ã€ŠSerenity of the Crowã€‹


 Ch. 1 F: Something Lost

    It was a cold, miserable sort of night. A powerful wind blew through the spruce and hemlock treetops as the branches muttered and roared with each other. It was the sort of night that cast a dour mood upon the world, one that could even make vampires want to stay inside.

    For the heavily armed young woman wandering down the woodland path it was an evening the same as any other. To an outsider she painted an odd figure; despite an average build she carried a variety of different swords, far more than she had hands. But what was even more peculiar was that she had no armor to match, only wearing a cheap black tunic and trousers with a pair of loose sandals. Despite this she walked with purpose, seemingly oblivious to the cloudy and ominous weather. However, the crow hunched on her shoulder clearly felt quite differently; it shivered and peered into the dark of the forest, seemingly overwhelmed with fear.

    It was not like Fena was unaware of the ominous atmosphere. It was simply that she didn¡¯t care. Impending doom was the norm for her, and she wasn¡¯t about to start raising a fuss every time it came knocking.As they crested the top of a small hill, the lights of their destination came into view. A small, rustic forest village, tucked away inside a tiny river valley. The village consisted of about fifteen houses, and ought to have had a population of around forty villagers. At least, that¡¯s what her employer had said. Fena liked to do her research before taking a job. To an inexperienced eye, the village looked like a safe haven on such a rowdy night. But Fena knew better. She had too much experience of making similar mistakes in the past to do so again.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± she whispered to her crow as they approached the village.

    ¡°I think this could have waited till morning,¡± answered the crow in an irate tone. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your sense for danger.¡±

    ¡°Oh hush Ferald,¡± she answered. ¡°You know I have no use for waiting.¡±

    The crow only grumbled further under its breath, which Fena promptly ignored. She kept a close eye out on the warm and cozy looking houses as they grew near.

    ¡°Well, everything seems normal so far,¡± whispered Fena.

    ¡°You are as dense as you are naive,¡± responded the crow savagely. ¡°If I were you, I would already have a sword out.¡±

    Fena only placed a hand on the hilt of her wakizashi. Her swords were of a wide variety; from a zweihander slung across her back, to a katana and a rapier attached to either side, her armament seemed totally excessive. She even kept her wakizashi and a short sword attached to the back of her waist. Any person watching her would laugh at the absurd amount of weapons she carried, but Fena didn¡¯t care. They hadn¡¯t even seen her hidden weapons yet.

    Fena crept up to the side of a log house, pressing herself against the side. She listened very carefully, trying to ignore the sound of the stormy wind rushing through the woods.Nothing. She could hear nothing. No voices, no laughing or arguing. Not even the crackle of a fireplace, despite the fact that smoke came out of the chimney and inviting firelight crept out of the windows.

    ¡°Okay, you were right,¡± Fena admitted. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something up.¡±

    ¡°See? You never listen,¡± muttered the crow. ¡°Can¡¯t you hurry this up?¡±

    Fena ignored the question.

    ¡°Where do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°How should I know? Just stand in the middle of the street and shout, maybe then it¡¯ll come out,¡± said the crow sarcastically.

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait-¡± Fena didn¡¯t listen further as she strode out into the middle of the path that made up the main street of this village.

    ¡°HEY!¡± She shouted over the wind. ¡°Demon! Monster! Whoever attacked this place! Come out, come out wherever you are!¡±

    The crow flapped his wings, flying away from her to land on one of the roofs. ¡°Are you crazy?!,¡± it hissed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean literally!¡±

    Fena gave him an irritated look.

    ¡°Why did you suggest it then? I really don¡¯t want to have to search every nook and cranny in this place¡­¡±

    The crow sighed. ¡°You really are an idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Bah. I do my research properly.¡±

    ¡°Half an hour in the city library does not count as research. We don¡¯t even know what happened to the residents!¡±

    Fena paused, surveying her surroundings.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ well, it seems kind of obvious to me. From the scratches on the doors, I imagine some sort of beast monster has been preying on the villagers for a while. Maybe they thought hiding in their houses would help. Regardless the monster has completely wiped them out, or they fled, as no one is actually living here anymore. Despite the illusion magic attempt to make it appear so, it¡¯s totally quiet. I¡¯d say the village has been dead for about¡­¡± Fena drew out the word, thinking for a moment. ¡°No more than a week or so¡­ the weeds in the gardens here have yet to grow any further.¡±

    The crow was surprised. Apparently Fena had been paying more attention than it thought.

    ¡°What about the chimney smoke and the candle light then?¡±

    Fena looked around again, a mildly annoyed expression on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, I wondered about that myself. Normally beast monsters are unable to make illusions, and certainly are not the type to try to lure weary travellers. Unless¡­¡±Stolen story; please report.

    Suddenly, a low, guttural growl could be heard behind her. It was deeper than any throat should be capable of producing, a gruesome, menacing,desperatesort of growl. Fena spun around, an expression of shock and horror on her face.

    ¡°Unless it¡¯s a corrupted spirit beast¡­¡± she breathed.

    Before her, at the end of the village path stood a towering, nine foot tall silhouette. A pair of rabid, glowing red eyes glared at her as yellowed, rotted teeth gnashed, desperate to rip her body apart. The corrupted Spirit Beast stood on its two hind legs, towering above the low roofs of the village in the shape of an enormous bear. Fena blocked her nose as she smelled its rotted and putrid flesh, loosely held together by matted fur that once could be called white. This spirit beast had died quite a while ago, yet a twisted and foul energy forced it to continue, consuming and destroying everything in its path.

    Fena could only stare, amazed and saddened by the sight. Spiritual Beasts were considered a myth by most, the ramblings of the delusional. And yet not only was one standing before her, but it bore the obvious signs of a foreign magic that forced it to continue long after death.It broke what was left of Fena¡¯s heart to see a seemingly impossible creature already long lost.

    The former Spirit Beast let out another undead growl, its voice reverberating the very air. This was typically used as an intimidation tactic, one that was usually enough to even make even the bravest quake in their boots. But Fena instead let out a sigh, of both relief and anticipation. The journey was not for nothing. She began to remove her weapons and accessories with practiced ease until she stood with nothing but her Zweihander in hand and a sheathed wakizashi.

    She stood, drawn and ready to begin the fight. A strangely nervous energy began to build around her; a tension that had been suppressed but now struggled to break free. Fena¡¯s heart leapt into her mouth, and she suddenly began to pant as her eyes filled with an anxious need. Her hands clenched around the handle of the Zweihander until her knuckles turned white and shook with anxiety. And just as the pressure seemed to come to a head, Fena closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    ¡­

    Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she charged towards the monster while her crow hopped and squawked in anxiety.

    The beast dropped down onto its fours and charged as well, bellowing in a horrific undead tone. Fena didn¡¯t hesitate; as soon as it was in range, she dropped into a slide and slipped right underneath the creature. Swinging up with a surprising amount of strength, she managed to embed the sword into the creature¡¯s shoulder with a shout. The former bear¡¯s huge paws batted towards her in response, forcing her to roll out from under it. Pulling her sword with her, a spurt of black, brackish blood spat out from the wound and splattered across the ground.

    As she leapt to her feet, Fena almost vomited at the smell; like a bloated corpse on a hot day. Far worse however, was the strong burning sensation as small drops of it splattered onto her skin. She quickly wiped off the black blood but the damage was already done; pock marked holes had already burned their way into her skin, giving her the appearance of a skin disease victim.

    But the monster didn¡¯t give her time to examine the injury. It leapt towards her with open jaws, aiming to crush her head in it¡¯s teeth. She caught the monster¡¯s attack with her sword, grabbing the flat side of the blade as she held back the massive creature¡¯s weight. As she did so, she noticed that the wound on the former bear¡¯s shoulder had already fully healed, while the black blood that remained on her sword had started to eat into the metal.

    ¡°Fuck, this guy is tough!¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°See any weaknesses Fenton?¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s not- whatever,¡± rambled the crow anxiously. ¡°No one¡¯s ever gotten close to a spirit beast before, let alone kill it. Who knows how to stop an undead one!?¡±

    With a wrench, Fena managed to push the monster off her for a moment. She assumed a fighter¡¯s stance, pointing the sword at the beast.

    ¡°Well, give me something! Nothing I do to it sticks!¡± she shouted, slashing a cut across its snout that healed almost immediately.

    ¡°I dunno, we could wait till it rots to death!¡±.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pluck your feathers, bird,¡± growled Fena, launching another useless strike at the creature¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Ummm, umm, let me think for a moment!¡± The crow was panicking as Fena deflected another attack. ¡°Uhh, some higher undead have a dark core near the heart that powers them! Maybe try destroying it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a corrupted Spirit Beast! How do we know if it counts as undead?!¡±

    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW, YOU TRY THINKING OF SOMETHING!¡± exploded the stressed out crow.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a shot,¡± muttered Fena.

    But there was no clear shot to the monster¡¯s heart; its snapping jaws and swiping claws prevented her from getting any closer. Fena tried to find an opening as she danced from left to right, dodging and swiping with her blade. But no such opening appeared.

    Fine then. I¡¯ll just have to risk it.

    Fena suddenly changed her movement, freezing still for a moment. Seeing a chance, the monster leapt forward with a swipe. Fena waited until the very last moment before dodging forward under the paw; it was so close that she could feel the huge claws tearing off the skin of her shoulder. But it was worth it; her new position forced the bear to rear up and stagger back, exposing its chest. Fena seized the opportunity and leapt forward, skillfully plunging the sword right where the heart ought to be.

    The undead monster froze and took a step back. The crow let out a shout of amazement.

    ¡°It worked?! It worked! Incredible! I¡¯m a genius!¡±

    Fena stared up at the undead bear as it slowly looked down upon her. She then turned her gaze to what remained of her sword as it bubbled and melted away, the acidic blood leaving nothing but a hilt.

    ¡°Oh fu-¡± It was all she could get out before it¡¯s jaws clamped down onto her skull, crushing it in an instant. Before her body even collapsed, the monster had seized it with its claws, ripping her corpse apart before thoroughly devouring it in a single swallow.

    ¡°-ck¡± finished the crow before suddenly exploded into a pile of feathers, vanishing from existence.

    The undead bear sniffed the still hissing Zweihander hilt that was all that was left of Fena.

    A clear and gentle voice suddenly rang out, giggling in appreciation. A white woman descended from the sky. That was the only way one could describe her. Snow white hair, sat upon perfectly pale and unblemished white skin. Eyes as white as a frozen tundra. She wore silver and white robes, elegantly designed with various flowing patterns. Her young face creased beautifully as she smiled gently, her cherry lips the only variation of colour on her. It was a strange sight to see as this beautiful and innocent-looking woman giggled at the sight of the corrupted bear below her. Only the broom she sat on and the pointed white hat she wore betrayed her as a witch.

    ¡°My oh my, my little boy found himself another meal!¡± Her voice was clear but held a hint of genuine affection. ¡°Silly adventurers. It¡¯s their own fault for bothering you, my pwecious oogly woogly.¡± She smiled lovingly despite her teasing tone. ¡°Though I suppose that little illusion I cast on the empty houses helps a little bit.¡±

    The woman drifted lower, and made to pat the monster¡¯s nose. She quickly retreated as the creature snapped at her hand.

    ¡°Awww, looks like someone¡¯s a bit temperamental. Did she not taste good? But it¡¯s all for your sake you know. Everything you eat now is going to help you get big and strong!¡±

    The undead turned and started to ignore her, now out of reach. The woman smiled again, a warm loving smile as she stared down upon her creation.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be a big strong tool for the Emperor. Now¡¯s not the time to show you off, but once you start behaving a little more, Mom¡¯s going to make you famous...¡±

    Check up completed and with a little wave, she flew away into the night sky once again.

 Ch. 2 F: Do Skeletons Breathe?

    After the witch left, the bear creature began wandering alone through the village, sniffing and snuffling at various log houses before stopping in front of a particular one. Sniffing some more, it began scratching at the door of the house, intrigued by a new smell. It was a smell the creature hadn¡¯t noticed previously, as it was busy fighting its meal. But now that the village quiet had resumed, a subtle smell of urine and terror wormed its way into the undead bear¡¯s senses, enticing it to find its next meal.

    The monster quickly lost patience with the sturdy door as it refused to budge from its scratching. However it began to splinter and crack when the creature leaned its full weight against the door, before giving way and collapsing into the house. A delicious morsel of a tiny girl, shaking and shivering inside the empty fireplace greeted its eyes. The monster lurched forward, eager for dessert and the girl let out a final scream, curling up against the impending claws and teeth.

    But they never came.

    After a moment, the child looked up to see the monster wedged in the doorway, its shoulders too large to let it pass. The thing pushed and strained, snapping at the kid but try as it might it could not get through. It growled in frustration; the log cabin walls were far thicker and tougher than the door. Just as its frustration reached a climax, the creature suddenly froze. Its stomach felt¡­ weird. Uncomfortable. Like something it ate hadn¡¯t quite stopped moving yet. It pulled itself out of the door, confused by this new sensation.

    Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through its body. The former bear suddenly yowled; it had never felt this way before. The tiny kid in the fireplace could only stare in amazement as the monster suddenly thrashed desperately about. It rolled around on the ground, yowling and screeching in a horrible tone as it pawed at its own stomach. Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. It collapsed to the ground, its eyes suddenly as dim and lifeless as the day it died.

    The girl remained frozen at first, shocked by this sudden turn of events. But as the dead bear continued to fail to move, her courage grew and she slowly approached the shattered doorway, peering around at the lifeless corpse. Black acidic blood had already begun to spill out of its body as old wounds and scars reopened, the wounds Fena had inflicted included.

    The little girl stared at her own hands in amazement. Did I do that?

    Suddenly an extra large spurt of black blood burst out of the corpse¡¯s flank. There was¡­ something moving. Moving inside of the body. The girl could only continue to stare as something punctured the dead bear¡¯s hide from the inside. A slit opened up and amongst a sudden massive gush of black blood rolled out a humanoid skeletal shape. Coated in the monster¡¯s fluids as it was, it was impossible to tell what it was. But the way the shape was screaming in absolute agony in an inhuman broken voice terrified the little girl to her core, chasing her back into the house.

    The shape somehow pulled itself free from the corpse, moaning in agony with each movement of it¡¯s thin and skeletal limbs. Once free of the corpse and the pool of black blood around it, the shape rolled over onto its back and lay still, still moaning in agony as it desperately tried to recover. The child once again peered around the edge of the shattered doorway, staring at this strange new skeletal monster birthed from the dead corpse. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t doing anything. Just laying on the dirt, though it appeared to be...panting?

    Do Skeletons breathe?

    The child made no move to approach; who knew what this new threat was. She simply stayed put where she was, watching this strange thing slowly recover. And recover it did; over the next half hour the shape slowly changed and reformed its shape.

    Firstly, the black blood of the monster began to thicken and slow, turning from an acidic fluid to a neutralized, thick tar. Though it no longer acidically burned, the grass and everything it touched withered and died, as if it sucked the life out of them.

    Meanwhile the thing that had crawled out of the body slowly began to look a little less like a skeleton. Its limbs and torso thickened out, from a spindly skeleton to normal human proportions. The now tar-like blood also mysteriously began to bubble and dissolve, reacting with newly formed skin. The thing seemed to be in less pain as well as its screams and moans lessened and grew more human-like. Finally, long black hair spilled out of its scalp and steel grey eyes could be seen as a newly reborn Fena opened her eyes.

    The child could only watch with fear and amazement as a naked but whole Fena finally sat up out of the mess of dissolved blood that only moments ago had been burning her skin to the bone.

    The girl remained hidden behind the doorway, just peeking out far enough to keep an eye on the strange woman. Despite the fact that this new monster now had a human appearance, her instincts screamed that it could still be a threat. But the human looking thing remained seated where it was, head bowed and shoulders gently shaking.

    Completely oblivious to the girl, Fena trembled and gasped for air as she tried to expel the tension that gripped her like a vice. The pain had been so much worse than she was expecting. The undead bear¡¯s first bite was mercifully quick, crushing her head in an instant. Even when she awoke reformed inside, its stomach acid was still bearable. But when she plunged her wakizashi in the direction of the monster¡¯s heart, hoping the closer distance would be enough to pierce it, the powerful acidic blood had sprayed all over her.

    It was like being dumped into a vat of unceasing liquid fire, eternally burning her to death. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    But Fena did not die. She couldn¡¯t; her body¡¯s regenerative abilities wouldn¡¯t let her, essentially plunging her into the middle of an endless tug of war between the acid and her regeneration, while she suffered as the rope. It was a miracle that she managed to grow enough muscle before it burned away to cut herself free of the corpse. If she hadn¡¯t¡­ well she may have never escaped, trapped in an eternal burning hell.

    A wave of tears spilled down her face as her body trembled. She couldn¡¯t help it; she could still feel the sensation of her muscles and bones being stripped down to the core as she screamed out without a voice. A slight whimper slipped from her lips as she hugged her naked body tightly together.

    It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over. You can relax now. Fena repeated the mantra over and over in her mind, trying desperately to feel normal again.

    A slight creaking noise from behind suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She spun around, hurriedly wiping the tears from her eyes as she spotted a small girl peering at her from around a destroyed doorframe. She couldn''t be more than eight years old, and wore a ragged old dress that hadn¡¯t been washed in weeks. Fena sniffed and wiped her eyes clear, trying to hide her unstable emotions.

    ¡°H-Hello. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The child did not answer, only staring at her in surprise at being caught.

    ¡°Do you live here?¡±

    The kid continued to stare, contemplating whether to answer. Her expression switched from surprise to fear, and then to resignation.

    ¡°Are your parents still around? Did anyone else survive?¡±

    Finally, the child opened her mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re naked.¡±

    Fena sighed. ¡°Yes, I am, aren¡¯t I. Happens more than you think.¡±

    She got up and made her way over to where she left her other weapons and supplies. Digging through her bag, she pulled out bloodstained and ragged clothing and began to get dressed.

    ¡°Do you know if anyone else survived?¡± Fena repeated her last question.

    ¡°Dunno. Don¡¯t think so, it¡¯s just been me for the last week or so,¡± responded the child in a deadpan voice. ¡°Are you going to eat me?¡±

    ¡°Eat you? Why would I eat you?¡±

    The child stared at her, head slightly tilted. ¡°Well, you looked kind of like a monster climbing out of that¡­ bear thing. Though you look a lot less scary at the moment.¡±

    Fena heaved a sigh of resignation. It was normal the kid would think of her as a monster considering how grotesque her reforming body appeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you. I only came here to get rid of that thing.¡± She gestured towards what was now quickly turning into a decayed skeleton, its flesh and blood turning tar-like and poisonous.

    The girl turned to look at it. ¡°I never seen an animal just fall over like that. Did you kill it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I killed it. Stabbed its heart from the inside after I got eaten.¡±

    The child¡¯s eyes turned back to her in surprise, but her expression remained resigned. ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s good I guess. Everyone in the village said the monster couldn¡¯t be killed. Mom said it was our divine punishment, coming to punish us for our evil deeds. I didn¡¯t know Mom did any, but I guess I didn¡¯t know her as well as I thought.¡± The girl¡¯s voice suddenly quieted at the end of her sentence, looking at her feet.

    Fena didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, so she didn¡¯t. Buckling on her last sword, she looked around. ¡°That thing cost me two swords¡­ good thing I brought spares.¡±

    ¡°Ummm,¡± The child spoke up again. ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but what happens now? Are you gonna stay?¡±

    ¡°Right, right sorry.¡± Fena ran a hand through her hair as she sighed. She opened her bag and removed all of her rations. She handed them over to the child, including a spare dagger.

    ¡°What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Tami.¡±

    ¡°Great. Listen here Tami. I¡¯m going to head back to the city now. When I get there I¡¯ll send some people to rescue you and take you to safety. The supplies should last about a week, more than enough time for them to get here and back.¡±

    The girl gave her an incredulous look.

