run. Once we make it to the end of the walkway where the stairwell meets the docs, she stops. "She''s here." I look over to a lonely ship docked. There''s a faint yellow spherical barrier around it. All of the sails are down, yet it''s stationary.

    "She? The ship?"

    "There''s no time to explain." She stands on the ledge and puts her hand out to me. "Let''s go." I take her hand. She yanks me up with air assisting her. "Jump!" We leap towards the ship. The air beneath us swirls to keep us from plummeting. It guides us to the ship. Just before we can land, something hits us from behind. I slam on the main deck. The fall nearly knocks all of the wind out of me.

    "Ulrika!" I say, coughing.

    "Get the fuck off of me!" She says as if her voice is bouncing off of walls. High above me, a purple and blue lightning storm lights up the sky.

    "Ulrika?"

    "Kaioson?" Stratus says, coming from below deck. She looks up and says, "Oh no! She''s here! This is not good! I need Ulrika for this work."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "This ship is spell-protected. She needs to speak the words I told her to set sail."

    "What words?" Before she can open her mouth, Ulrika appears lying on the ground after emerging from a bolt of lightning. Her sword falls behind moments later.

    "Damnit!" Ulrika says, groaning. I rush to pick her up once I see her struggle to roll over on her side. "Kaio, you need to go without me."

    "Excuse me?!"

    "Stratus, for my sake, promise me you''ll get him there." Stratus grabs Ulrika''s hands and makes a solemn promise.

    "What''s going on here? Why aren''t you coming?"

    "I got to keep her distracted." She stumbles off the boat, dragging her sword behind her.

    "Ulrika! Get back here!"

    "I... can''t. You''ll have to do this on your own, my love."

    "Do fucking what?"

    Zadione appears a few feet from Ulrika in a lightning strike as she''s answering my question. The explosion of the thunder muffles her words. It reverberates so loudly that it makes us cover our ears. Suddenly, she yells something at me. The ship sails catch a rush of wind. It moves away from the dock. I try to jump off, but an invisible force rebounds me back in.

    "Ulrika!" I scream.

    Zadione runs past Ulrika and flies over to me. Ulrika intercepts her. They fight like lightning stretching across the sky. Both colors clash, creating an explosion of a dark blueish-purple tint. Their battle lasts minutes, then stops abruptly. The last light I see in the sky is purple. Ten seconds later, the sky lights up with Zadione''s lightning. It darts all over the place. Some appear over my head.

    "What''s happening?" I say.

    "She''s trying to find us," Anasha says. "Don''t worry. We''re invisible. Not even the sound of the sharp clashing in the water will give us away."

    "In that case... You have some serious explaining to do!" I point my sword directly at her stomach. "Talk or I''ll..."

    "Relax, Kaioson. There''s no need for that."

    "One of you brought me here! And when I came, Ulrika was frantically trying to get me on this ship! Now she might be dead!!!" She tells me to calm down again. All it does is anger me further. "Speak! What''s going on here?!" I yell, almost growling.

    "Ease your tone when you speak to us, boy," Sinara says sternly as she walks up the steps from below. "This wasn''t the plan." Anasha comes up behind her. She immediately stands far back from everyone.

    "Plan?"

    "Our plan." She opens her palms out to Anasha and Stratus. "A shot in the dark to once and for all beat our sister." The first thing I think about is Coretha and her champions. I remind them about her plan, but Anasha says it won''t be enough.

    "How? You haven''t even used them!"

    "We need a better army, Kaioson. Where you''re heading, I hope there will be."

    "An army in the west? Orcs won''t help us."

    "I''m not talking about them."

    "Then," I say, then pause to figure out if there is anyone else. "Who''s out there?" They look at each other before she puts my sword down to step closer.

    "We don''t know. Those lands are not under our jurisdiction."

    "Yours? As in..."

    "The goddess," Anasha says, coming up to me past Sinara. "We have another sec that guides a world beyond this continent."

    "There''s a land beyond the orcs'' territories?"

    "Yes. We''ll arrive there shortly."

    Shortly? It''ll take us days to reach the other end of the ocean.

    Five seconds later, the ship momentarily stops. My vision begins to blur. I drop to the ground just in case I faint. It speeds up, knocking me off balance. Anasha helps me to my feet and maintains my balance.

    "Was that?" I say.

    "The ship ported forward," Anasha says. "Come. We shall lead you to the forest." It''s too dark to see anything. She leads me off the front end of the boat. Instead of falling, we glide to shore. Sinara and Stratus do the same.

    "This is it," Sinara says. "The veil. Listen closely, Kaioson." She stands close and gently holds my face in her hands. "This is your new task. Find us an army or at least someone capable of rivaling Zadione within our brothers'' domain."