    ¡°Sorry Tami, I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s coming back to this village, and you won¡¯t make it back to the city alone.¡±

    Tami kept staring. ¡°Can¡¯t you just take me back with you? What if another one shows up?¡±

    Fena held up an arm as the Crow suddenly fluttered out of the woods. It landed and crawled up Fena¡¯s arm, burying its head in Fena¡¯s hair. Fena paused to give the kid a long hard look, then shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. There are a lot of monsters in the woods, but the stench of the dead bear¡¯s corpse will keep them away from the village.¡±

    ¡°Too scary,¡± added the Crow, its voice muffled by her hair. ¡°Too much to handle.¡±

    The kid gave the rotted bear skeleton a scared look, then back to Fena. She suddenly found herself terrified by the idea of staying alone in this abandoned village, despite already surviving here for a whole week. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked to her rescuer.

    ¡°Are you sure¡­? I don¡¯t want to stay near that thing...¡±

    Fena knelt, placing a hand on Tami¡¯s shoulder and stared into her eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t protect you. But this village now can, as long as you don¡¯t touch the corpse. You¡¯ll be fine. You survived a whole week in this place while that thing was alive. There¡¯s no need to worry now that it¡¯s dead.¡±

    Fena stood and swung her bag over her shoulder.

    ¡°Stay safe. Don¡¯t wander into the woods, and remember; Do not touch the body. Someone will be here in a couple of days. Good luck.¡± With that, Fena turned around and began walking back along the path she arrived on.

    Startled by the sudden farewell, the child stammered. ¡°Ye-yeah, you too. Umm¡­ don¡¯t get eaten again!¡±

    Fena walked back to the end of the village. By this point the wind in the trees had died down and a faint sliver of light could be seen in the clouds as dawn approached. Pausing at the edge, she looked back at the ruined village and the rotting corpse as it poisoned the earth around it. Nothing would grow here again for a very long time, the earth cursed with the corpse of a creature once worshipped.

    ¡°That little acid bath must¡¯ve really hurt,¡± muttered the Crow as it shifted to find a better position.

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    ¡°You deserved it though.¡±

    ¡°... yeah.¡±

 Interlude: A Crystal Memory

    Crystalline glass shatters and fractures the light into beautiful mosaics across the room. Colours dance daintily along the ballroom floor. Gold braid and silken lace curl around the men and women like vines, exaggerating their beauty to an unnatural standpoint. Voices rise and fall in false laughter and deceptive pleasantries, turning the room into a chessboard of cheap politics and bloated strategy. I can see them all; so tightly wrapped up in their own worlds of self worth, weighing their own insignificant problems as events of world shaking importance. I sit with a cold smile that takes all my strength to muster. Today will be especially difficult. But I ought not complain; I can make out several faces in the crowd besides me that also do not wish to be here. If only we could leave together...

    ¡°My Lady,¡± An exquisite gloved hand is offered. ¡°Would you care for a dance?¡±

    I look up in shock, amazed that someone would take notice of my quiet corner. Sky blue eyes and golden hair meet me as a boy only a couple years older offers a gentle smile.

    A smile I cannot refuse.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I take the hand and join the sea of colourful poison, taking care to ensure each of my actions are elegant and appropriate for my young age and rank.

    Reaching the middle, I politely curtsey to my exquisite partner¡¯s bow. He places a hand upon my waist and I upon his shoulder; I cannot stop my heart from racing as we draw near. I may not know this boy very well, but I can find absolutely no fault with him. He smiles at my flushed expression, perhaps intrigued by what he sees. I keep my eyes on his, searching for any sign of anger or greed; anything to warn me of a hidden nature. But in his eyes only reflects interest and fascination, interest in me and fascination for who I am.

    I feel his breath on my cheek as he leans in to whisper.

    ¡°You are the first girl to ever look upon me with such inquisitive eyes. Most merely want something from me, but you- you are the first to search me in such a manner.¡±

    I drop my eyes slightly, embarrassed at being caught.

    ¡°You flatter me my lord. I merely wanted to get to know you better.¡±

    The young man laughs, a picture of perfection.

    ¡°You need not excuse yourself to me Lady Carstan.¡± He leans closer, whispering into my ear.

    ¡°After all, I hope we¡¯ll become good friends.¡±

 Ch. 3 F: Guilds and Guilt

    As Fena had left all of her rations with Tami, she was forced to stop and sleep to recover her energy. Even after all these years there were many mysteries to her body; one of which was how she never seemed to require both sleep and food, only either or. It made travelling convenient but it bothered Fena how unnatural it felt. As for the Crow, it came and went as it pleased, likely looking for something dead to eat. Because of the rest she took, they only reached the city of Aquitania by midday the next day. By this point the usual long line up of carts and wagons heading to market had long since dissipated, and the two of them were easily able to make their way through the city gates by waving Fena''s mercenary badge at the guards.

    Entering into the city¡¯s southern district, Fena was greeted by wide and open streets. With a radiant sun shining down from above the southern district painted a picturesque view of brightly coloured shops and lush greenery. Families and couples laughed and pranced through the streets, bedazzled by the flashy advertising and tacky shops. Fena couldn¡¯t help but sneer at the sight; to her the superficial view was nothing but a thin veneer. Sensing her displeasure, the Crow amused itself by making faces at the various happy families wandering past. Or at least as many faces as a crow could make.

    Ignoring this, Fena ducked down an alleyway and followed it to the narrow side streets that were hidden behind the main streets of the southern district. Though not as dangerous as the Eastern district, here one could find plenty of businesses of the less charming variety. But for Fena even they held no interest; she charged ahead without sparing a glance, until she stopped in front of a large two story building that had been carefully decorated to give it an aged appearance. Standing outside stood a couple of groups of armed men and women, smoking and chatting amongst themselves. This was the Southern District branch of the Adventurers Guild.

    The grizzled old man that served as the receptionist watched Fena enter the branch building with disinterest despite the clacking noise her many swords made as she walked. Some of the adventurers sitting at a sticky bar snickered at the sight; it was absurd to watch someone carry so many weapons without any armour. The receptionist didn''t care either way; there were plenty of weirdos prancing about as adventurers these days anyways. Ignoring the attention, Fena made her way up to the desk and was greeted by a disinterested look.

    "Adventurers report to the desk in the next room. Bugger off."

    Fena slapped the badge that signified her as a Mercenary Guild member onto the counter. "I''m not an adventurer. I''m here to make a request."

    Seeing the badge the man looked up and glared at Fena, judging her anew.

    "What, finally found something you cocksuckers are too weak to handle?"

    "Too busy," Fena answered. "Mercenaries get a discount anyways, right?"

    The man huffed. "Yeah, for some reason. What do you want?"

    "Priority request. I need someone to escort a little girl back from an abandoned village. Reward is 10 crowns."

    The man paused, giving her another look.

    "What, is she a bloody princess? Whatever. Guild charges forty percent, plus priority fee which is three crowns. 17 crowns total."

    Fena frowned. "And my discount?"

    He gave a nasty grin. "None if it¡¯s a priority quest, sweetie. Our ''friendly'' relationship with the mercenary guild stops there."

    Hearing this, Fena sighed and counted out the money while Crow blew a raspberry at the cranky old man. It was an absurd price but Fena didn''t want to start another fight with the adventurers. Officially they were all meant to get along, but in truth the adventurer and mercenary guilds despised each other. The main reason was that their fields of work were practically identical, and as such competed for work. However while adventurers chose their jobs from the general public via a request system, mercenaries were arranged contracts from clients via their guild. Fena didn¡¯t care about the stupid rivalry either way but it did bother her how much personal information the Adventurers Guild always tried to collect.

    ¡°Have the kid sent to this address without a hair on her head touched; else I¡¯ll forfeit the reward.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, calm your tits. Believe it or not, we know how to do our job,¡± answered the man sarcastically.

    Having confirmed the details of the request, Fena quickly made her way out of the Adventurers Guild and only breathed a sigh of relief once it was out of sight. Another issue with the adventurers; just because you made a request, didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d take it. As such, she set the reward high in hopes the quest to rescue Tami would be taken as quickly as possible. Priority also meant her quest would be advertised at other locations. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Making her way through the city once again, she headed for one of the wealthier districts near the city centre. Aquitania was quite an old city and most of it was not particularly well organized despite having a massive population. Many of its districts were a mish-mash of homes, shops and factories. However, what was known as the wealthy part of the city was far better off; a collection of newly constructed giant mansions, beautiful parks and high class restaurants. Thirty years ago the King of the City-State of Aquitania had ordered a massive reconstruction project for the nobles, bulldozing hundreds of old homes and converting the city centre into a far more modern district. Only extremely wealthy merchants and the nobility could afford to live here now. The area was also heavily patrolled to keep the commoners and riff-raff out; Fena was stopped a few times as she made her way to her destination, though a flash of her badge was enough to be let on her way.

    Fena stopped in front of a modern looking townhouse. Compared to some of the oversized mansions in the area the building seemed rather modest, though quite well kept. Constructed from grey stone and white trim, the house exuded a neat but strict appearance. As such, Fena paused before the front door to straighten her clothes and slick back the hair that she had cut into a loose bob cut the night prior. She sniffed under her arms and her shirt, then took a moment to remove a small perfume bottle from her bag and spray a small amount across her body. Finally satisfied, she raised a fist and knocked on the bright red door.

    It was immediately answered by a well dressed female butler, as if Fena was expected. Fena did not miss the butler¡¯s slight wrinkled nose as she invited her into the parlor, and mentally cursed herself for not bringing a nicer change of clothes. Sitting down on a couch, Fena was offered a cup of tea before the butler sought out the master of the house. Fena sipped daintily on the tea as she glanced around the room; it gave her an uncomfortable feeling as the decor looked very expensive.

    This place feels too familiar¡­ but I suppose in the end all nobles are the same aren¡¯t they?

    ¡°Miss Fena! So good to see you again!¡± A voice interrupted her thoughts as a well dressed but haggard looking young man entered the room. The man waved off her bow, inviting her to sit back down. ¡°No need for formalities. I trust you have some results to share?¡±

    Fena returned to her seat, her posture as straight and composed as a well trained princess.

    ¡°Yes, though I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be to your liking Sir Welsy. The village has been completely wiped out down to a single survivor.¡±

    Despite his young appearance, Sir Welsy seemed to age by several years as she spoke. Rubbing his chin, he gestured for her to continue.

    ¡°As you well know, the terms of our contract stipulated that I was to investigate the disappearance of serfs from the village of Schatten, and to dispose of any threat to the villagers¡¯ safety. However, by the time I arrived the village was already destroyed. A large undead creature had been preying on the village and likely razed it in an attack a few days before I arrived. Though I was able to destroy the creature, it had already killed all of the villagers except for a young girl. As offering her safe passage was not part of our contract, I was forced to leave her behind. However, foreseeing your desire to speak with her, I have hired some adventurers to return her to the city safely.¡±

    From its position on her shoulder the Crow snorted. ¡°Wasn¡¯t in the contract. Ha, that¡¯s a nice excuse.¡±

    Ignoring the bird, Sir Welsy sighed and ran a hand through his wheat blond hair.

    ¡°This is worse than I thought¡­ gods, to think we lost all of them. What type of undead was it?¡±

    ¡°Sir, as unlikely as it seems it appeared to me to be an undead Kermode.¡±

    The man gave her a look of disappointment. ¡°Kermodes are a myth. A white spirit bear? Ridiculous. A fantasy made up by peasants. What you saw was a regular undead bear.¡±

    Fena bowed her head, unwilling to argue. ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Nonetheless, you have my thanks for solving this case and disposing of this¡­ undead bear though I imagine your guild will charge me extra. Your foresight also has saved me some trouble; what do I owe you for arranging the girl¡¯s escort?¡±

    Fena answered without any hesitation. ¡°Ten crowns sir. I set the reward high so she would be rescued quickly.¡±

    The Crow gave her a glare and whispered into her ear. ¡°Why? Charging him less isn¡¯t going to make you feel any better about abandoning the kid.¡±

    Meanwhile Sir Welsy gestured to his butler, who promptly paid Fena the amount. Once again ignoring a certain irritating bird Fena pocketed the money, then paused.

    ¡°If I may ask, what do you intend to do with her?¡±

    Sir Welsy gave her a surprised look.

    ¡°I have yet to think about it¡­ perhaps I can find a family in one of my other villages who could adopt her¡­¡±

    Fena nodded, satisfied that Tami would not be abandoned so quickly.

    ¡°Additionally sir the undead bear¡¯s corpse contained a foul toxin, so I¡¯m afraid the village has been rendered uninhabitable. The groundwater was likely poisoned and it is highly unlikely anything will grow there again.¡±

    Sir Welsy balled his hands into fists, the worsening news straining his composure.

    ¡°That is¡­ unfortunate. Thank you again for what you have done; Jenny will see you out.¡±

    Fena stood and followed the butler to the door. She could not help but feel a little bit sorry for the man; noblemen relied on their towns and villages as their source of income, and for a lower nobleman like Sir Welsy the loss of an entire village was devastating. However, his doings were no longer a concern for her. The contract was fulfilled and her job done; now she just needed to confirm it with her guild.

 Ch. 4 F: The Impossible

    Twenty minutes later, Fena was standing outside a large stone building. It had a very militaristic appearance; with a tower located on the north side it practically looked like a miniature castle keep. The guards gave her a nod as she made her way inside, recognizing her without even checking her badge. The inside was also very stark; unlike the adventurers guild which had a bar, receptionists and a quest board, this room only contained a single giant desk stretching the width of the room. Fena preferred it this way; it was practical and straightforward, and one wasn¡¯t constantly pressured to have a drink.

    And I needn¡¯t pretend to be nice here either.

    A middle aged male halfling sat at the desk, quietly working on his papers. Behind him sat a floor to ceiling rack of various scrolls and books, each one coded with a letter followed by a number. Fena coughed loudly to attract the halfling¡¯s attention. He held up a single finger in response, gesturing for Fena to wait. After what felt like ages he finally reached the bottom of his page, dropped his quill and looked up at Fena.

    ¡°Mercenary Fena reporting contract A414 as completed,¡± Fena said smartly, dropping her badge onto the countertop.

    ¡°A414 you say? Very well, give me a moment.¡± The halfling turned around and began sorting through the rack.

    ¡°414...414¡­ ah, here we are. Fena Blank and Sir Edward Welsy.¡±

    ¡°Please stop calling me Blank. It makes it sound like I have a weird last name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stop when you give me a last name,¡± said the halfling irately as he pulled out a scroll. ¡°Sign here please.¡±

    ¡°Lots of mercenaries only have a single name!¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re all called Blank too! See? You¡¯re all one big happy family,¡± responded the man in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Now sign here.¡±

    Fena could only give a resigned glare as she signed the document. ¡°You¡¯re an ass, Fenwick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been called worse. Oh, that reminds me; the guildmaster wants to see you.¡±

    Fena frowned. ¡°That cannot be good.¡±

    ¡°Is it ever? Just go already. I¡¯ll give you your payment as soon as that Welsy fellow signs.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Oh, and I ended up having to kill an undead bear so you¡¯ll have to add that to his bill.¡±

    ¡°Fun. I will verify it later, you know. Now get moving.¡±

    Fena made her way through a door on the right and up a set of stairs that led to the third floor. Stopping in front of the Guildmaster¡¯s office, she paused before raising her fist to knock.

    ¡°Come in, Fena.¡±

    How does she do that? Fena thought to herself as she walked into the office.

    The guildmaster sat elegantly at her desk, disguising an incredibly imposing and powerful body. Black hair flowed down her back tied in a loose ponytail, and a white porcelain mask sat covering the upper right side of her face. She looked like the main antagonist of a tropey romance novel, but everyone in the guild secretly admired her presence.

    ¡°You called for me, Lady Montegrie?¡±

    Montegrie looked at her and smiled in a slightly predatory way.

    ¡°Yes, have a seat. How long have you been with us now, Fena?¡±

    Fena could not help but feel nervous as she sat down. Being interrogated by one of the most powerful people in the city would do that to a person.

    ¡°Umm¡­ about three years I believe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that sounds about right. And in those three years you¡¯ve quickly taken a top spot as one of our finest mercenaries.¡± She briefly checked a paper on her desk. ¡°Apparently you have a 100% completion rate and a 78% satisfaction rate with your clients. Impressive, considering we usually get work from some rather picky nobles.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir, you flatter me.¡±

    ¡°And yet, in those three years you¡¯ve never taken an escort or rescue contract.¡±

    Fena¡¯s throat suddenly went dry.

    ¡°You¡¯ve turned down every wealthy merchant looking for a guard, every noble travelling across even the most peaceful of territories.¡± The Guildmaster¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp. ¡°Now why is that, I wonder?¡±

    Fena swallowed. ¡°I- You- you know about my¡­ condition, my Lady. My fighting style is not conducive to protecting others.¡±

    Lady Montegrie snorted. ¡°That¡¯s one of the lamest excuses I¡¯ve heard in awhile.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true though! If I lose an arm or leg it doesn¡¯t heal back fast enough!¡±

    ¡°Can you kill things? Can you strike down a man swinging a sword at someone else? Then you can protect a VIP. At the very least you can support a team of bodyguards. And funnily enough, everyone I know can¡¯t regrow an arm that fast either.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t work with others¡­¡± grumbled Fena.

    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s just an excuse.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She leaned forward in her chair, her forest green eyes staring directly into Fena¡¯s.

    ¡°You know what I think? I think you¡¯re just avoiding the responsibility.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Fena muttered, but she suddenly found herself unable to meet Lady Montegrie¡¯s eyes. She looked away, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re too afraid that you¡¯ll fail, and that you¡¯ll have to live with the consequences of that failure.¡± Lady Montegrie¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°I have no use for a mercenary with a sense of responsibility that comes and goes as she pleases. So you have a choice. Learn how to handle the responsibility of other people¡¯s lives, or hand in that badge you love to flash at everyone.¡±

    Fena¡¯s ears flushed with embarrassment and anger, and ducked her head in shame. It was so frustrating. Like everyone else, the Guildmaster seemed to think that her ¡®blessing¡¯ was an amazing gift that gave her infinite power. How could she ever explain the suffering that gift had brought? The pain of trying to save someone, only to lose everything.

    On the other hand, the Guildmaster was also right. Any mercenary should easily be able to complete an escort or rescue mission; they were amongst the most common requests, even at the adventurers guild. But Fena knew the truth, the truth that she kept hidden from everyone else; her success did not come from any kind of personal skill, but rather from her ¡°blessing¡±. The only reason she had a 100% completion rate was because of trial and failure; fighting and dying over and over again until she succeeded. You didn¡¯t get a second chance when protecting someone¡¯s life.

    Fena burned with shame and anger; anger at herself.

    Why am I even here? I can¡¯t even win a fight without ruining my body somehow. I take twice as long as anyone else to finish a contract and even then I can¡¯t follow it through properly. I couldn¡¯t even look after a single girl because of my own cowardness. Why? Why can I never ever do my damned job properly?! Fena could feel her chest tighten in anxiety. I-I should stop. Quit. Run away again. Why does the Guild even want me here?! Failures like me should just-

    Fena suddenly let out a yelp as the Crow bit the nape of her neck, hard.

    The Guildmaster gave her a brief glance, then continued as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Fortunately I have received some good news which should interest you greatly. The Royal Palace has contacted us and the Adventurers Guild to commission a high priority escort mission. Only the best of the best, and I want you on our team.¡±

    She held up a hand as Fena opened her mouth.

    ¡°Now I know you don¡¯t like working with people, and I know you refuse escort missions, but this will be best for both you and me. You¡¯ll be part of a team, which means you won¡¯t carry full responsibility. You won¡¯t even have to see the VIP; I can put you in a position far away from her. The reward is pretty steep as well.¡±

    Fena looked up and frowned, irritated and worried. ¡°And what do you get out of this?¡±

    The Guildmaster sighed and leaned back in her chair.

    ¡°You may not have noticed Fena, but the Guild hasn¡¯t been doing so well lately. Enrollment rates have been dropping, and those that are joining can¡¯t really be trusted. The recent popularity surge of the Adventurers Guild means the applicants to our guild are mainly those who couldn¡¯t get into the other guild, either because of their attitude or criminal history. And if our reputation falls apart amongst our customers, then we fall apart.¡±

    Lady Montegrie sighed again, an exhausted expression creeping onto her face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen. If we can complete this very public royal contract in a good and efficient manner, it¡¯ll reassure our current customers and draw new ones in. Also it may help with our recruitment problem.¡±

    Fena tilted her head, somewhat surprised. Lady Montegrie¡¯s influence in the city-state of Aquitania was enormous, so to see her concerned was problematic.

    ¡°Why did we split the contract with the adventurers then?¡±

    Montegrie shrugged.

    ¡°Guildmaster Gendric probably pulled some strings. I tried to get it exclusive, but apparently he¡¯s deeper in the Royal family¡¯s pocket than I thought. This is why it¡¯s extra important we take as much credit for the job as we can, and why I want you helping out. And if you won¡¯t help, then I want you gone.¡±

    It was Fena¡¯s turn to sigh as she bowed her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you have so much faith in me but¡­ if I really have no choice then I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    Montegrie¡¯s expression lit up like the sun, her tired expression gone in an instant.

    ¡°Excellent! I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll perform wonderfully. Here the mission: You are to escort Her Highness The Crown Princess Levitia Augusta Aquitania and her entourage to the Royal Academy in the city of Becheim in the southern reach of the Ripuarian Empire.¡±

    Snapping her head up, Fena went as white as a sheet. Standing straight up, she abruptly made her way to the door.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me work here Lady Montegrie, it¡¯s been a real pleasure. Best of luck with the guild and your mission.¡±

    ¡°Now hold up just a moment!¡± With a sudden burst of speed, the Guildmaster shot up from her seat and ran in front of the door, blocking it with her enormous height.

    ¡°Please let me leave.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to hear me out first. You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I have an appointment I can¡¯t miss. Please let me go.¡±

    ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡±

    Fena sighed. Nothing this woman could say would ever change her mind, but listening seemed to be the only way out of here. And considering what Montegrie had done for her in the past, it was the least she owed her.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you thirty seconds to convince me exactly why I should go back to that snake pit of an Empire.¡±

    Montegrie grinned.

    ¡°I heard a little rumour. A bird whispered in my ear, telling me a very very secret story.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only blessed. Allegedly, they found a child just like you.¡±

    Fena¡¯s face could only be described as statuesque, but her eyes blazed with sudden pain and fury as they stared at the guildmaster.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I heard. A little toddler, though their identity is of course being kept under wraps. However¡­ they¡¯re probably going to be transferred to the Royal Academy for study. Doesn¡¯t that sound interesting to you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ YOU¡¯RE LYING!¡± Fena¡¯s composure suddenly exploded as she suddenly seized Lady Montegrie by her lapels and lifted her, seemingly unaware of the woman¡¯s height and weight. Shocked, the Guildmaster did nothing as Fena shook her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not POSSIBLE! It shouldn¡¯t¡­ be¡­ possible¡­¡±

    As quickly as she picked her up Fena let go, dropping Lady Montegrie to the floor. She staggered back, in shock herself over what she had just done. Then she turned and sprinted out the door.

    Lady Montegrie remained sitting on the floor, still in shock. The Fena she knew was diligent, quiet and never lost her composure. But even then, the outburst she just saw wasn¡¯t what astounded her the most.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­ she was crying.¡±

 Ch. 5 F: Rosie

    By the time she reached the city¡¯s eastern district Fena was still struggling to regain a semblance of composure. But the issue still boiled at the back of her mind, gnawing at her. Part of her simply couldn''t accept what the Guildmaster had said. Part of her didn¡¯t want to.

    Damn. Damn damn damn. I- I need to calm down. Please, please calm down.

    The Crow fluttered behind, watching her closely with narrowed eyes. It swooped closer, close enough to whisper into her ear.

    ¡°Get out of sight. Down that alley, now.¡±

    Sick of the prying eyes and suddenly claustrophobic bodies that surrounded her, Fena ducked down the alley Crow mentioned. Her body began to hyperventilate as memories came rushing out of a box once thought tightly sealed. Voices, faces, expectations and demands.

    No. No. You don¡¯t matter anymore. Leave me alone.

    A charming smile, glittering eyes flashed into view.

    You-you don¡¯t control me. Go away.

    An angry moustache, full of fury and disappointment.

    Leave me alone. Please, please...

    Fena¡¯s body suddenly lost its balance, sending her stumbling to her knees.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± muttered Fena as her whole body shivered and trembled. ¡°Th-The bear should have lasted me much, much longer¡­¡±

    The Crow quickly landed next to her, an urgent expression on its beak.

    ¡°Quick! Do it quickly! It¡¯ll be easier once it¡¯s done with!¡± it urged.

    Barely able to control her muscles, Fena slowly reached for one of her swords. Her hand twitched and spasmed as she raised the sword, but Fena couldn¡¯t tell if it was in fear or in hungry desperation.

    ¡°Please-please forgive me¡­¡±

    Twenty minutes later a slightly dazed but stable Fena walked out of the alley. Blood soaked her clothes and she awkwardly held her left wrist close to her chest, but the old unshakable expression on her face was back. She rearranged her clothing slightly so that the worst of the bloodstains were less visible, then made her back to the attic room she called home.

    The streets in the Eastern District were far narrower and dirtier; panhandlers called out to her as people dumped their waste in the streets. Every city had a poor district and it was here that the poor, the criminals and the trodden-down of Anquitania gathered. It was also the most dangerous district but Fena liked it here; lodging was cheap, and it didn''t remind her of her old home. Most importantly, it was a good place to hide. People didn''t ask questions and it was easy to disappear in the many nooks and crannies of the twisting houses and maze-like structures. Being the oldest district, there was no building system here; houses were haphazardly intertwined, built on top of and into each other. Some of the oldest houses had even gradually sunk below the earth, becoming basements for the new ones built above. Fena had heard that it was possible to traverse the entire district underground by tunneling between these long forgotten structures, though she had never investigated that herself.

    I really ought to do that sometime¡­ just in case.

    So entangled was the district that newcomers often hired guides to help them traverse the area, though bodyguards were likely far more helpful. It had taken Fena more than a few wrong turns and many fights before she got the hang of navigating safely.

    Fena stopped in front of a large two story house, which unusually sat completely independent of the other buildings surrounding it. Two scantily dressed women stood in front of it, flirting and calling out to anyone who came near under a sign labelled The Black Kitten. As Fena approached, their expressions immediately brightened when they saw her.

    "Fena, darling! Working hard or hardly working?" called out one.

    "I should ask you the same thing Mona." Fena answered.

    The redheaded girl gave her a glare.

    "My name''s Crystal when I''m working. I should''ve never told you my real name."

    "Alright-alright, sorry ''Crystal''. It''s just such a cute name."

    ''Crystal'' pretended to be miffed and looked away. The dark haired girl smiled apologetically at Fena, then gave her a concerned glance as she noticed the rapidly browning stains on Fena¡¯s shirt.

    ¡°Are you alright Fena? What happened?¡±

    Fena followed her gaze, then gave a convincing laugh.

    ¡°Oh these? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not mine. The other guy looked way worse, trust me.¡± The Crow on her shoulder added a slight snigger.

    Only slightly reassured, the girl nodded slowly then continued.

    "Your job seems kind of rough huh. Well, it hasn''t been great here either honestly. Seems like some of our regulars were arrested last night."

    "Did they cause trouble here?"

    "No but the Madam might ask you to guard the door in the coming days. Seems like the whole district is on edge."

    Fena frowned.

    "Did something happen while I was gone?"

    "Nothing specific," chimed in ''Crystal''. "But, well¡­ some adventurers have been going around asking questions. They''re looking for someone, and you know the locals don''t like those kinds of questions. Also there''s a rumor running round that the city guard might start cracking down around here. It makes people jumpy."

    Fena couldn''t stop her face from paling slightly.

    "Looking for someone? Who?"

    "Some woman. The usual story. A nobleman chasing after his lost love," answered ''Crystal'' nonchalantly.

    The dark haired girl caught Fena''s strained expression. "Don''t worry about it too much, Fena dear. There are plenty of people hiding out here; I''m sure it''s not you they''re after."

    Fena flashed a brief smile.

    "Thanks Aziza. But it''s not like I''m in hiding or anything."

    ''Crystal'' rolled her eyes.

    "Sure you''re not. Mysterious past, jumpy expression, living in this district; you''re perfectly normal. Don''t worry about it so much, Fena. You''re like family here. Besides, it''s not like we''re eager to get rid of our best bouncer."

    Fena couldn¡¯t stop a barely perceptible flinch from escaping. She dropped her gaze and muttered, "Right right. I had better go find the madam and stop keeping you from your work. Hope you catch someone rich tonight."

    "Thanks, dear! Go get some rest as well, you look like you need it."

    Nodding to the girls, Fena made her way inside the brothel. She entered into a large wooden two story room filled with tables and booths. Stairs led up to a long balcony on the far wall, while a bar sat shadowed underneath. Red and yellow drapes decorated the room, though they looked like they should have been replaced a few years ago. But the centerpiece of the room, a large stage in the left-hand corner still gleamed thanks to attentive and caring hands. At this time of day the room was still quiet, but once evening fell it would be filled with a rowdy crowd of men and women.

    Fena pushed her way past the bar, towards the employees only door tucked behind. She gave Edna the barmaid a brief wave while asking her where the Madam was.

    "She''s out back givin'' lil Rosie ''er readin lesson. Ye can go nag ''er if ya want, she¡¯ll be glad o¡¯ the excuse to git away."

    "Thanks, Edna."

    The Crow hopped down from Fena¡¯s shoulder and stuck its head in a jar of olives. Fena gave it a look, but it only gave a cheeky wave back.

    ¡°Go on ahead, I got important business here.¡±

    Fena went through the door and followed a long corridor that led to an outdoor garden. Fena quite liked it here; it was a neatly tended little place that allowed the employees at the Black Kitten to relax and destress. The place may have been a brothel, but it took care of its workers. It even looked after any children that were accidentally born, such as Rosie. As Fena neared the garden she could hear her young voice burst into laughter as Madam Isabelle groaned in frustration. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Rounding the corner she spotted Madame Isabelle and the 6 year old Rosie seated at a garden table with a collection of books spread out between them. Isabelle jabbed at the notebook in front of Rosie.

    "No, Rosie, you can''t make your way in life communicating via doodles! What happens when you need to write a letter?! What if you want to be an accountant in the future?!"

    "Drawing is more fun! Everyone else should jus'' draw instead!" protested Rosie with a cheeky grin. "I don''t wanna be an acco- accoun- accounan anyway."

    Isabelle heaved an exhausted sigh and threw up her hands, on the verge of giving up. Taking pity, Fena stepped forward into the conversation.

    ¡°Hey Rosie! Are you studying properly?¡±

    The little girl¡¯s expression lit up like an out of control flare.

    ¡°AUNTY FENNY!! You¡¯re back!¡± She burst out of her chair with an explosion of energy and latched her arms around Fena¡¯s waist.

    ¡°How was your trip? Did you see anyfing cool? Did you kill a big monster? Did you save a princess? Tell me everything!¡±

    A rare smile of genuine happiness crept across Fena¡¯s face as she bent down to return the hug. Isabelle also stood, a poorly concealed expression of relief sprinting across her face.

    ¡°Good to see you in one piece, Fena. Rosie has been asking after you all day. Be a dear and tell her a bit about your adventures would you? I have to prepare for this evening.¡± Saying so, she quickly made her escape after having successfully dumped the hyperactive child onto someone else. Fena could only admire the speed at which she went; Isabelle famously could not handle Rosie for more than ten minutes before collapsing from exhaustion. Even the little girl¡¯s own mother, Mona, could only keep up for an hour. Nonetheless Isabelle and everyone else took it upon themselves to look after the girl and help raise her; that was the sort of place the Black Kitten was.

    Breaking free from the hug, Fena put on a semi serious expression.

    ¡°Oh, I had simply the most wild adventure! I was swallowed by a great big bear!¡± Fena lunged forward and tickled the girl¡¯s waist. She collapsed, giggling as she tried to worm free.

    ¡°No you didn¡¯t! How did you escape?¡±

    ¡°Surprise! I didn¡¯t! I turned into the bear, and now I¡¯ll gobble you up too!¡±

    Rosie let out a shriek of laughter and scurried away, shouting over her shoulder, ¡°Not if you can¡¯t catch me!¡± She grabbed a nearby stick and brandished it at Fena. ¡°I, Rosie the Adventurer will stop you!¡±

    Fena pulled off her best bear impression as she roared and galloped forward, her hands seeking the girl¡¯s ticklish spots. Rosie swung her stick in response, spouting cheesy phrases she had found in the local pulp adventure magazines.

    They played like this throughout the afternoon until the sun settled on the horizon and threw orange and pink rays across the clouds. Fena gathered the finally exhausted Rosie in her arms and made her way back into the building. She bathed and fed the child as Rosie¡¯s eyes struggled to stay open until finally tucking her into bed. Fena couldn¡¯t help but

    pause briefly at the door on her way out, quietly watching the lone girl¡¯s face as she grinned in her sleep. After a moment she stepped away and carefully locked the door to the girl¡¯s soundproofed room. It would be a disaster if the small child wandered into the business section of the brothel, and so her movements were strictly regulated to the employees only part of the building.

    Her quest to keep the infinitely energetic Rosie occupied complete, she made her way back outside to gather the girl¡¯s study materials. As she arranged the notebooks and old textbooks into a neat pile, she heard the fluttering of wings behind her as the Crow landed on the garden¡¯s apple tree.

    ¡°Man, if you did not have that blessing you would have died ages ago to that girl¡¯s energy levels. Seems like the only way to wear her out is to chase her around the garden for hours on end.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie, sometimes even I can¡¯t keep up,¡± answered Fena casually.

    ¡°Welp, that kind of sounds like a you problem. Still, it''s good that she¡¯s happy at least. Or seems to be.¡±

    Fena nodded, not bothering with a verbal response.

    ¡°It was kind of ironic that you decided to be the bear, especially after how you suffered. I almost died laughing watching you stagger about like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on, I have to get creative when dealing with Rosie.¡±

    The Crow snorted.

    ¡°You call that creative? I call it hallucinatory drunk makes a fool of herself. Still, you seem rather good at that lately. Haha, did you see the look on Monty¡¯s face when you picked her up?¡±

    Fena¡¯s movements suddenly froze.

    ¡°That was an accident. I- I lost control.¡±

    The Crow sneered.

    ¡°Lost control? Lost control?! What, is that some sort of fucking excuse? You think you can do something like that and brush it off as ¡®I lost control¡¯?¡±

    Fena didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°You might be ¡°blessed¡± but you have a responsibility godsdammit. What happens when you lose control and hurt someone? You¡¯re lucky you weren¡¯t arrested this time.¡±

    The Crow sighed at Fena¡¯s silence.

    ¡°3 fucking years you¡¯ve held it together, then you fall apart as soon as a new Blessed is discovered. Did you learn nothing?!¡±

    Fena spun around to face the Crow, a furious sorrow raging on her face.

    ¡°How did you expect me to respond? To find out everything I lost was pointless?!¡±

    ¡°Like a godsdamn PROFESSIONAL!¡± snapped back the Crow. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted to be right?! Keeping your fucking head down and your emotions in check! That¡¯s how we survive!¡±

    Fena bit her lip, unable to respond. The Crow paused and cocked its head.

    ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s not the whole story, is it? Maybe¡­ maybe you actually feel¡­ guilty?¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± muttered Fena.

    ¡°Guilty. Oh yes, very guilty. Because you know you won¡¯t go save the new Blessed twins. Because you know it¡¯s actually two kids, not one, don¡¯t you? And, you know what will happen to them. What happened to you. What will happen to you if you try to go save them.¡±

    Fena could no longer look at the Crow. She turned away and muttered under her breath. ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Crow snorted.

    ¡°Oh this is rich. Of all people, you care about some random twins you¡¯ve never met? The same person who abandoned a tiny girl in an empty village?¡±

    Fena couldn¡¯t stop her anger rising again.

    ¡°I know my limitations! What I can and cannot do!¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m too weak, I can¡¯t protect anyone! Oh I can¡¯t bear to live with the consequences of my own actions!¡± imitated the Crow in a nasally tone. ¡°Monte was right. You are just full of excuses. If you actually cared, you¡¯d do something about those kids. Or you¡¯d buck up and forget about them. Either way, get your fucking priorities straight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± answered Fena through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Sure it isn¡¯t. Whatever. I¡¯m done here.¡±

    With that the Crow hopped onto the ground and started ignoring the still furious Fena. As it did so, the back door of the brothel opened and Madam Isabelle stepped out.

    ¡°Oh, Fena! You¡¯ve already got the notebooks. Thank you for taking care of Rosie; I¡¯m ashamed to admit it, but even after living with her for six years I¡¯m still not good with children.¡±

    Fena shook her head, cleared her thoughts and put a slightly strained smile on her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s no issue. We all have to do our part to make sure she grows up safe and happy.¡±

    Isabelle sighed and sat down on the bench.

    ¡°Yes. A brothel is hardly an appropriate place to raise a child, but it¡¯s better than sending her off to an orphanage. At least this way she actually knows her mother and we can support her when she grows old enough to move out. I only worry about her social skills; other children will bully her for this.¡±

    Fena shrugged.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about that. The parents of most of the children in this neighbourhood work far worse jobs.¡±

    ¡°I can only hope they agree. Oh, speaking of the neighbourhood have you heard the rumors?¡±

    ¡°That some nobleman was looking for someone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re not just rumors; one of our guests from yesterday said he was offered a bounty. Apparently it had a 5,000 crown reward!¡±

    ¡°What did he look like?¡± asked Fena cautiously as her heart rate started to increase again.

    ¡°The typical stoic adventurer type. He had silver grey hair, covered in scars; oh, and he carried two swords! Ah, but he was quite a decent fellow; not at all like some of the adventurer thugs we get. You should think about joining him; rewards like that are hard to come by.¡±

    A bead of sweat rolled down Fena¡¯s back. ¡°Did he say who he was after?¡±

    Isabelle shrugged. ¡°You know these types; they like to be brooding and not very chatty. How did your contract go by the way?¡±

    ¡°I was kicked out of the Guild.¡±

    Isabelle looked up at her, shock and concern on her face.

    ¡°No! Really? And I thought you were doing so well there!¡±

    Fena gave an empty laugh. ¡°Really I got myself kicked out. I made a stupid mistake, so it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    Isabelle hesitantly reached over and patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Don¡¯t worry about rent for this month, at least until you find steady work again. Maybe you really should look into this bounty.¡±

    Fena brushed off her hand with a hollow smile. ¡°I appreciate it, but I¡¯m fine. I have some money saved up so don¡¯t worry about the rent. Even without the bounty, I¡¯m sure I can find work elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Well, at the very least you could try and convince some of your friends to swing by; business has been down as of late,¡± answered Isabelle with a sigh.

    ¡°No promises,¡± responded Fena as she passed Isabelle the notebooks. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m off to bed. It¡¯s been a long day. Tell Micheal he needn¡¯t bother bringing me supper.¡±

    Isabelle gave her a little wave in response, and Fena made her way back into the building. Passing through the EMPLOYEES ONLY door, she made sure it was tightly locked before making her way up to the second floor via the balcony in the main room. By this time it was starting to fill up, as customers began ordering drinks and entertainment. From the second floor she followed a corridor to its end, where another locked door was found. Behind it sat a cramped and narrow staircase that led up to Fena¡¯s room; a tight attic space that contained nothing but an old bed, a broken mirror, and a very expensive looking travel bag.

    After locking her door Fena stripped as quickly as she could, tossing her weapons and clothing loosely in a corner. She carefully inspected herself in front of the mirror, paying especially close attention to her left wrist.

    Huh. Not a single scar left. This is¡­ wrong.

    She quickly shook her head, clearing them of such thoughts before collapsing onto the bed. That was a rabbit hole she was too exhausted to plunge down again. As she closed her eyes, she heard the Crow wriggle its way into the room via a small crack in the window and flutter its way onto the bed. It crawled into a comfortable position beside her, trying to collect as much body heat as it could.

    ¡°Listen...umm¡­ I might have been a-a little...harsh. But it¡¯s because I care about you¡­ you do know that right?¡±

    Fena could only give a brief response before sleep took her.