    "You have brothers?"

    "Yes," she says, looking at the skies. "They are like us."

    "Great," I say, rolling my eyes. "You know, If you all three were to help, we wouldn''t be in this shitty situation."

    "Kaioson," Stratus sighs.

    "No! Defy Xanlos. Defy his laws!" They go silent. Sinara lets go of my face. I remind them of their wishy-washy intervention they''ve done since I''ve known them, but I don''t think they care. Their minds are dead set on my being their tool.

    "You will be greeted by a spirit."

    "It will guide you to the other world," Stratus says. They stand aside to give me a pathway. I give Sinara and Startus a disappointing head turn as I walk by them. When I set my attention on Anasha, she has her head down. I stop being angry to avoid showing it to her. She genuinely seems bothered by what''s happening.

    "Hey," I say. "Are you okay?"

    "Forgive us," Anasha whispers with the side of her face on my chest, facing the forest. "We''re scared, Kaioson."

    "Listen," I whisper, moving her with me to be out of earshot from the others. "What are you scared of?"

    "We''re..."

    "No. Just you. Tell me." She can''t find the words to say. Her lips move, yet I hear nothing. "Fine then," I say, letting her go. "If I fail to find someone or anything, I know the three cowards to blame."

    "Kaioson..."

    "Save it. Go and witness a world you have doomed."

    My path is a dark one. A quiet void stands before me. And inside of it, something is waiting. I enter the forest with my sword leading the way. Before I know it, I''m deep within. I can''t see the entrance anymore.

    "Just keep heading straight," I say to keep myself calm. The trees around begin to sway. Some of the trees smack into each other. I cast Perfect Gemetry and Concussive Shield to protect myself from falling limbs. Only the leaves fall. Not a single branch hits the ground. "Strang," I say, looking up at the darkness. Once I look down, I see a silhouette of a woman standing roughly five feet from me. Her naked body is fluorescent, and her pupils are glowing green.

    "Whoa there," she says when I go into a defensive stance. I ignite my sword to make her back away. She doesn''t seem phased by it.

    "Who are you?"

    "The one you are searching for. Adonya, keeper of this lushest forest," she says, carefully going around my protective box. "Your divinities contacted me and asked to bring you over to this side of my veil."

    "Will you honor their plea?"

    "Maybe."

    As Adonya is moving, I get a good look at this unusual woman. Despite her mildly greenish-blue leathery wetish skin, she doesn''t horrify me. She kind of reminds me of a succubus minus the horns and tails. She''s taller than me by a full head length. Her breasts are large and she has a curvaceous frame. The length of her hair nearly reaches her butt.

    "I''ve never seen a human like you before," she says.

    "Is that so?"

    "You''ll be quite the gazer among these people."

    "What people?"

    "Follow me," she says, curling her finger several times.

    I keep a safe distance behind her. We traverse for an hour without pause. None of us speaks to each other. Occasionally, she turns around to glance at me. When she does it again, she tells me to rest. I set my protective boundaries. She walks off into the forest. For the rest of the night, I don''t see her until the morning when she wakes me up.

    "Ready for some more walking?" Adonya says. "We are close to one of my portals."

    Another hour or so later, we make it to a clearing. It''s leveled with mossy gray stone. There''s an entrance leading down into a hole. I see a glowing blue wall inside. It moves as if it is made of water.

    "Is that it?" I say.

    "Yes."

    "I''ve never seen a portal like that before."

    "Really?" She says, crossing her arms. "What do they look like in your world?"

    "Ovular," I say, putting my fingers together to form the shape. She holds out her fingers to make the shape and then aims it at her portal.

    "Such an odd shape. Anywho, hopefully, the aid you seek will be on the other side."

    "Great," I sigh, taking a step down.

    "Before you leave," she says, holding back with her hand pressing against my chest. "Take this." She manifests a green leaf out of thin air and gently stuffs it behind my waistbelt.

    "Why?"

    "It will show that you are trusted by a very, very good friend of mine." The tone of her voice when she mentions her friend softens. She''s smiling. Her attention wanders a bit. When her smile grows, she snaps out of it. "His name is Emrys Dorian. Hopefully, he can help you."

    "Thanks for your help."

    "Don''t mention it, seriously. Good luck, Kaioson." Right as I''m asking her how she knows my name, she morphs inside of a tree.

    Here I go again. This time I''m going into a strange world alone. All I got is a name. Not even directions to go. But no matter. I''m still a bounty hunter. Little information isn''t a problem. For the sake of everything I hold dear, I''ll find Emrys Dorian and convince him of his aid no matter what.