    ¡°Yeah...G¡¯night Fircal¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s not¡­ ugh, whatever¡­¡±

 Ch. 6 I: A Demonstration of Cruelty

    "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed peers and honored members of the Imperial Army, thank you one and all for gathering here today." Perfect white teeth flashed between cherry lips as a blonde witch wearing pure white robes spread her arms in welcome. "It will undoubtedly be worth your while."

    Indigo slouched in her chair, unable to hide a frown. The small arena around which they sat was uncomfortably warm as the crowded audience raised the temperature and poor circulation failed to fix it. If Lady Aqua hadn¡¯t insisted they attend Indigo would be buried in a comfy study far away; she wanted nothing to do with this woman.

    "As the esteemed members of the Academy are likely aware, I have been granted the privilege by His Highness''s Imperial Army to develop new and powerful weapons. Weapons that will protect our brave soldiers and bring glory to our great empire."

    The woman flashed another bright smile at the crowd as her magically enhanced voice rang out, reveling in the attention. Indigo really didn''t like her; the witch known as Lady Snow acted as if she had spent her whole life in a position of privilege. Not only that, but she seemed to obsess over ideas and theories that bothered Indigo in the worst possible ways: the last one being a theoretical detransformation potion she named the ¡®Transexual Cure¡¯. The Academy hailed her as a genius, but Indigo had a feeling Lady Snow was more cunning and manipulative than she let on. The manner in which she snatched the Army''s research grant from the other Magicologers at the Royal Academy was a good indication of that.

    "Until this point, the hostile nature of the land we live upon has been a scourge to the development of our society. Monsters and creatures prowling through the woods have laid waste to our villages and towns. Goblins snatch babies from their cribs! Ogres lay waste to our crops! Fey wolves kill our hunters and feed them to their young!" Her clear voice sunk in anguish, as if she herself had suffered a great loss. But just as Lady Snow¡¯s tone had dipped, it quickly rose again as she continued to speak.

    "But no more. Today, my dear colleagues, I am overjoyed to announce that these monsters will no longer plague us. No longer shall we have to quake in our beds, worried about being torn to shreds. No, today I am pleased to announce that as a result of the Imperial Army¡¯s wise investment, we have successfully developed a liquid compound that will place our foes directly under our control, harnessing the power once used to terrorize us."

    Lady Snow finished her speech with a flourish and a snap of her fingers. A warped crack was heard, and three large cages suddenly appeared beside her. Murmurs of interest rose from the crowd as they craned to get a better view but in the seat next to Indigo, Lady Aqua shifted in discomfort; an expression of worry on her face. From her own seat Indigo could just barely make out two shaggy gray wolves that had horns curling out from the base of their skulls. They sat hunched and shivering in the farthest corners of their cages, their bodies coiled in a fight or flight pose. In the third cage stood a tiny humanoid figure, wearing nothing but rags and a little red hat. Its posture was also timid and afraid.

    "I have brought with me here two Fey wolves and a species of goblin creature. To demonstrate the power of my new compound I will apply it to one of the fey wolves. As many of my esteemed fellows already know, Fey Wolves and Goblin creatures usually live in a symbiotic relationship, and as such are not hostile to each other. However, once the compound is applied¡­ well, allow me to show you."

    Lady Snow gestured to the entrance of the arena where a pair of white robed assistants approached her pushing a trolley upon which sat a heavy looking black metal box. The box itself was tightly sealed with various locks and bolts, but with another snap of the witch¡¯s fingers a creak was heard and the box opened all by itself. One of the assistants offered Lady Snow a pair of thick leather arm length gloves which were promptly donned. Carefully reaching into the box she removed a vial filled with an oily black liquid and a long 3 inch syringe. Inserting the syringe through the cork top of the vial, she began extracting the gloomy looking liquid into the syringe.

    "As I will now demonstrate, the compound must be applied directly to the subject¡¯s bloodstream; preferably near the heart for it to take proper effect. We are currently working on a gaseous version, but without further funding that may yet remain a dream." Her last sentence was directed towards a group of men seated in red military uniforms.

    "Now, please observe closely."

    Reaching into one of the cages she stretched out the syringe towards the fey wolf trapped inside. It backed up as far as it could in terror, claws scrabbling against the cage''s wooden floor. The white witch tutted in irritation.

    "Come now sweetie, do hold still. This will only hurt a little bit."

    Even from here Indigo could see how terrified the wolves were of Lady Snow. However what surprised her the most was the goblin creature. As it watched the witch approach the wolf, it reached out towards Lady Snow and cried out in a pleading tone. Indigo couldn¡¯t understand what it was saying, but from the gestures alone she could tell how panicked it was. But the woman in white paid it no attention. She snapped her fingers again, and the scrabbling fey wolf suddenly held still, as if its muscles were frozen stiff.

    "There we are, much better sweetie. Now just relax," spoke the witch in a gentle, cooing tone. She snaked her arm through the bars of the cage and carefully inserted the full three inch needle into the wolf''s chest. The goblin continued to beg in its strange language of clicks and barks as the black liquid was pushed into the wolf, tears spilling down its face. But the procedure was already complete; Lady Snow turned towards the goblin, seemingly noticing its anguish for the first time.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "No use begging for your life, if you little rapists are even capable of that. Don''t worry, it''ll be over relatively quickly." She turned back towards the crowd.

    "As you can see Ladies and Gentlemen, the compound has now been applied. Please observe closely as the changes take effect."

    At first there was no noticeable difference. After Lady Snow removed the syringe the wolf suddenly began moving again, freed from the binding spell. It growled and snapped at her, ears flat against its skull in terror. But then, a few moments later, the wolf''s body lurched. The murmurs and small talk in the arena suddenly quieted as even the goblin¡¯s pleading silenced, its eyes widening in horror.

    The wolf''s body lurched again as it suddenly vomited a foul black liquid that continued to spill from its jaws. The Fey Wolf collapsed onto the ground, its body abruptly devoid of energy. As the black liquid continued to flow, it also began to leak from its nose and eyes. Indigo could only watch on in disgust as every orifice on the wolf spilled this mysterious liquid as a weak whimper could be heard. The goblin began to cry again, its arms reaching for the wolf as it repeated a word over and over again.

    "The process varies from subject to subject depending on size, strength and general health. The larger it is, the longer it will take. I have conducted numerous tests; the longest it has taken to convert a subject was two weeks. However, fey creatures are particularly susceptible so it will not take long for the compound to take effect."

    Even as she spoke the wolf''s body began to twitch and jerk, random muscles clenching and relaxing. Its limbs flailed about wildly, and the jaw opened and closed at random as if puppet strings were controlling it.

    "As my esteemed fellows and guests can see, the compound is working its way through the body, taking control of the subject''s brain and muscle functions. Much of the work has already been done; the compound is now adjusting to the subject''s biology. Once that is complete, the subject becomes bound to whomever first addresses it with the key phrase. Please observe."

    She turned back to the wolf, who was now stumbling to its feet. It slowly opened its eyes to reveal that a pair of ruby red irises had replaced ones that were once a silvery grey.

    Then it went ballistic.

    The wolf-like creature hurled itself against the bars of the cage, growling and snapping as it displayed an extreme aggression unseen before. Black liquid sprayed from its jaws and fizzled on the floor of the cage as the former wolf clamped its jaws against the bars and tried to rip them off.

    "¦Ì?¦Í¦Ï ¦Ç ¦Æ¦Ø? ¦Ì¦Ï¦Ô ?¦Ö¦Å¦É ¦Ò¦Ç¦Ì¦Á¦Ò?¦Á."

    As the white witch spoke the words the wolf suddenly froze, its red eyes burning like coals. She only smiled in response, and with a snap of her fingers all the cages containing the creatures disappeared. The crowd collectively gasped as they were let loose.

    "Do not be alarmed ladies and gentlemen; I have complete control over the wolf. I can instruct it to do anything, including turning it against its own allies."

    She raised a hand and pointed at the terrified goblin as it scrabbled to get away from her. She kept the same calm smile on her face as she ordered the kill.

    "Devour"

    The former fey wolf immediately lept into action, hunting the petrified goblin. The goblin turned to it and cried out again, seemingly begging for its life but the monster did not hesitate; in an instant the goblin''s small body was in its jaws being whipped back and forth, snapping bones with a sickening crunch. Indigo could not help but look away; the sight upset her far more than she expected. At her side, Lady Aqua¡¯s expression was calm but her hands were clenched in fury, betraying a frustration of her inability to do anything.

    Once it was certain the goblin was dead, its fervour seemed to calm somewhat. However, the next instant was even more disturbing. Dropping the goblin corpse, the wolf monster stretched open its jaws, wider and wider until Indigo could even hear its own jaw bones snapping in order to accommodate the width. Yet the creature did not indicate any pain, despite an impossibly open maw that defied all logic. Then it ducked its head and swallowed the goblin''s corpse in one go, until nothing but a sad little red hat was left to indicate that the goblin had ever existed.

    "The subjects controlled by this compound have greatly heightened senses and strength. Additionally they possess incredible regenerative abilities, to the point in which they can injure and heal themselves instantly. They become the perfect super soldier."

    After having swallowed the body, the wolf monster rehinged its jaws and turned back towards Lady Snow. It looked at her with an aggressive expression, and then began to advance.

    But Lady Snow''s gentle smile did not change.

    "So great is this compound that the monster can even be turned against its mate." With a point at the remaining fey wolf that was cowering in the furthest corner of the arena, Lady Snow repeated herself.

    "Devour."

    This time it was over in an instant. The former fey wolf charged towards its mate, who did not even put up a fight as the monster seized it by the jaws and snapped its neck. Once again, its jaws snapped open into an impossibly wide maw and swallowed the corpse whole. The crowd gasped, amazed at the sudden display of savagery, then broke into applause.

    Lady Snow¡¯s expression remained the same, but a slight flash of excitement flickered in her eyes.

    "Thank you, thank you very much. My little demonstration has now come to an end. I hope you all are suitably pleased with my work. I will be taking questions in half an hour in the seminar room, but until then please enjoy some refreshments in the antechamber."

    The crowd rose up around Indigo as they began to leave the small arena, chatting and talking with each other over what they had just seen. Indigo remained seated, frozen in shock over the display of violence. Her gaze could not seem to move away from the transformed monster. Despite the cacophony of noise that arose as the audience left, it had kept its eyes locked on Lady Snow, a low growl emitting from its throat. The white witch turned to face the gaze that had turned predatory as the monster slowly advanced, but that smile never left her face. She snapped her fingers again, freezing the wolf''s movements. Her two attendants approached with a new cage and pushed the unmoving creature inside, then left the arena with it. However, despite the witch''s spell, the creature''s hungry gaze never left her, following her even long after she was out of sight.

 Ch. 7 I: A Cowardly Goodbye

    "That despicable woman!! I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s made such a horrible thing!¡± Lady Aqua''s fist slammed into her massive oak desk that sat in front of the study¡¯s enormous window. "Does she not even understand the risks of what she is doing?!"

    It was two hours after the demonstration, and Lady Aqua was still fuming. They had moved to her private study; a room that was packed with floor to ceiling shelves, each bulging with musty ancient books. The warm tone of the maple wood complimented the royal blue carpet beautifully, while the high vaulted ceiling was painted as a bright blue sky. Indigo had many fond memories of lying on the dusty carpet surrounded by books; here she usually felt caught between the sea and the sky, a cool, gentle feeling.

    But today the atmosphere was nothing like that. Indigo watched her mother with concern, head bowed as the senior witch exploded in anger. She had been Aqua''s adopted daughter for nearly 15 years now but in all that time she had never seen her lose her temper like today. But she couldn''t blame her; despite the fact that the demonstration was hours ago, the horrified expressions of the captured creatures still replayed in her own mind. She couldn¡¯t tear her eyes off the tiny red hat that now lay on Aqua¡¯s desk.

    "What was the fey goblin saying?"

    Aqua paused at her quiet question.

    "It was begging to let the wolf go. Some creatures develop relationships that go far beyond a symbiotic one, especially fey. Those two were bonded partners; something far more meaningful."

    Aqua snorted, her anger rising again.

    "Of course Lady Snow would never know that. Anything not human enough for her is just a mindless animal. She would never dare to imagine that they had language or culture."

    ¡°She-she looked like she didn¡¯t even realize how cruel she was being¡­¡±

    ¡°For Lady Snow, the end justifies the means. She once told me that¡­ ¡®Cruelty in our work is a necessary evil.¡¯¡± Aqua spat on the ground beside her. ¡°That hag doesn¡¯t even look for alternatives. She always claims to be working for the greater good, but she only ever does what¡¯s easiest for herself.¡±

    Shocked by her words, Indigo raised her head to look at the leader of the Caeruleus Witch Sect. In her mind Aqua was a gentle mother and an important mediator between the leaders of the other sects whenever a council meeting was held. Indigo knew there were some council members she preferred over others, but she had always been careful with her words when discussing them. But the demonstration had shaken her; infuriating to the point where Lady Snow¡¯s position as leader of the Albus Sect no longer mattered. Indigo tried to calm her down.

    ¡°Please Mother, it¡¯s not too late. I¡¯m sure we can still find a way to stop Snow from distributing that compound; maybe we can convince the Imperial Generals to give the contract to someone more responsible.¡±

    Lady Aqua looked at the young anweiran woman before her. From any angle she looked like a normal human, but a pair of small curved antlers that sprouted out of the top of her head betrayed her species. Indigo usually kept them neatly tucked under a large traditional witch hat, self conscious of the attention they brought. Her large dark blue eyes peered out from under its wide brim, matching the midnight blue hair that curled into a large braid. It was a face full of innocence and naivety accentuated by a smattering of freckles.

    But Aqua knew Indigo was much smarter than she let on, or even realized herself. Even her rivals and enemies were jealous of her daughter¡¯s talent; the girl lived and breathed witchcraft. Even so, Indigo still had a lot to learn. Too much to learn, and after today¡¯s demonstration Aqua realized she did not have nearly enough time. A wave of exhaustion suddenly overcame her and she sank down behind her desk.

    ¡°I¡¯m old Indigo. I know I don¡¯t look it but I¡¯m at least over a thousand. I can¡¯t even remember the exact number anymore.¡± She sighed and ran a hand through her long pastel blue hair.

    ¡°Witching¡­ witching has changed a lot in that time. We went from village healers, to feared as demonic hags, and now respected Magicologers. In my lifetime I¡¯ve been beloved, feared, revered and oppressed.¡±

    Indigo was shocked; witches never revealed their actual age, as magic made sure a witch could look however they chose.

    ¡°You know, two hundred years ago I thought everything would change for the better.¡± Aqua gave a dry laugh. ¡°My best friend and the greatest witch I ever knew married the Emperor. She sacrificed her immortality so that we would no longer be oppressed. And it worked. We were finally acknowledged as legitimate magic practitioners. We were no longer being burned at the stake or drowned in ponds because of whatever made up myth the ignorant told themselves. We were allowed to join the Royal Academy and form sects. We could even start actively recruiting new apprentices. I thought¡­ I thought all the suffering was finally worth something.¡± She sighed again and rubbed her forehead. ¡°Where did we go wrong¡­¡±

    Indigo suddenly felt that Aqua looked very lonely, lonelier than any human she had ever seen before. She hesitantly reached out a hand and awkwardly patted her mother¡¯s hand. But Aqua¡¯s words nonetheless confused her.

    ¡°Mother, nothing has changed. We¡¯re still at the Royal Academy, and witches have never been more respected.¡±

    Aqua gave another hollow laugh. ¡°Nothing has changed? I wonder¡­ you know we used to earn our respect. We worked hard to make sure we could help anyone who needed it, without charge. We had no use for wealth, power and fame; only living off the gratitude of those we helped. But now¡­?¡±

    She sighed yet again and rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. Indigo kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. It was very rare for her mother to mention anything related to the past, especially the Witch-Queen Cerise, and she didn¡¯t want to interrupt with a foolish question.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°The other witches hated her at first. Accused her of everything from fraternizing with the enemy, to betraying the ancient rules of witching. Hell, I don¡¯t think she even liked the damned man, but when he courted her she saw a chance to save her sisters from the fires of hatred. But after she died, I¡­ I realized something.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Indigo hesitantly.

    ¡°Sometimes the best way forward is to betray the rules and ignore the hatred that follows.¡±

    Aqua gave Indigo a sad smile, one that carried the weight of history.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she was happy with the choice she made; I certainly objected to it, though for very different reasons. But the impact it left was undeniable.¡±

    Indigo gave a frown. ¡°But the Imperial records state she and the Emperor were madly in love. They lived together happily and died hand in hand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s how the story goes nowadays. But you¡¯re clever enough to see between the lines.¡±

    Indigo¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°Not really.¡±

    Aqua leaned back in her chair with a creak and sighed. This child¡¯s obliviousness to her own strengths was absurd. ¡°Enough of this. I didn¡¯t bring up the Witch-Queen so you could demean yourself. I brought it up so you could understand how twisted our place at the Academy has become. Everything has become regulated these days, and decisions that were once taken for granted are now made by the council. Day in and day out I deal with nothing but petty bickering, cheap politics and greedy grabs for power. People have stopped listening to my advice. They gather around people like Lady Snow and call me elderly and outdated,¡± The lonely smile on her face grew deeper. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m not the witch I used to be known as anymore.¡±

    Indigo leapt to her feet, her chair screeching against the wooden floor.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true! Everyone still loves you dearly!¡±

    ¡°Love and respect are two different things my dear Indigo. And a witch without respect is a crazy old lady waving her hands around.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Indigo slammed her hands on the desk, leaning towards Aqua with a fierce expression. ¡°People may like attending Lady Snow¡¯s lectures, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll stop listening to you! You¡¯re one of the most senior magic practitioners at the Academy, even amongst the wizards and mages! It¡¯s-it¡¯s not fair to put yourself down like that!¡±

    Aqua smiled at Indigo¡¯s child-like outrage. It was good to see how the timid and jumpy orphan boy that tried to pick her pocket had grown into a young woman with so much energy and drive.

    ¡°Relax child. I¡¯m not trying to disparage myself for the sake of misery. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve realized¡­¡± the words cut off in Aqua¡¯s throat as she suddenly felt choked up. A thousand years of experience allowed her expression to remain the same but she felt a sudden inner turmoil. Should she really tell her daughter the truth? What she had been dreading ever since Lady Snow won the Imperial Army¡¯s grant?

    I¡¯m out of time. Snow must be stopped at all costs, but I don¡¯t know if I have the strength to leave Indigo behind.

    The right thing to do would be to be upfront and honest, but now that the moment had come, Aqua suddenly felt unable to say goodbye. She knew how much Indigo cared for her and though she knew Indigo was ready, now that the parting was upon them she couldn¡¯t bear to speak the words that would make her so miserable.

    So she didn¡¯t. In the end, her own cowardliness won out once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. However¡­ however, I¡¯m not feeling too well. Lady Snow¡¯s demonstration disturbed me a little too much and I don¡¯t think I could withhold my temper if I saw her at tomorrow¡¯s council meeting.¡±

    Still concerned, Indigo drew back slightly. ¡°Very well¡­ I¡¯ll contact the council and let them know you¡¯re not coming.¡±

    Aqua smiled, a genuine one this time. ¡°Thank you dear Indigo. But that¡¯s not what I meant. You will be going in my stead.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Aqua leaned forward towards the astonished Indigo, a proud smile growing through her hidden grief. ¡°I said, you¡¯ll go in my stead. You¡¯ll represent me to the council, and vote in my name. Better get your formal robes cleaned.¡±

    ¡°Butbutbut- I can¡¯t! I¡¯m not a sect leader!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll let you sit at the table if I say so.¡±

    ¡°I have no experience!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve attended meetings in the past as my assistant.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t know what to say! What if I say the wrong thing?!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t. Say what you believe is best. I trust you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only twenty-three! I¡¯ll be the youngest one there!¡±

    ¡°Age is not an indication of wisdom. Besides, Lord Lavender of the Ostrum Sect is only fifty.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the only member of that Sect! I can¡¯t do thiiiiiissss!¡±

    Aqua came out from behind her desk, placing one hand on Indigo¡¯s shoulder and the other on her cheek. Meeting Indigo¡¯s eyes of endless midnight with her own eyes of baby pastel blue, she stared into her unblinkingly.

    ¡°You CAN do this. I know you can. You may be scared, you may doubt yourself. You may even be totally overwhelmed. But you will pull through if you listen. Ask yourself the right questions and listen to the answers your heart gives you. You will not be led astray.¡±

    Saying so, Aqua straightened up and pulled Indigo into a hug. Pulling aside the enormous hat, she kissed her between her antlers and comforted the anxious girl with her warmth as she had done so many times in the past.

    ¡°Oh child. You will forever be one of my greatest prides. I may have lived for a long time, but the time I have spent with you has been the most precious. You have grown so much from the terrified little boy I stole away from the orphanage. Never forget how much you mean to me.¡±

    Indigo pulled back to look the old witch in the face with tears in the corner of her eyes. Despite a face that only looked to be in its forties, Indigo suddenly got a sense of the great age of the witch who raised her. She gave a smile in response and said, ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll never forget what you¡¯ve done for me. I¡¯ll stay by your side forever.¡±

    Aqua answered her smile with one of her own and released her. ¡°Now, you¡¯d best be going. Take these documents I have prepared and show them to the stewards; they will let you in. Have some confidence in yourself Indigo; you¡¯re an incredible witch.¡±

    Receiving the packet of documents, Indigo took a deep breath. ¡°After the meeting, can we go for supper? I can tell you how it went.¡±

    At that, Aqua¡¯s careful facade of calm almost broke, but her experience did not fail her.

    She nodded, and answered, ¡°Certainly. I will have something for you as well to celebrate your first council meeting, tucked away in my safe. I¡¯ll give it to you then.¡±

    At this Indigo left the room with a wave and a relieved smile. But as soon as the door closed, tears of regret immediately began rolling down Aqua¡¯s face. She collapsed onto her chair and cursed her own cowardness.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me¡­¡±

 Interlude: A Muddy Memory

    "Pssst! Ferdinand! Ferdinand! Wake up!"

    "Huh¡­? Dina?"

    "Sshhh! Keep your voice down or the maids will hear.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to see you of course! Mother wouldn¡¯t let me visit today, so I came on my own.¡±

    ¡°Dina, this is the third story. How did you get up¡­ oh no you didn¡¯t.¡±

    A cheeky grin answers.

    ¡°Dina what if you fell? It¡¯s not safe!¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Yeah but I didn¡¯t! Stop being such a worrywart. Hey, look at this cool bug I found in the garden!¡±

    ...

    ¡°...was that originally a bug?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I guess bugs are squishier than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Was the garden the reason why scrapes appeared on my knees again?¡±

    ¡°Sorry Ferdi. I tripped while running. But it was worth it I promise!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s okay. But please be more careful. I don¡¯t like it when injuries appear and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, don¡¯t nag so much or you¡¯ll get grey hair. Hey, if you¡¯re feeling better tomorrow maybe you could come outside! That way I can show you the bugs before they get squished!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ if Mother says it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Hooray!! I have so much cool stuff to show you!¡±

    ¡°...Hey Dina?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, me too.¡±

 Ch. 8 F: Suspicious Shopping

    Come morning Fena was treated to a light breakfast courtesy of Micheal, the brothel¡¯s chef. At this time of day the place was dead quiet; aside from the cooking staff everyone else was still asleep, either in their rooms or with clients. Fena took her time enjoying her meal as she didn¡¯t eat as often as she would have liked. It was nearly 9 o¡¯clock by the time Fena finished up, passing her plate to Edna and ignoring some of the clients that began stumbling their way out the door. She followed them out into a bright and shiny day which caused her to scowl and shield her eyes against the burning sun.

    Better add a hood to today¡¯s shopping thought Fena to herself as she headed south-west.

    Before long the narrow and muddy streets gave way to wide and spacious ones as Fena arrived back in the Southern District. Unlike the Eastern district, here the streets were filled with people bustling their way to and from market, their arms ladened with baskets. She even spotted a few non-human races, such as elves and halflings. They were typically a rare sight, as the city did not have any native non-human populations.

    Fena had to dodge and weave between the crowds, one hand always on her purse in fear of pickpockets. She was glad she only had to bring her short sword with her this time; the only thing one had to fear in the city were people, and they tended to not spit acid. But the traffic was still dreadful even in the backstreets; it took her twice the time to make her way through them, squeezing past tough looking adventurers and scurrying servants before she finally found what she was looking for.

    A large, rather exclusive looking inn sat before her, dominating a sizeable portion of the block. It looked a little odd sitting at the corner of a narrow side-street, but Fena understood that it liked to advertise itself as a hidden secret for those who could afford it. But having seen it often enough, Fena didn¡¯t pause to admire the view and made her way around to its backside. There sat a walled garden that was completely overgrown; no one had bothered to maintain it in quite some time. However, someone had carefully made sure that thick vines crawled their way over the 7 ft stone wall and into the quiet backstreet, providing a convenient handhold for anyone who wanted to get in. Fena gave a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly scrambled over it.

    Once in the garden, she clambered through the various vines and dead branches before reaching the backside of the inn, where a tiny metal door barely large enough to fit a beer barrel sat. Every bar had one; it normally allowed deliveries to be made directly to the basement. However this one was oddly well polished, considering the fact that it likely hadn¡¯t been used as such in years.

    Fena casually sat down next to the door, back against the wall and caught her breath. The Crow, having landed in the garden, began digging around looking for things to play with. It seemed particularly fascinated by the overgrown statue of a naked woman, though Fena had no desire to find out why. Instead, she leaned over and rapped twice on the door.

    Only a couple of seconds passed before it shot open and a creaky voice asked, ¡°Yessss?¡±

    Fena counted to six then answered, ¡°It¡¯s raining cats and dogs out here.¡±

    ¡°Yesssss, I can see that... Very well, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°A better secret passphrase. Stating the opposite of the weather is ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s original!¡± snapped the voice. ¡°No one has ever thought of it before! I¡¯m a genius!¡± A cackle quickly followed. ¡°It changes! Day to day it changes! All by itself! Hehehe¡­¡±

    Fena sighed. ¡°Just get me another longsword. Like the one you gave me last time. And do you have any more of those foreign swords? They¡¯re really sharp.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the last one I gave you?! Those aren¡¯t easy to get, you know! Are you reselling them?!¡± snapped the voice in a suspicious tone.

    ¡°No, they just don¡¯t stand up well in acid.¡±

    ¡°ACID?! What are you doing to my precious children?! I swear girl, you come here every week, buy out my entire stock and then ruin them! It¡¯s insulting! None, none, none NONE of my customers are as rude as you! I swear! I swear!¡±

    Fena waited as the creaky voice crackled and pitched wildly as it vented its frustration.

    ¡°If you like destroying swords that much, get a, a, a, a weapons license! Then buy the swords of the nasty folk at Barrington & Sons. Yesss, yesssss ruin them, smash their inferior products, put them out of businessss!!¡±

    Fena ducked her head down until it covered the opening and peered into the darkness.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be doing nearly as well as you are without me. Do you really want me to take my business there?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ nooooo¡­ no please don¡¯t. Please doooon¡¯t. Just break their things yesss. But buy from me.¡±

    Fena sighed again. ¡°Alright alright, don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t buy from official weapon shops anyways. They ask too many questions. Just get me what I want.¡±

    ¡°Too many questions yessss? Well we don¡¯t liiike questions here. Money! We like money. We have more Yamatai swords, but I¡¯m charging extra! I have other customers you know. And this is the last one I¡¯m selling you! Treasure my products, yes treasure them I say. Thirty crowns.¡±

    ¡°Twenty.¡±

    ¡°No, I said I was charging extra wasn¡¯t I? Twenty seven.¡±

    ¡°People are afraid of strange things. Your customers might not want to try out foreign weapons. Twenty two.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes but they¡¯re hard to get you know. Who knows when I can steal- ah, procure another shipment? Twenty five.¡±

    Fena paused, thinking.¡°...damn I can¡¯t think of another excuse. Twenty five then.¡± Giving up, she passed the amount through the window.

    ¡°You wanted another Zweihander, yes? Yes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not paying extra for that.¡±

    ¡°Usual price, usual price. Ten crowns. Buuuutttt¡­ I can cut it down to seven if you also purchase our new product the Stronginthearm 500. An autoloading hand crossbow, it can shoot up to-¡±

    ¡°Just the sword please.¡±

    ¡°Or! Or I have a new toy you¡¯ll love, absolutely love I say. Love! They call it the Pilum! Perfect for absolutely goring a charging beast!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°The sword, Shady.¡±

    The voice huffed. ¡°Fine then, the, the sword. How original. Stay boring then. See if I care. If you bought the cool stuff, you, you¡¯d have men swooning over you in the street. But noooo, the breaky lady just wants to ruin swords I guess, not the weapons that cool, very cool AND original adventurers use.¡±

    Fena wrinkled her nose as she passed over another fifteen crowns. ¡°Ugh, as if I want the attention.¡±

    ¡°Oh you prefer ladies? W-Well, well you¡¯d have ladies swooning over you in the street-¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want anyone swooning thanks. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Hng¡­ yesss¡­ I agree but the weirdos out there seem to like it yesss¡­ your package, breaky lady.¡±

    Fena reached into the dark and grabbed a long and narrow canvas package. But as she pulled, it didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°DON¡¯T. Break it this time yesss? I can replace basic swords anytime, but the wakizashi is precioussss, very precioussss. I¡¯ll kill your whole family! Family, no two families! If you have two! Do you have two?¡±

    ¡°I get it and no. Can I have what I paid for?¡±

    ¡°Yesss¡­¡± and the resistance faded. ¡°Tha-ank you for your business and please come again! As they say in Yamatai, koonnichi-wachi!¡±

    The door slammed shut as fast as it had opened. Fena studied the package in her hand, feeling the rough shape of the weapons hidden inside.

    You meet some strange people on the blackmarket¡­ thought Fena and headed towards her next purchase.

    An hour later and Fena had purchased several new sets of clothes. Most of them were old, ragged clothes that she got for cheap but remembering Sir Welsy she made sure to get a couple of far nicer sets, though they still kept practicality in mind. She also got the much needed hood that she immediately put on after leaving the store. She couldn¡¯t help but admire her reflection in the window before leaving.

    Hoods really do look cool after all.

    The Crow sniggered at her, and Fena swept off towards her next destination, slightly embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t longer before she was once again standing before the Adventurers Guild. Fortunately this time the cranky old receptionist was gone; a young man with long dark hair had taken his place, and he offered her a bright smile.

    ¡°Hello! Welcome to the Adventurers Guild, how may I help you?¡±

    Slightly put off by the man¡¯s bright smile, Fena answered,¡°Hi¡­ I placed a quest here yesterday; I wanted to see if it¡¯s been accepted yet?¡±

    ¡°Certainly! What was your name and Quest title?¡±

    ¡°Fena, and it was Rescue the Small Girl at Schattenn Village.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, the Schattenn quest. That one had a rather generous reward. Give me a moment please.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Fena watched as the man scurried about, rummaging through various stacks of papers. She hesitated, then asked something that was nagging her.

    ¡°Are you new here by any chance?¡±

    ¡°Why certainly! It¡¯s my second day. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Something about your¡­ attitude.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Ah, and here we are¡­ Schattenn Village. Well I¡¯m sorry to say but it looks like the quest was taken down due to inability to be completed.¡±

    An icy spike of fear ran through Fena¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Wha-what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, it appears that the quest was accepted rather quickly but the adventurer was unable to find the girl at the village. As such, the quest is considered invalid as we are not able to complete it.¡±

    ¡°What? But she was there! Are you sure the adventurer didn¡¯t just miss her?!¡±

    ¡°I assure you madam, all of our adventurers are fully qualified professionals. There is no way they could have missed her. She was simply not there.¡±

    Fena staggered back, unable to think clearly.

    ¡°Of course we will refund you the reward money, but there are certain fines we must deduct for filing a false quest. After calculations your refund comes to.... 3 crowns, 2 schillings and 1 Half-Follis. Thank you for choosing the Adventurers Guild!¡±

    <hr>

    Fena found herself wandering aimlessly through the streets of the city, with zero awareness of her surroundings. Her mind was buzzing with denial, confusion and frustration. The Crow seemed to be trying to talk to her but she paid it no mind; she only wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

    This is my fault. This could have been avoided.

    ¡°Hey! HEY! Are you even listening to me?!¡±

    I was too afraid. Afraid of taking responsibility for her life¡­

    ¡°This is entirely your fault! If you hadn¡¯t been such a godsdamn coward she¡¯d be alive right now!¡±

    Did she wander away from the village? Did she try to follow me?

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we ever do anything right?! It would have been so easy to lead her straight to Welsy¡¯s doorstep!¡±

    No¡­ there¡¯s no use speculating about that. Speculating about how¡­ how it happened. It''s over and done with. You fucked up.

    ¡°We fucked up! And EVERY time we fuck up, someone dies!¡±

    So¡­ what now?

    I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sick of this. I¡¯m so sick and tired of this.

    Fena swung her foot and kicked a rock, wincing as she stubbed her toe on it.

    Something needs to change. Something¡­ quit being a mercenary? I guess I already did that¡­

    ¡°What are we gonna do now?! Noone will want to hire us again¡­¡±

    No¡­ not something. I need to change. I¡¯ve done nothing but run and hide. Montegrie was right.

    Fena looked up in surprise as she found herself standing in front of the Mercenary Guild. Her feet had unconsciously led her here.

    ¡°One last chance¡­¡± she muttered.

    Fena carefully crept inside the building, trying to ignore the curious looks the guards gave her. The Crow hesitated for a moment, but then sighed and followed her in. It passed her, flying ahead onto Fenwick¡¯s desk to inspect the papers that the halfling had put aside. Fenwick ignored the bird, but looked up and gave Fena a severe glare as she approached.

    ¡°Um... I¡­¡± Fena suddenly felt incredibly awkward.

    Why did I come in here in the first place?

    The burning sensation of anxiety rose in her once again as she desperately sought an excuse.

    ¡°Umm¡­ Oh! I, uhh, came to return my¡­ badge¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you now?¡± asked Fenwick. ¡°Are you quite sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes quite sure,¡± But the words caught in Fena¡¯s throat. She suddenly found that the burning anxiety was preventing her from handing the badge over. It didn¡¯t mean anything to her - it shouldn¡¯t mean anything.

    ¡°Just hand it over. Get it over with, and then we can get out of here. Leave the city, put everything behind us,¡± said the Crow.

    But the anxiety within seemed something more; not just an anxiety, but a desire. A desire to be worth something; to stop repeating mistakes. And, perhaps, a desire to make up for past ones.

    Seeing her lack of response, the Crow just sighed and turned back to reading the documents on Fenwick¡¯s desk. As it did so a loud clattering was heard coming down the stairs and a slightly out of breath Lady Montegrie appeared. She looked like she had just sprinted down three flights of stairs, but upon spotting Fena an unexpected smile broke out across her rugged face.

    ¡°Fena! I know we didn¡¯t leave on the¡­ best of terms but did you think about my offer?¡±

    Fena didn¡¯t reply, still struggling with the choice that faced her.

    Leave and run away again or¡­ or confront what I¡¯ve been running from this whole time?

    The Crow cocked its head, surprised by what was on one of the papers it was reading.

    ¡°Um¡­ Fena did you see this? There¡¯s a contract here to find a Lady Feraldina Carstan¡­¡±

    That did it. Fena turned and looked Lady Montegrie directly in the eye.

    ¡°Do you still have room for me?¡±

    ¡°Y-you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°I accept the contract. I¡¯m going back.¡±

 Ch. 9 S: A Sore Smile

    As soon as the door to her study closed behind her, the cheerful smile on Lady Snow¡¯s face dropped like a lead weight. She staggered across the polished white marble floor and collapsed into her chair, exhausted. Her facial muscles were sore from holding that same expression for hours, and she desperately needed a massage. But instead, her usual vice would have to make do. She reached a hand towards the liquor cabinet that sat behind her desk and grabbed a bottle of red wine and a glass. Snow filled the glass and downed half of it in one gulp, giving a sigh of relief as she did so.

    Miraculously, the day¡¯s demonstration had gone off without a hitch, despite her assistants harassing her about the risks. But Snow was out of time, and she was confident in her abilities. Good thing too, or the situation could have quickly gotten out of hand.

    A sudden knocking at the door broke Snow out of her thoughts. Swallowing quickly, she swept the bottle and wineglass out of view, then checked her appearance in a small pocket mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, she waved a hand towards the door.

    "Enter," she called out on a sing-song voice. The door swung open and in walked her assistant Thomas, followed by three men dressed in strict red military uniforms. Thomas bowed to Snow slightly as he announced them.

    "Lady Nancy, General Garbitsch, General Eisen and Major Degurechaff are here to see you."

    Snow allowed her usual fake smile to spread across sore muscles once again. "Generals! And Major of course! What a delight to see you again. Please have a seat; would you care for a drink?"

    General Eisen, a stout gentleman with a square face and a walrus mustache waved off her offer as he sat down.

    "No, thank you Lady Snow. We''ve come to discuss the results of your research."

    "Oh please, call me Nancy," answered Snow easily, ignoring the man''s gruff tone.

    Major Degurechaff, a short young man with tousled blond hair and blue eyes, gave her a look of confusion. "Pardon me; I understood that witches dropped their real names when they graduate from apprentice to witch."

    Snow gave a tinkling laugh. "That is an old tradition, based on a myth that witches could be controlled by their birth name. No, I prefer a more modern and¡­ friendly approach."

    Garbitsch shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Unlike the others, he was tall and thin; a sallow faced man with a dark receding hairline.

    "Yes, yes, that''s all well and good but that is not why we''re here today," he barked. "Lady Snow, I''m sorry to say but your demonstration was, to put it lightly, a disappointment."

    Snow''s expression remained unchanged, but under her desk her fist clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her own skin.

    "Could you perhaps explain what you were disappointed by?" she asked politely.

    "We hired you for a very specific purpose. One, might I add, that was intended to be top secret. You have already broken that part of the agreement."

    "My lord-" started Snow before Eisen cut her off.

    "We were looking for a super soldier! We gave you exclusive access to the body and you assured us you could make my boys immortal!¡±

    "Instead we get this strange witchy mumbo-jumbo. I knew we should have given this project to the mages," continued Garbitsch.

    Unlike the others, Degurechaff offered a placating smile. "You see La- Ah, Nancy, your demonstration, while impressive and undoubtedly useful, is not quite what the Imperial Army was hoping for. We can hardly inject your¡­ compound into our own soldiers can we?"

    Snow took a deep breath. She could feel the Imperial army and all the opportunity it brought slipping between her fingers. She needed to convince these men, and convince them now.

    Just like Cerise would have done.

    "My lords. I appreciate the feedback you have brought me, but may I remind you that the only sample you brought me was a partially decomposed corpse. Considering the circumstances, what I have managed to synthesize is already an enormous leap in progress." She quickly held up a hand as Eisen and Garbitsch both opened their mouths.

    "I of course don''t mean to imply that the Imperial Army has not been anything but supportive, but with the current resources available, this process takes time. What I have demonstrated today is that the theory is possible; now it only needs to be refined. No other Magicologer could bring you the same results this quickly. Not any other witch, and certainly not with any other field of Magicology." She directed her last line towards Garbitsch.

    ¡°Lady Snow, I¡¯m sure you understand the significance of a project like this,¡± grumbled Eisen. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s eyes are watching closely, and despite what you may have accomplished we cannot afford any more delays.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Of course, My Lord. I will not provide baseless excuses or ask for more time; I am fully committed to pleasing His Majesty. However, to make this dream a reality I need more than a corpse. I need a living sample.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is simply impossible-¡± started Garbitsch but Eisen cut him off with a wave.

    ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°The compound I produced is effective, but unrefined. While I can refine it on my own, it will take at least another two years to do so. However, if I had access to a living Blessed I could do so much more in less than a quarter of the time. Not only could I refine my compound in a matter of weeks, but I could easily synthesize new compounds with far greater properties, perhaps even stronger than the original Blessed themselves. You will have something even better than a super soldier.¡±

    The Imperial officers paused and glanced at one another, seemingly trying to come to an unspoken understanding. Then Eisen turned back towards Snow.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t things just go quicker if we allowed more researchers onto the project?¡±

    ¡°And reveal the existence of the Blessed to even more people? My Lords, I understand that knowledge of them is not only a state secret, but also new and not well understood. It would take far longer to train them on my research, and the project would be pushed back another 6 months at least.¡±

    ¡°You say as such, but three hours ago you were showing off your research to the entire Academy!¡± snapped Garbitsch. ¡°I could arrest you on the spot for betraying state secrets!¡±

    Snow widened her smile; she was waiting for this accusation.

    ¡°As we speak, spies and messengers are racing across the continent to bring news of my demonstration to foreign leaders. I intended for this to happen for three reasons. Firstly, the state of the compound that I showed off is completely different to what we¡¯re aiming for. This will throw off our enemies to the true objective of the project. Secondly, it will worry foreign countries that would dare consider raising their swords against us. They will reconsider hostilities and it may even incite them to act rashly, leading to my third reason: drawing out enemy spies. They will be even more driven to steal my work, allowing us to set some traps.¡±

    And I can raise my reputation as a leading member of the Academy, she added internally.

    The three military leaders stared at her in silence. Even Garbitsch had his mouth hanging open. They then swiftly coughed and looked away, trying to cover up their surprise; clearly Lady Snow had put in more thought than they had assumed.

    ¡°I see you have put plenty of¡­ thought into this Lady Nancy. Truth be told, I am glad that we chose you for this project,¡± answered Degurechaff.

    ¡°Nonetheless, it was reckless. You should have asked for approval first,¡± grumbled Garbitsch, managing to find something wrong with her again.

    ¡°Enough of your whining Henry,¡± snapped Eisen. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough. Very well Lady Snow, I will grant you the access you seek. A new Blessed and their twin has been found in the Empire.¡±

    Snow couldn¡¯t stop her eyes from lighting up. This was incredible news.

    ¡°However. I will only grant you access to them on certain conditions. You claim this compound of yours can be improved? Show me proof. I will give you three months, and if you manage to refine it by yourself even somewhat, I will hand you the twins myself.¡±

    Snow steepled her hands, thinking. This was a difficult requirement.

    ¡°Give me five months and I guarantee it.¡±

    Eisen shook his head.

    ¡°I appreciate a woman who can bargain, but the Emperor¡¯s patience is limited. Take it or leave it.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t great, but it could be worse. She would manage. Snow nodded her head with a smile and leaned over to shake the General¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Very well. Thank you for your faith, my lords.¡±

    <hr>

    After a few more pleasantries and minor details, the men finally left her in peace. As soon as the door closed behind them Snow once again deflated into her chair. She leaned back and snatched the half empty glass of wine from its hiding spot.

    Those pompous idiots. All they give me is the bloated corpse of a teenager and they expect me to instantly conjure up miracles.

    Snow snorted into her glass, her frustration boiling over.

    They didn¡¯t even preserve the damn thing properly! How the hell am I supposed to recreate immortality from a dead body?!

    But loathe as she was to admit it, Snow needed them. Without their support her dream would be nothing but exactly that: a dream. But now that the Army had set a time limit things would only get more difficult, even more so now that her bear had mysteriously turned to tar.

    Now that was an infuriating loss. Even if the bear had never listened to her orders, it was by far the most powerful of her test subjects and she didn''t even know how it was destroyed. The panicked little girl had only blathered about a monster exploding out of its side, which was ridiculous. Unless there really was a creature that preyed on the undead? Snow shook her head, frustrated; despite the advancements of human civilization, there was still too much they didn¡¯t know. Strange unholy creatures could be spotted prowling the woods, only to never be seen again. Shapes and voices crept in the shadows of the wilderness and those that went looking for the things hidden in the depths of the world either came back utterly changed or not at all. It wasn¡¯t totally unbelievable that her bear had fallen victim to such a creature.

    Sighing, Snow stood up from behind her desk and with her wine glass in hand, walked over to the right side of the room. There stood a large alcove which contained an enormous portrait of a middle-aged woman. 10 feet high and 6 feet wide, the painting utterly dominated the space, but despite that the woman in the painting had a warm smile. Her long hair and tender eyes were of a lush pink colour, and her delicate expression seemed to suggest a gentle forgiveness. But there was also something powerful about her; her posture was straight and her eyes seemed to blaze with energy; an energy that showed she was willing to fight and destroy for what she loved. In essence, it was the face of the mother of an empire. Attached to the extravagant golden frame sat a plaque that bore the words Witch-Queen Cerise Ripuarii - Hero of the Empire (Unknown - 1484) ¡°May she unite us all under her watchful strength.¡±

    Snow didn¡¯t even notice the tension leaving her shoulders as she approached the portrait. Holding her glass close, she stared up at the warm expression.

    ¡°I bet you had to deal with plenty of fools in your time as well. Probably more.¡± She raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. ¡°I wonder how you dealt with them¡­?¡±

    Snow shook her head, her long white hair bouncing about.

    ¡°I suppose being in love with the Emperor helped. They couldn¡¯t exactly do anything to you while he was on your side. How long will it take me¡­?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help but stare at the Witch-Queen¡¯s face, an expression of admiration and longing on her face.

    If only I could have met you one more time¡­

 Ch. 10 I: Replaced

    Indigo checked her hair in the pocket mirror for the fifth time as she waited outside the council doors. She couldn¡¯t help it; a nervous energy coursed through her veins as she sat before the enormous black doors, waiting as the council reviewed the letter Indigo had given them from Lady Aqua.

    What is taking them so long?!

    She had already been waiting for three hours without a response; completely absurd considering they already all knew her as Aqua¡¯s assistant.

    I wonder if something went wrong? What if Mother made a mistake and I¡¯m not allowed to represent her? Maybe she misunderstood the rules? Or, or maybe the Council wants someone better than me to represent her? Or maybe they just forgot!

    Indigo could not keep her leg from twitching as she sat on the bench; a nervous tick that only came out rarely these days.

    That¡¯s probably what happened! They forgot about me out here and just started the meeting without me. What do I do?! Should I ask the steward? I don¡¯t want to bother him¡­ I bet it¡¯s hard dealing with the council and he¡¯s probably too busy.

    The steward in question stood guard outside the council door, an expression of absolute boredom on his face as he suppressed a yawn.

    Then maybe I should ask the council myself¡­ but if they didn¡¯t forget about me then it would be so awkward! I can¡¯t just walk in there! Should I sneak inside instead? Or should I-

    A loud clacking sound interrupted Indigo¡¯s thoughts as the thick latch opened and the enormous black doors swung open. Another steward stood on the other side, a diplomatic expression on her face. She offered a polite bow, and said ¡°Junior Witch Indigo, the Council has accepted Lady Aqua¡¯s letter. They are ready to see you now.¡±

    A jolt of anxiety leapt into Indigo¡¯s throat as the moment had finally come. She quickly swiped her hat off the bench and patted her head, making sure her hair properly flowed around her antlers for the final time. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and followed the steward into a circular cathedral-like room.

    Colossal stone pillars in octagonal positions soared to the sky like tentacles, greeting a massive dome that exuded its weight even from fifty meters away. An exquisitely painted night sky stretched across the interior of the dome, giving the viewer a sense of infinity when they looked up. The same could be said for the floor; a perfectly polished black marble stone that reflected everything above it, including the distantly painted sky. The walls between the pillars were decorated with enormous banners, each representing one of the eight witch sects. Underneath these was a raised gallery filled with seats that stretched around the circumference of the room so that visitors could watch the council¡¯s proceedings from almost any angle. It was made from a deep amber wood, and could seat over 400 guests; but like always, it was almost completely empty.

    Most witches had better things to do than sit around watching other witches talk to each other, and the proceedings of the Council had successfully bored any other potential guest to the point where they stayed far away. There was even a rumor that some teachers at the Academy would send troublesome students to watch the council as punishment. As such, it was hardly surprising that some of the members themselves would only show up half the time. But today, it was different.

    Indigo made her way to the centre of the room, unconsciously fiddling with the witch hat in her hands. There sat eight seats carefully arranged into a perfect circle at equidistant distances. All but one were occupied by the Lords and Ladies of the council; Senior witches that had each come to lead the eight different sects. As Lady Aqua¡¯s assistant, Indigo had met all of them before but she was more familiar with some than others. Lady Rust of the Rutilus Sect was a close friend of Aqua, but for someone like Lord Lavender of the Ostrum Sect she had only spoken to once. Each of the Sect leaders had an unusually solemn expression on their face, and their eyes seemed to pierce Indigo with extreme scrutiny.

    This only worsened Indigo¡¯s nerves. Truth be told, Indigo was a little bit scared of the council members. Anyone who managed to become a sect leader was said to be an incredibly powerful witch, and amongst the greatest in the Empire. Lady Aqua claimed that this was nonsense, but for once Indigo was more inclined to believe the rumors rather than her mother.

    Following the council rules, Indigo approached the centre and gave a deep bow. ¡°My name is Junior Witch Indigo, assistant to Lady Aqua. Thank you for allowing me to represent her at this week¡¯s council meeting.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, quit your bowing and scraping. Do you plan on giving Aqua a poor name?¡± snapped Lady Rust. Indigo looked up to see a tall thin woman with short spiky hair coloured a reddish-brown hue, piercings on her nose and ears, and heavy eyeshadow and makeup. She looked like she had stopped by on her way to a heavy metal rock concert, but the various pentagrams and symbols that dotted her dress gave away her profession. She had her usual sour expression on, one that looked like she was about to go spank some sense into a ballistic toddler. She liked to use it to terrify new students to death.

    Indigo almost gave Lady Rust another bow due to her intimidating presence, but she managed to catch herself and straighten up.

    ¡°N-no, not at all Aun- Lady Rust.¡±

    ¡°Good. Show us a proud face girl, and straighten your back; else you won¡¯t last long here.¡±

    Lord Jade of the Sucidus Sect cleared his throat. His jowls wobbled slightly as he gave Indigo a strained smile and one could see sweat rolling down from his blueish-green hairline.

    ¡°Yes, well that is all well and good. It¡¯s good to see you again dear Indigo, though I wish it were under slightly less serious circumstances.¡±

    Lady Papaya of the Aurantiaco Sect, a willowy sort of woman with a dreamy expression on her face smiled and nodded, though her attention seemed to be directed at something 5 inches to the right of Indigo¡¯s head.

    Indigo tried to take Lady Rust¡¯s advice, but her body did not seem to want to cooperate. It was all she could do to keep her hands from trembling as she asked, ¡°Is my position as Lady Aqua¡¯s representative that serious?¡±

    Lord Jade gave her a frown as Lord Goldenrod of the Flavus Sect leaned forward. He rested his enormous dark hands on his chair, while trying to give Indigo a comforting smile. ¡°Miss Indigo, have you read the contents of the documents you delivered to us?¡± he asked in a rich, deep voice.

    ¡°N-No? Should I have?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± laughed a tinkling voice, and Indigo turned to see Lady Snow of the Albus Sect giving her her classic smile. ¡°And I¡¯m still not sure we should tell him.¡±

    ¡°Her,¡± snapped Lady Rust in a particularly harsh tone. ¡°And it involves the damn girl herself, why shouldn¡¯t we tell her?¡±

    ¡°Peace, Lady Rust,¡± answered Lord Goldenrod. ¡°Because of the severity of this matter, we must take our time. Miss Indigo, would it be acceptable to you if we asked you some questions about your history?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± answered Indigo, still confused about the fuss the council was making about this matter. It was not like having a representative go in a leader¡¯s place was unprecedented.

    ¡°Very well. I will begin. How old are you and how long have you been with the Royal Academy and Lady Aqua?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m 23, and I¡¯ve been here s-since I was six, so about seventeen years now sir¡­ is this really necessary?¡±

    A quiet murmur ran around the room as some of the sect leaders shook their heads.

    ¡°It is. Please explain how you came here.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Indigo now had no idea what was going on; clearly Aqua had put something in those documents other than her proof of representation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I was born, but I grew up in an orphanage here in Becheim. Lady Aqua¡­ Lady Aqua found me when I tried to stick my hand in her pocket when she wasn¡¯t looking,¡± Indigo gave a small smile of recollection as Lady Rust snickered into her hand. ¡°I thought I was done for; no one would be stupid enough to steal from a witch, right? But she forgave me. She gave me hell for it, certainly, but then she offered to let me come back home with her.¡±

    ¡°Ha, that sounds just like Aqua,¡± laughed Lady Ebony of the Carbo Sect. ¡°She goes shopping for a day and comes back with a kid.¡±

    ¡°She recognized my talent for witchcraft,¡± continued Indigo, warming up to the story of her childhood. ¡°Perhaps because she saw me as her new mother, or perhaps she was worried I would be bullied; I don¡¯t know why but she didn¡¯t let me enter into the Royal Academy as a regular student. She made me her direct apprentice, even though witches don¡¯t do that anymore.¡±

    At this the oldest members of the council straightened up in their seats and exchanged glances. The remaining members, Lady Snow, Lord Lavender and Lord Jade merely frowned. The tradition of taking an apprentice was once common in the ancient days of witching, but ever since witchcraft was introduced to the Royal Academy and senior witches became teachers, it was frowned upon as favouritism. Lady Aqua had caused quite a stir when she suddenly introduced an eight year old as her first apprentice in 500 years.

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s what she decided. She personally taught me everything I know. Though I was a bit isolated from the other students, I was glad of the attention she gave me.¡±

    ¡°As I understand it, you were still, ah, male at this point?¡± asked Lord Jade in a cautious tone.

    ¡°Yes sir. I transitioned at the age of fifteen, after a great deal of struggle. Lady Aqua fully supported me in this matter and helped me fix my body.¡±

    ¡°How does that work for anweirans? Do you people have the same genitals as humans?¡± asked Lord Lavender curiously.

    ¡°Lavender!¡± snapped Lady Rust. ¡°Keep your filthy curiosity out of this!¡±

    ¡°I am inclined to agree with Lady Rust. Please keep your questions pertinent to the topic.¡± added Lord Goldenrod.

    ¡°Alright, alright, no need to get so touchy,¡± muttered Lord Lavender into his light purple beard. It was still nowhere near as long as he desperately wanted it to be.

    Indigo touched one of her antlers in embarrassment, suddenly wishing she could cover them back up with her gigantic hat.

    ¡°But his- I¡¯m sorry, her race is indeed pertinent to the topic my Lord Goldenrod,¡± continued Lady Snow cheerfully. ¡°If I may ask a question?¡±

    Lord Goldenrod nodded and Indigo nervously turned to face the white witch.

    ¡°My dear little Indigo, I am curious; don¡¯t you think your species has had an impact on your studies? Inconvenienced you in some way, hmm?¡± asked Lady Snow with a gentle expression.

    Now she really wanted to put her hat back on.

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I didn¡¯t grow up in an anweiran cavalcade, and Lady Aqua never brought it up. Some of the students made fun of me for it, but most¡­ most people ignored me. I was able to study under Lady Aqua in peace.¡±

    Lady Snow didn¡¯t seem totally satisfied with her answer but she smiled anyways.

    ¡°Indigo - Ian; may I call you Ian? You can call me Nancy in return. Listen Ian, did you ever feel overwhelmed with being Lady Aqua¡¯s apprentice? It must¡¯ve been a lot of pressure for a young boy.¡± She quickly waved a hand at Lady Rust who was about to leap out of her seat. ¡°Yes, yes, he turned into a girl, I get it. You should have a bit more patience Lady Rust.¡±

    An icy cold jolt of panic shot up Indigo¡¯s spine, but she quickly spoke out before Lady Rust exploded.

    ¡°No! No, Lady Snow. I never felt any pressure. And my name is Indigo; that was the name I received at my witching ceremony, and that is my identity as a witch and a person. As I am sure it is the same for everyone else here.¡±

    With her back facing towards them, Indigo missed the slight nod that was exchanged between Lord Goldenrod and Lady Ebony. But Lady Snow did not. Her hand clenched slightly before she gave a wide smile.

    ¡°Of course; I did not mean to insult the sacred ritual of graduating to a witch. Nonetheless, I understand you took the witching ceremony quite early; most do it at eighteen. Please tell us, what happened to you next?¡±

    Indigo turned back to face the other members of the council. ¡°At that point I was sixteen, and I still had two more years before I could graduate from the Academy. In that time Lady Aqua had me spend more time in the Royal Academy. I attended some senior level classes, and made a few friends. I also spent some time interning with some of the other fields of study at the Academy, namely the Mages, Wizards, Artificers and the Rangers.¡±

    ¡°You must have been quite busy,¡± asked Lady Ebony, her ebony hair swaying across snow white skin as she leaned forward. ¡°Did these internships not affect your studies?¡±

    ¡°No, rather Lady Aqua saw them as a part of it. I learned a great deal in those two years, and the diversity of knowledge really helped my witchcraft.¡±

    ¡°And then you graduated,¡± stated Lord Jade.

    ¡°And then I graduated. I could go anywhere in the world, but I decided to stay at the Academy and became Lady Aqua¡¯s assistant. It was my home, and I wanted to give back to my adopted mother. That was five years ago.¡±

    ¡°What are your duties as Lady Aqua¡¯s assistant?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well they¡¯ve slowly expanded over the years. At first I was just following her around, taking notes and such. Nowadays I help teach some of her classes, look after budget reports, organize research projects and assist her with any requests for help that come from the general public.¡±

    ¡°Good grief girl, she¡¯s made you do her job for her!¡± said Lady Rust in a rough tone. ¡°I outta teach her how to take care of her bloody children properly.¡±

    ¡°Not at all!¡± answered Indigo, shocked. ¡°She¡¯s always so busy, it¡¯s only right that I do what I can! Besides, it¡¯s not that much anyways; the work she does is much more advanced than that!¡±

    Some of the council members coughed and looked away awkwardly. They didn¡¯t want to admit that the work Indigo did was more than what they themselves bothered to take on.

    ¡°Ah, yes, well. Um, as Lady Aqua¡¯s position as chairman of the council, naturally she would have a heavier workload,¡± said Lord Lavender.

    ¡°Hmm, indeed,¡± and ¡°Yes yes, that makes sense¡± was heard around the room as the council refused to admit they weren¡¯t doing their jobs properly.

    ¡°Regardless of that, would you care to expand on your work as a teacher?¡± asked Lord Goldenrod, eager to change the topic.

    ¡°Yes sir. I taught most of Lady Aqua¡¯s junior classes, from grades 1 to 5. I also taught the introductory courses for noble children who enroll late, usually at the age of 14. Lady Aqua handled the upper year students. She looked after the few students who sought to graduate as actual witches, while I looked after the seniors who only wanted the degree.¡±

    ¡°That is a lot of responsibility. Do you think Lady Aqua was wise to put you in that position?¡± asked Lord Goldenrod gravely.

    ¡°I-¡± Indigo paused. It was a loaded question, one that she honestly could not answer with a confident yes. Lady Aqua always seemed to think Indigo could do anything.

    ¡°I honestly am not sure,¡± answered Indigo with a slight quiver. ¡°But my mother has always believed in me. She had no doubt that I could do it, and I have spent my life working to make sure she is not disappointed. Letting her down is the one thing I could never forgive myself for.¡±

    Lord Goldenrod gave a sigh and looked around at the other council members.

    ¡°I am finished. Are there any other questions?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I still think she¡¯s far too young,¡± answered Lord Jade.

    ¡°Save it for the vote, toady,¡± snapped back Lady Rust.

    ¡°No more questions¡­? Very well.¡± Lord Goldenrod stood. ¡°As the now acting-chairman of the Witching Council, I call this vote to order. All in favour of the motion proposed by former chairman Lady Aqua?¡±

    Lady Rust, Lady Ebony, Lord Lavender and Lord Goldenrod raised their hands.

    ¡°I see a count of four. All those opposed?¡±

    Lord Jade, Lady Papaya and Lady Snow raised their hands as the other lowered theirs.

    ¡°I see a count of three. Dispute?¡±

    No one spoke.

    ¡°I hear no dispute. The motion proposed by former chairwoman Lady Aqua is passed. We accept her retirement from the council.¡±

    Lord Goldenrod turned to a stunned Indigo and smiled.

    ¡°According to the ancient laws of witching and by majority approval of this council, we recognize Dame Aqua¡¯s chosen replacement, Lady Indigo, Leader of the Caeruleus Sect. She is now a recognized senior witch, and is afforded all the privileges and responsibilities that come with it.¡±

    Indigo stared at him, her brain short-circuiting as she tried to process his words. Unfortunately, her body found its own solution before she could and her eyes rolled back as she fainted.

 Ch. 11 F: Sers and Sirs

    ¡°Stop squirming so much, you look weird,¡± muttered the Crow into Fena¡¯s ear. She couldn¡¯t help herself; everything about this situation was unpleasant, from the clothes Montegrie had forced her into to the people they were about to meet.

    I¡¯ve made a huge mistake.

    Despite the fight she put up, Fena still found herself in front of the royal palace wearing the Mercenary Guild¡¯s official uniform. It consisted of a charcoal grey high neck tunic, with gold buttons and a white belt and sash. The heavy woolen skirt was the same grey colour, with a yellow stripe trimming the edge. However, the true offender was the canary yellow frock coat that made them stick out like a sore thumb; with the other top members of the Guild wearing the same, she felt like she was part of a carnival troupe. Expressing as much to Montegrie had earned her a sharp rap on the head but in the hot sun she was glad she was wearing the skirt instead of the woolen pants that the men had; she could practically see the sweat pooling around their ankles.

    ¡°We¡¯re about to meet our clients, the Royal Family of the entire city-state. They will be choosing who will be the princess¡¯ personal bodyguards, or in other words, who gets paid the most. I want each and every one of you to be on your best behaviour, especially Oswald. And don¡¯t think I don¡¯t see you glaring at me Fena!¡± snapped Lady Montegrie.

    Fena and the other four members of the Mercenary Guild were standing in the courtyard of the Royal Palace, an enormous ancient fortress that sat at the top of a hill in the city centre. Having not seen combat for several centuries, the fortress had long since been converted into a comfortable living space for the Royal family but its structure still betrayed its original purpose.

    Lady Montegrie had been lecturing them for almost the entire day on proper etiquette in the presence of royalty. Fena was already familiar with most of it and the lessons had left a bad taste in her mouth. As for the other mercenaries, they reacted accordingly. Antony, a 6.9ft male anweiran with a stupidly handsome grin and tousled brown hair, had taken the whole thing in stride as he did with everything. He was an annoying fellow that always insisted on following her around whenever he caught wind of her. Catching her gaze, Antony gave Fena a wink and adjusted his frock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t we look like proper tin can soldiers?¡± he snickered as Lady Montegrie¡¯s back was turned.

    Fena rolled her eyes and glanced at the person next to him; a surprisingly short female elf with a rounded face that looked even more uncomfortable in the uniform than Fena felt. Fena didn¡¯t know much about her, only that her name was Avairy and that she had a rather ruthless reputation. She also seemed to be obsessed with her hair, constantly running its extensive silvery length through nervous fingers. Next to her stood an older male human with a bushy black beard named Devurst. He seemed to be trying to put on a tough expression, but the effect was slightly ruined by the fact that he kept sneaking jealous glances at Antony¡¯s enormous height. Lastly, on Fena¡¯s left stood a man only known as Shadow. He was known for never showing his face and being a master in assassination techniques. However, like everyone else, Lady Montegrie had forced him into the uniform which unfortunately did not include a hood. As such everyone was surprised to see pale faced, acne covered and gawky-looking seventeen year old named Oswald. He looked absolutely miserable that his cover was blown and kept glaring at the rest of them, daring them to say anything.

    Having successfully made everyone present uncomfortable in some form or another, Lady Montegrie continued her speech.

    ¡°Everyone who was offered the contract will be present, so expect to see the top adventurers in there as well.¡±

    ¡°Bah, they don¡¯t have anything on us,¡± sneered Shadow ne. Oswald. ¡°Do we need to protect those guys as well?¡±

    ¡°And that is exactly why you will stick next to Fena and keep your mouth shut. Fena, step on his foot if he opens his mouth uninvited. And Antony, step on Fena¡¯s if she starts to lose her temper. I won¡¯t have a repeat of last time.¡±

    ¡°What happened last time?¡± asked Shadow ne. Oswald and Fena stomped on his foot.

    ¡°Perfect, you¡¯re getting the hang of this already. As for Devurst, make sure Avairy doesn¡¯t stab someone. We¡¯re professionals people, let¡¯s act like it!¡±

    Fena quickly swatted the Crow as it tried to pry off a golden button from her uniform. It squawked then looked up to see a new group of people approaching.

    ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±

    They all turned to see a group of approximately twenty adventurers approaching the area they were waiting in. At the head stood the leader of the Adventurers Guild, Guildmaster Gendric. He was a tall older man, with salt and pepper whiskers and a sunburnt face. But he still wasn¡¯t quite as tall as Lady Montegrie and Fena could see him suppress a wince as he and Montegrie tried to crush each other¡¯s hands in a handshake.

    ¡°Guildmaster Montegrie! A surprise to see you here!¡± he said as he rubbed his bloodless hand.

    ¡°The same to you. I see you¡¯ve gathered your little heroes?¡± answered Lady Montegrie with a hungry smile and blazing eyes.

    ¡°And you, your tin soldiers. So few?¡± he answered, unintimidated.

    Fena suppressed a snort as Antony gave her a nudge and a knowing grin.

    ¡°I prefer quality over quantity my good friend.¡± replied Lady Montegrie.

    ¡°Well, we have plenty of both! And we don¡¯t force our fellows into silly outfits.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t wait to see the King¡¯s expression when he sees you all waltz in there in your armour and weapons. If you even get that far.¡±

    ¡°Practicality over propriety, that¡¯s our motto!¡±

    Montegrie let out a smirk past her porcelain mask.

    ¡°Or you simply don¡¯t know how to deal with noble clients. Oh, what am I saying, of course you don¡¯t! You never get them.¡±

    ¡°And how is that working out for you, hmmm Monty? Recruitment sinking a bit perhaps? Evidently so, since this is all you could scrape together. Oh, but don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll do all the heavy lifting so you folks don¡¯t have to get your nice outfits dirty. But we have a meeting to get to, so if you¡¯ll excuse us¡­¡±

    With that Guildmaster Gendric pushed past Montegrie and deeper into the castle, muttering ¡°Pompous twat,¡± as he went. The adventurers followed him, all young, good looking men and women, though the ugly faces they made at the mercenaries ruined the effect somewhat.

    ¡°Bloody idiot,¡± answered Montegrie as soon the last of them vanished. ¡°Regardless, just ignore them. I have a plan, and I don¡¯t need you fools ruining it by opening your mouths. Especially you Oswald.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°My name is Shadow,¡± muttered the teen.

    At that moment, a butler appeared and gestured for them to approach. ¡°The king will see you now.¡±

    Fena took a deep breath as she followed the group into the castle. The Crow shifted from side to side on her shoulder in anxiety, though Fena was amused by the sight of the adventurers being made to strip their weapons and armour by guards as they turned the corner. Finally they stopped before two golden rectangular doors that slowly swung open. The butler stepped forward and bellowed out, ¡°Announcing the Guildmaster of the Mercenary Guild, Lady Andrea Montegrie, and representatives.¡±

    They followed Montegrie into a wide audience chamber, covered in tapestries and a thick blue carpet. On a slightly raised dais at the far end of the room sat the Royal Family of Aquitania. The King was an older man who looked around sixty, with shoulder-length fading grey hair and a prickly chin. His wife was at least thirty years younger, with long black hair and an expression so stiff she looked like a doll. Lastly was the Princess, a fourteen year old girl in a frilly pink dress that was ten years too young for her. With curly brown hair and an upturned nose, she looked incredibly bored with the situation.

    ¡°My Lady Montegrie,¡± said the King in a slightly nasally voice that grated Fena¡¯s nerves. ¡°So good to see you again! I¡¯m so pleased you were able to respond to my request.¡±

    ¡°It was my pleasure, Your Majesty,¡± answered Montegrie with a graceful bow. The mercenaries quickly followed suit. ¡°I have gathered some of the finest warriors in the land to answer your call.¡±

    ¡°Please, introduce your compatriots,¡± said the King with a gesture.

    Pointing to Antony, Montegrie continued.

    ¡°This is Sir Antony, a brave and powerful anweiran warrior. He is a master of the spear and shield, perfect for defending an escort. He has even saved my life, though that is a story for another day.¡±

    Moving on, Montegrie turned to the next in line. ¡°This is Ser Avairy, a highly experienced dual blade wielder. Though she may appear small, her speed and gracefulness in combat is not to be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Next to her we have Sir Devurst, a master of elemental magecraft. His expertise lies in fire magic, and he can destroy a rampaging troll in seconds.¡±

    Devurst gave a slight bow.

    ¡°Next to Sir Devurst is a man only known as Shadow. He hides amongst the shadows, delivering quick and precise attacks against foes. He is perfect for counter assassination.¡±

    Finally, she came to Fena.

    ¡°And last, but not least I present Ser Fena. Though her appearance may cause one to underestimate her, her unrivaled bravery and hidden strength cannot be found anywhere else. She possesses a unique quality to her abilities, and will lay down her life to see her work complete.¡±

    Fena expression turned stony as the Guildmaster spoke, and the Crow stuck out its tongue at her as soon as she turned around.

    ¡°A mighty group of warriors indeed. I see you have thought carefully about this Lady Montegrie. Levitia, what do you think?¡± said the King to his beloved daughter.

    ¡°They seem fine. As long as I can choose my personal escorts,¡± answered the princess in a slightly irritated tone.

    ¡°But of course my dear. Would you like anyone from here in particular? Or would you rather wait to meet the adventurers first?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± A slight blush crept onto the girl¡¯s face as she eyed the muscular Antony. ¡°The tall fellow seems like he could take good care of me.¡±

    Fena could not stop a snort from escaping as yet another hormonal teenager fell for that idiot¡¯s looks. Unfortunately, the princess noticed.

    ¡°Excuse me! Are you making fun of me?!¡± shouted the self-conscious young girl.

    Damn it. Fena gave a humble bow.

    ¡°Not at all Your Highness. I was merely coughing.¡±

    ¡°You were laughing! Daddy, she was making fun of me!¡±

    The King tried to calm his spoiled little princess.

    ¡°Now, now dear, I¡¯m sure it was just a little misunderstanding.¡±

    But the girl was having none of it.

    ¡°I¡¯m the princess! You can¡¯t laugh at me just because I happened to choose someone good looking!¡±

    Fena couldn¡¯t stop her temper from rising, despite Antony¡¯s shoe that was now pressing down on her foot.

    ¡°If you did not choose for such a reason, perhaps you¡¯d be as equally willing to choose someone else?¡±

    The Princess stared at her with anger blazing in her eyes and Fena knew she had gone too far.

    ¡°Fine! If that¡¯s what you think, then I¡¯ll pick you as well!¡±

    ¡°Hah?!¡± Fena couldn¡¯t stop her jaw from dropping as the Crow fell off her shoulder in shock.

    The Princess gave her a sudden smug smile, seemingly pleased with her reasoning.

    ¡°See? I proved you wrong! Now you have to serve me as well.¡±

    ¡°That actually works out quite nicely,¡± said the King, rubbing his chin. ¡°I would not feel comfortable surrounding my daughter with male bodyguards.¡±

    Lady Montegrie quickly stepped forward, opportunity blazing in her greedy eyes.

    ¡°If I may suggest Your Majesty, why not assign all my soldiers as personal bodyguards? They have the advantage of knowing each other well and Sers Fena and Avairy can guarantee Her Highness¡¯ honor.¡±

    Fena stared at Montegrie, shocked at her opportunism as the King pondered.

    ¡°Hmmm, should we not meet the adventurers before deciding that...?¡±

    ¡°Trust me when I say you will not find anyone better amongst those uncivilized commoners,¡± responded Montegrie in a surprisingly arrogant tone. ¡°Unlike the adventurers, we understand how to treat our noble clients correctly.¡±

    ¡°Very well¡­ what do you think my dear?¡±

    The Princess still was wearing her smug expression, evidently feeling pleased over somehow winning the argument. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Ser Fena and Ser Avairy, I entrust my daughter¡¯s honor to you. You will stay by her side at all times, during the night and day and ensure that it is never put into question. As for the rest of you, you will be her last line of defense in case the adventurers fall. And Lady Montegrie¡­¡±

    Montegrie offered a pleased smile. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We have been friends for a long time and I trust your judgement but¡­ it will be both your and Gendric¡¯s heads if anything happens to her.¡±

    Lady Montegrie bowed in response and answered, ¡°I swear upon my life we shall not betray you.¡±

    ¡°Good! Now send in the adventurers; it is time I meet the rest of those protecting my daughter.¡±

    ------

    Once clear of the royal audience chamber, Lady Montegrie practically skipped with joy with no regard for her image. The rest of them followed along quietly, still confused about what just happened.

    ¡°Haha, I knew stuffing you all into those clothes would be worth it! Royalty always trust a uniform over some slapdash armour. I can¡¯t wait to see Gendric¡¯s face when he realized he lost the best part of the escort mission!¡±

    Antony raised a hand in confusion.

    ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t know about the rest of these guys, but I¡¯m not a noble. Did you just tell the King we were knights?¡±

    ¡°Semantics, my dear handsome anweiran. I stretched the truth a bit. Who is the King going to entrust his precious daughter to; a bunch of rowdy commoners or the uniformed noblemen of our guild? It¡¯s all about setting an image when dealing with the powerful.¡±

    ¡°You said I could be far away from the VIP. Now I suddenly have to sleep in her tent?!¡± spat Fena in anger.

    ¡°Antony, would you¡­?¡±

    Fena suppressed a yelp as the foot stomped down on her own.

    ¡°Thank you. Truth be told, I was expecting the King to choose a combination of adventurers and mercenaries, but I guess my little dress-up scheme was more effective than I expected. You¡¯re all her personal escorts now so deal with it Fena; I honestly don¡¯t care about your insecurities.¡±

    Montegrie suddenly spun around and gave Fena a rare grin.

    ¡°Besides, the pay is much better, I get a bigger cut, our Guild¡¯s reputation will increase and you get to order the adventurers around. What could be better?¡±

    ¡°We get to order the adventurers around?¡± asked Shadow ne. Oswald.

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the princess¡¯ personal bodyguards now. While they¡¯re accompanying you on this mission, they¡¯ll have to listen to your orders.¡±

    Catching a glimpse of Oswald¡¯s ominous expression she quickly added, ¡°Except for you. I don¡¯t want you even talking to them, just in case you start something.¡±

    ¡°Forget the adventurers, I barely even know you assholes. How am I supposed to work with you if I don¡¯t know anything about you?¡± interrupted Avairy with a foul expression.

    Antony suddenly brightened up. ¡°Oh, I know a good place! I¡¯ll buy the first round too.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± whispered the Crow. ¡°What¡¯s a better way to get to know a bunch of lying, socially awkward freaks than over a bottle of alcohol?¡±

 Ch. 12 F: Lying, Socially Awkward Freaks

    Five men and women sat hunched around a table with tired expressions on their faces, surrounded by countless empty bottles. Their once stiff and fancy uniforms lay strewn about, the frock coats discarded at the earliest opportunity; Devurst had even taken off the woolen pants and lay under the table wearing only his shirt and underwear. It was a good thing Lady Montegrie hadn¡¯t followed them to the tavern; she would have thrown an absolute fit over the sight.

    Avairy swayed, trying to find out where her sense of balance wandered off to.

    "Y''see. Y''seeeee. I dunt get why we''re doing this¡­ they had all them fancy guards in outfits an'' everything. They- they- they could do this stupid escort thingy." She blinked. "Holy shit¡­ we''re doin'' their job."

    "S''ceremonial," muttered Fena from where she lay in her seat. The wet cloth on her face was working wonders for her sore eyes.

    "Wut?"

    "S''ceremonial. Not real. They stand there an'' look pretty. But no fighting."

    "That''s dumb. They''re gonna get annihilated when they get attacked."

    "No enemies," chimed in Antony. "Everyone trades here¡­ so they don''t have enemies. Waste of money to hire proper guards. So they hire us when they want something done."

    "Stupid. Stuuuuuupppiiiiid. I wish I didn'' have any enemies," answered Avairy with a slur.

    "Y-y- you, you, y- you have¡­. enemies?" muttered a partially unconscious Darkness ne. Annihilator ne. Shadow ne. Oswald. He had gone through a number of identity crises on his first night of drinking.

    "Yeah¡­? Don''t we all?"

    "...cool¡­I wish I had some¡­" responded the boy before closing his eyes again.

    "Y-you don¡¯t want enemies-sss¡­" blathered Fena. The alcohol had done a good job of knocking out the Crow and it currently lay on the table, looking a little bit like roadkill. "You simpleeey want attention¡­"

    "Yeah¡­ that."

    ¡°The Princessess want attention,¡± continued Avairy. ¡°They aaaaaalways want atten-attention. ¡®Kiss my feet! Follow me around! I¡¯ll starve if you don¡¯t look at me!¡¯¡± she imitated. ¡°You mus-must get attenttion like that a, a, a, a lot,¡± she added towards Antony, then snickered. ¡°You must fuck alot.¡±

    Out of all of them Antony was the most sober due to his size, but he still had Fena¡¯s coat hanging from one of his antlers. He blinked at Avairy and slowly shook his head.

    ¡°No. Not reeeaaaally. It¡¯s like¡­ shallow. Y¡¯know what I mean? They¡¯re like, oh you¡¯re hot. I¡¯m hot. We must be destined for each other. Then six months later they get bored of the sex, and start throwing fits, then it¡¯s messy an¡¯ it turns out they just wanted a one night stand and bail.¡±

    ¡°Ha. Women, am I right?¡± blathered Darkness ne. Oswald. Aviary dropped her fist onto his head.

    ¡°As if you know anything about tha¡¯ dumbass.¡±

    Antony continued. ¡°Its¡­ over complicated. That¡¯s why I only try an¡¯ sleep with people I like. No. Wait. Not sleep with. Get into a relationship with. Yeah that. I only get into a relationship with people I like. And who like me.¡±

    ¡°Y-your. You¡¯re. You are. V¡¯ry nice about. That.¡± said Devurst from where he lay on the floor. Challenging the anweiran to a drinking contest had not gone well.

    ¡°And?,¡± moaned Fena. ¡°Relationship this, relationship that. Foolishhh. No such thing. It''s. Y¡¯know. It¡¯s alla bout intercurse. Course. Intercourse. That¡¯s all people care about. True love? Lies. ¡®S soon as someone better-looking comes along, you¡¯re dead. Dumped. That.¡± She raised a corner of the towel and peered at Antony. ¡°I dun¡¯ mind one night though.¡±

    ¡°No. I said no. I just said I don¡¯t do one night stands. You want this body, you gotta actually like me first.¡±

    ¡°That will never happen.¡± Fena¡¯s eyes suddenly felt oddly prickly and she put the towel back in place to hide them. ¡°I tried it once. Y¡¯know. Love. What a bastard. S¡¯cuse m¡¯ language. But it was my fault. It¡¯s always my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°This soundsss com- compli- confusing. Your fault? Who caaaarreeeessss. Just leave ¡®em behind,'''' babbled Avairy. ¡°Listen, jus¡¯ love who you wanna love, fuck who you wanna fuck, and run when you wanna run. Easy.¡±

    ¡°Is not. Not. No. Simple. Noble people, with their kids n¡¯ shit. Play games,¡± groaned Devurst''s voice from the table.

    ¡°Wass he sayin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Nobles. And their children. It¡¯s all verrry strict, like romance doesn'' matter. It¡¯s poli-polo politically. Erryone wants to marry up, no matter which ¡®orrid person their kid is forced to marry,¡± answered Fena. ¡°No running allowed.¡±

    ¡°Stupid. Stuuuuuppiiiiiiid,¡± responded Avairy.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the princess. Y¡¯think they¡¯re sending her to that school for edu-educate learning things? No, they simply want her to seduce someone big as soon as she cab. Can. Then she marries an¡¯ huzzah. Shez a key they can use. For influence n¡¯ welts.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Wealth,¡± corrected Antony.

    ¡°Yesss. That¡¯s what I said.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s like 14?!¡± said Avairy angrily.

    ¡°Did you see the Queen? She was prolly that age when she gave birth,¡± answered the anweiran.

    ¡°Creepy,¡± finished the table.

    A silence hung over the group as they pondered the implication of noble marriages. Though the Empire and the City of Aquitania were technically different countries, the enormous influence the Ripuarian Empire had over the continent meant most customs and cultures were similar, including marriage. Amongst the lowest class, most serfs married around 18-20 as children were needed to assist in labour for as long as possible before starting their own families. As for the middle-class, without the political pressure of being a noble and enough wealth to sustain themselves, they were less pressured in choosing their partners, and so married between the ages of 16-22. But the nobility were completely different.

    ¡°I knew some¡¯ne who married a girl twenty years younger than ¡®im. Soon as she started bleedin¡¯ they shipped her off,¡± continued Fena. ¡°It¡¯s rare¡­ but the family got a dim-dia-diamond hole. Mine. Super rich. S¡¯cuse m¡¯ vul-vulgarity.¡±

    ¡°Wha does blood gotta do with it?¡± stuttered Darkness ne. Oswald.

    Avairy patted him on the back. ¡°Oh, you poor sweet ignorant thingy. You¡¯ll learn. Probably.¡±

    ¡°The. At the. Academy. That place. I saw. 12 year olds flirting. With kids younger than ''em,¡± said the table. ¡°They do shit. Shit like standin¡¯ over them with an arm. Waddo they call that?¡±

    ¡°Wall pound. Kabedon. I think. You been to the Academy?¡± asked Antony.

    ¡°Yeah. Studied there. Th¡¯ place is huuuuuuge. But the noble kids. Half of em¡¯ don¡¯t even study.¡±

    ¡°Whaa- Why?¡± asked Darkness ne. Oswald, rubbing his head. ¡°S¡¯ a school, right?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯ matter. To them s¡¯just a big mixer. An¡¯ you win by snagging the biggest fish. Fishhhhh. Shhhhhhh. Fish Fish Fish,¡± was the rambling reply.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ fish,¡± said Avairy. ¡°I don¡¯t like fish.

    ¡°The noble kind or the¡­ fishy kind?¡± asked Antony.

    ¡°Both. Selfish asses. Jus¡¯ like the adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Wut. What. Why? Does everyone hate adventurers? Aside from the obviousss¡­" stumbled Fena.

    ¡°¡®Cause they¡¯re adventurers!¡± interjected Darkness ne. Oswald. ¡°Right? Innit? They walk aroun¡¯ lookin¡¯ cool an¡¯ shit. We¡¯re mercenaries! O¡¯ course we hate em¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Shaddup,¡± said Avairy, dropping another fist onto the boy¡¯s head. ¡°You jus¡¯ like pickin¡¯ fights.¡±

    She turned back towards Fena.¡°Anyways, s¡¯the same. The same shit. It¡¯s like¡­ they¡¯re only there to find someone to fuck,¡± answered Avairy.

    ¡°Whadda you mean?¡± asked Antony before trying to tip a growler down his throat. He gave it a look of utter defeat when nothing poured out.

    ¡°I was in their guild. I was like, yeah, I¡¯mma swing a sword. I¡¯m good at that. Erryone wanted me. On their team. Party. Whatever. But then I realized.¡± Avairy copied Antony¡¯s motions exactly, only this time she glared at her growler and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re a failure.¡±

    ¡°Realized¡­?¡± Antony motioned for her to continue.

    ¡°The girls. At the guild. If you¡¯re a girl at the guild. You don¡¯t get to do shit. S¡¯just like the Academy thingy. Erryone thinks you''re just there to find a guy to marry. So they say, hey why ain¡¯t you a healer? Hey, you should put better makeup on. Step back so I can show you how cool I am.¡± Anger grew on Avairy¡¯s face and she threw the offending growler across the empty bar. ¡°So what?! So what if I¡¯m not fucking cute when I¡¯m covered in blood?! I just saved your miserable dog-shit LIFE!¡±

    Antony leaned back at the sudden outburst. ¡°Whoa there tiger. Easy.¡±

    Avairy¡¯s eyes blazed and she pointed an accusatory finger at him.

    ¡°THAT! That¡¯s what they fucking said to me when I got mad! I don¡¯t give a fuck!!¡±

    ¡°Sorry! Sorry¡­ I just don¡¯t want you to destroy the bar¡­¡± said Antony quickly.

    Seeing him immediately capitulate, Avairy frowned but sat back down again.

    ¡°I jus¡­ I dunno. I don¡¯t mind findin¡¯ someone to care about but¡­ those assholes just wanted me around to make em¡¯ feel better. Feel stronger.¡± Fat tears began leaking out of the corner of her eyes and she grabbed the hem of Darkness ne. Oswald¡¯s sleeve to wipe them. He didn¡¯t even seem to notice as he tried to process her words; it felt like his entire world was being turned upside down.

    ¡°S-so¡­ wait. They got mad ¡®cause you didn¡¯t look good enough?¡± he asked in utter shock.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± sniffled Avairy. ¡°Nevermind I can bisect a man, noooo I gotta be cute while doin¡¯ it.¡±

    ¡°B-but. But I thought. I thought girls liked dressing up¡­¡± said Darkness ne. Oswald, still struggling to wrap his drunken mind around the concept.

    ¡°The others did. S¡¯the norm. They jus¡¯ think they gotta be like that cause everyone else is. I fucking hate it.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d prolly be different if they realized they could,¡± chimed in Fena.

    ¡°Whoaaa....¡±

    ¡°S¡¯the same as nibbles. Nobles,¡± came the voice from the table. ¡°S¡¯why the lil¡¯ kids like it. Kab- kabedom. don. Wall pound. Think their doin¡¯ right when they¡¯re jus¡¯ gettin¡¯ used. Top to bottom.¡±

    ¡°Whaddabout the top man?¡± asked Avairy. ¡°They the same too?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The King. No. Emperor. His kid. The Crown Prince. He also go do the same shit?¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± said the table. ¡°Was after me. But he still ain¡¯t married.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s like 25 something too,¡± said Antony. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kinda late?¡±

    ¡°Prolly waiting. For the ¡®one¡¯.¡± sneered the table drunkenly. ¡°Bet our lil¡¯ princess thinks she¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Who gives a shit.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Shaddup,¡± growled Fena suddenly, swinging her foot into Devurst¡¯s side. The Crow awoke with a squawk as Devurst let out a yelp of pain.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± he yelled, suddenly much more awake.

    Fena suddenly stood up, her body swaying from side to side. The cloth fell from her face, revealing an irritated expression.

    ¡°S¡¯ boring talk. M¡¯done here¡­¡± she mumbled and staggered to the exit. She managed to reach the handle before her body folded in half, her forehead planted into the ground. Antony immediately stood up and made his way over to her.

    ¡°Okay, okay, clearly we¡¯re not heading home tonight. Cummon, let¡¯s see if this inn has a spare room.¡±

    After consulting with the tired bartender, Antony dragged a practically comatose Fena upstairs and onto the bed of a dusty room. He removed her wrinkled coat from where it dangled on his antlers and gently laid it over her, only to pause as he saw her face. The girl was already fast asleep, but her brow remained permanently wrinkled into a scowl.

    He sighed and shook his head; despite her usual cold treatment of him he couldn¡¯t help but worry. Part of him had always suspected there was a lot more going on in the girl than she let on, and that part wanted to peel back the stony exterior to expose the conflict within. It was what drew his attention to her in the first place.

    Antony ran a hand across Fena¡¯s forehead, wiping off some of the sweat that had gathered, and cursed the part of him that sought to involve itself in other people¡¯s lives. With a shake of his head, the anweiran stood left. Locking the door behind him, he slipped the key under it before leaving as a thought kept burning through his mind.

    Why do I keep falling for broken people?

 Interlude: A Golden Memory

    A gentle summer breeze eagerly dances across the field, cuddling, caressing, and cajoling golden ears of wheat. It cavorts through the branches of a lonely tree, tickling its leaves till they rustle in laughter.

    I sit below in its comfortable shade, brushing strands of hair out of my face as they seek to join the fun. It is quiet here; a peaceful, gentle valley devoid of my mother¡¯s shrieks and my father¡¯s excuses. Only one presence is kind and caring enough to join me here; a man¡¯s face of gentle beauty, dreaming softly in my lap. A face I so distrusted at first, wary of his golden hair and sky blue eyes. And yet, who in that palace of snakes saw me for who I truly was?

    I brush a strand of said golden hair from his face. His long eyelashes flutter, and he looks up to see me fluster with a bemused expression.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Your Highness. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you.¡±

    A lazy smile crawls across his moist lips, an expression of utter satisfaction.

    ¡°You should be more careful, birdy. Someone other than me could interpret that action as inviting,¡± he teases.

    ¡°Your Highness! I-I would never-¡±

    He slowly sits up from my lap to look into my befuddled eyes. Once again I am struck by his beauty; a body and soul taken straight from heaven. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he whispers. ¡°I like that expression. But there is one thing I don¡¯t like. Don¡¯t call me Your Highness anymore. Call me by my name.¡±

    A heated blush races up towards my face as I try to look away. But his hand reaches out and gently clasps my chin, and all I can do is look down.

    ¡°I-I would never dare-¡±

    ¡°Call me by my name. Please. For me.¡±

    I feel his warm breath on my face, kickstarting my heart into a heated race. My whole body begins to smoulder, fanned by his serious expression as he stares into my eyes.

    ¡°A-Alexander¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ no, not quite enough. Call me Alex.¡±

    ¡°A-Alex¡­¡±

    I can barely look at him now, as my heart feels like it is about to explode. His expression shifts from a serious one to a grin filled with boundless delight.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I quite like that expression.¡±

    He leans in, and as he takes my lips for the first time I melt into his arms. At first his lips seem hesitant, probing, but as they find what they so desperately desire, his kiss deepens. His tongue pushes forward between my lips, exploring my mouth with all the vigor of a young buck. I remain frozen as the shock and sudden stimulation overloads my mind, but as I process what is happening I start to respond. I can feel my body utterly aflame, my hands and legs trembling with desire. My dark hair escapes and dances in the laughing breeze as a fire blazes between us; the golden field and brilliant blue sky reflected in the man I believe I love.

    For a brief moment, he breaks away to gaze at me with eyes of passion. I find myself longing for his lips, saddened by their sudden loss.

    ¡°I-I love you, my little bird,¡± he whispers before returning to me.

 Ch. 13 I: My Beloved

    "Indigo?! Indigo!! Hellooooo???"

    Indigo was jolted out of her drifting thoughts by an irritated but concerned voice. She looked up to see the pointed nose of Lady Rust staring down at her, an unusual expression of concern on her face.

    "I''ve been talking for ages and you haven¡¯t heard a word I said! Talk to me girl, what¡¯s goin¡¯ through your head?¡± she asked in her gruff tone.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t really know...,¡± answered Indigo, still stunned at the sudden upheaval of her life.

    Indigo was sitting in a large blue loveseat that sat before the fireplace in Lady Aqua¡¯s office, several hours after the council meeting had ended. The enormous window was dark as the clouded night sky blocked out the light of the stars, but the room was lit with a gentle warm glow from the magical lanterns that dangled from the ceiling.

    After having woken up from her faint, Indigo had immediately sought out her mother to demand an explanation. But try as she might the old witch could not be found, as if she had simply vanished off the face of the earth. Indigo spent hours harassing nearly every person in the Academy as to her whereabouts, until Lady Rust had had enough and dragged the poor girl back to the office.

    She pushed a warm mug of tea into Indigo¡¯s shaking hands and gestured for her to take a sip. The strong flavour of mint and St. John¡¯s wort with a hint of willow bark poured down Indigo¡¯s throat and the hot liquid seemed to relax Indigo¡¯s unconsciously tense muscles. She deflated into the soft cushions of the sofa, the reality of her situation sinking in.

    ¡°Why me¡­? Why now?! What is even happening?!¡± Tears started rolling down Indigo¡¯s face as she complained. ¡°She- she does this and suddenly vanishes?!¡±

    Rust shook her head, and exhaled noisily through her nostrils. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, girl. I¡¯ve known your mother for centuries, and yet I¡¯ve never been able to figure out what goes through that bloody stupid head of hers. ¡±

    ¡°I tried contacting her through magic, but she didn¡¯t respond. Not even scrying could find anything! What if something happened to her?!¡±

    Rust snorted. ¡°To her? Don¡¯t be an idiot. I¡¯m more worried about her happening to someone else. No, she can¡¯t be found because she doesn¡¯t want to be found.¡±

    ¡°But why?!¡± wailed Indigo.

    ¡°Hell if I know. Did she say anything to you before the meeting?¡±

    ¡°N-no! She was complaining about Lady Snow¡­ and then she told me to represent her at the next council meeting.¡±

    Rust bent down, staring Indigo in her raw red eyes. ¡°Are you sure? Nothing about her plans, or where she was planning on going?¡±

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t know! I can¡¯t remember Aunty Rust!¡± cried Indigo, flinging her arms around the red witch¡¯s waist.

    Rust stood there, awkwardly patting Indigo on the back. This was not her forte.

    ¡°There, there, calm down child. Have some more tea, it¡¯s good for you.¡± She sat down next to Indigo and slowly rubbed her back in a comforting manner until the anweiran managed to get her sobs under control. Rust pushed the mug up to her lips and Indigo drank deeply, her nerves slowly beginning to steady thanks to the herbs¡¯ calming effects.

    ¡°I- I just have so many¡­ questions,¡± continued Indigo in a slightly more reliable tone. ¡°And just when I need her the most, she suddenly leaves.¡±

    ¡°So do I. But doing something utterly absurd and completely at random is exactly the sort of thing Aqua would do.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ so she did this on a whim¡­?¡± asked Indigo in a terrified voice.

    ¡°Well¡­ not really. Truth be told, the things she does may seem like they¡¯re done on impulse but¡­ well I hate to admit it but she¡¯s never been wrong before. You¡¯re a good example of that squirt,¡± answered Rust, ruffling Indigo¡¯s hair. ¡°Imagine my shock when she came back from market one day and said, ¡®Help, how do you look after a six year old?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Did she really say that?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s ever had kids before. I¡¯ll admit it, I made fun of her. But look how well you turned out; proof she¡¯s never been wrong in her impulses.¡±

    ¡°Except now,¡± answered Indigo, eyes downcast.

    ¡°Hey! None of that talk!¡± Rust grabbed Indigo¡¯s chin and tilted it towards her. ¡°Sure you¡¯re terrified, and sure Aqua¡¯s just up and dumped everything on you. Oh, and you¡¯re also the youngest witch in history to be promoted to senior witch and Sect leader, and all of the witches in your Sect expect you to either fail or to be just as good as Aqua.¡±

    Rust paused.

    ¡°...Is that supposed to comfort me or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute! I¡¯m not good at this comfort thing!¡± snapped back Rust. ¡°Anyways! All those things I just said, they¡¯re not important!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not important. What¡¯s important is that Aqua chose you. Aqua believes in you and your abilities, and that¡¯s the only person who matters. You do things your way. Learn from your own mistakes. Pick the fights you can win, and run from the ones you can¡¯t. Whatever you do from now on, I¡¯m certain your mother will approve. And I may be from a different Sect, but I¡¯ll make damn sure you¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m here when you need help, or if you need someone beaten up.¡±

    Tears threatened to overwhelm Indigo again as she looked at Rust¡¯s aggressive and pointy face.

    ¡°A-are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Pretty bloody sure- alright, get off me,¡± grumbled Rust as Indigo flung her arms around the Rutilus witch. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I¡¯m only doing what Aqua should be doing herself really.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Aunty¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you,¡± sniffled Indigo.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d do fine. Enough crying; it¡¯s unsightly for the leader of a Sect. Buck up and get things in order. What do you need to do first?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s so much¡­ I have to officially meet the sect witches as the new leader, as well as the students¡­ I have to organize Aqua¡¯s office and see if there are any documents I can use. Oh, and I have to review council documents; Lord Goldenrod said he¡¯d send me some things¡­ Oh, I just know there are a million other things I¡¯m forgetting!¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t get your panties in a twist. Let¡¯s start simple; forget everything else for now and let¡¯s start digging through your office.¡±

    ¡°My office? Do you mean my bedroom? What would be useful in there?¡±

    Rust lightly swatted the top of Indigo¡¯s head.

    ¡°This is your office, idiot. Aqua quit and vanished, so everything she left is now yours. Enjoy.¡±

    ¡°But-but when she comes back -¡±

    ¡°If she comes back, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be glad to crash on your old bed. Accept it child; everything here is yours.¡±

    ¡°N-no, surely not. Some of the things in this study are super valuable!¡±

    A smirk slithered across Rust¡¯s face. ¡°Well, if you won¡¯t take em¡¯, then I¡¯ll help myself. I¡¯ve had my eye on that thousand-year-old ginseng Aqua hid under her bed for ages.¡±

    ¡°Aunty! You can¡¯t! I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll keep them safe until Aqua comes back!¡± responded Indigo quickly.

    ¡°Fine. Regardless, take a look around the room. Let¡¯s make this place yours.¡±

    With some poking and prodding, Rust managed to get Indigo off the couch and start taking an inventory of the room. The layout of the office was quite straightforward but despite knowing the place like the back of her hand, Indigo took Rust¡¯s advice and began reviewing the study''s  contents.

    When entering the room, the desk and enormous window lay straight ahead, flanked by bookcases on every wall. To the left a narrow staircase led up to a landing that covered a large alcove. This was where Aqua had kept her labs, alchemy on the top with enchanting on the bottom. She had kept her enormous classic cast-iron cauldron on the top floor, though like the witch herself it was currently missing. A witch¡¯s cauldron was their most personal tool, just like staves and wands for wizards and mages. Aside from a few other personal items, Aqua had left all of the other standard tools and supplies behind on dark and cramped shelves.

    Next Indigo made her way over to the right side of the room, where sat the large fireplace and a number of couches, one of which she had just been sobbing on. They were arranged around a coffee table, which sat on top of a peacock blue and gold carpet. Aqua typically used this area for entertaining guests, but she had hidden a large crystal ball on a mahogany stand neatly into the corner. Rust gave several longing glances towards it, but refused to take it when Indigo offered it to her.

    Turning her attention to the main desk at the end of the room, Indigo could see Aqua had left it mostly in the same state as before - covered in absurd amounts of papers and documents, half of which should have been thrown out ages ago. Indigo knew this, since she had already sorted those documents into keep and destroy piles three times already. Rust gave out a sigh when she saw the sight.

    ¡°Honestly, what a useless woman. She¡¯s never gotten the hang of paper since it was invented¡­¡±

    Indigo shook her head and walked around the desk. They were normally locked, but opened with a magical click as soon as Indigo touched them.

    ¡°Looks like she already recalibrated the locks to you.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much in the desk; just old quills, random alchemy materials and broken pieces of sealing wax. Behind the large swivel chair Aqua had adored so much was the window, underneath which sat a low drinks cabinet. But instead of drinks it was also full of random bits of junk, such as empty potion bottles, the broken skull of a crow, and an interesting looking stick. Sighing, Indigo closed the cabinet; that was yet another thing she¡¯d have to sort through.

    Rust followed her over to the right side of the room, where sat a low dark oak door. It also clicked open at Indigo¡¯s touch, and she stepped aside for Rust to go first. But the witch gave her an incredulous look and made no further step forward.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s very rude to enter a witch¡¯s bedroom without express permission,¡± she said. "Didn''t Aqua lecture you on only letting lovers and best friends into your bedroom?"

    Indigo blushed. ¡°Oh, right. But you''re a best friend. Please come in.¡±

    ¡°Well... I suppose so,¡± responded the woman as she ducked through, casually hiding a slight blush of her own as she went. ¡°You really must raise the height of that door; I don¡¯t know why that idiot made it so small.¡±

    Indigo gave an absent nod as she followed her into the room, before freezing and dropping her jaw in shock.

    Unlike the study, which gave off a neat and comforting atmosphere, Aqua¡¯s bedroom was originally like a magical labyrinth. Stairs would twist haphazardly to doors and landings that merely existed, though sometimes didn¡¯t. Shelves and random piles of books created narrow aisles in which one had to navigate, and strange and mysterious objects dangled from the ceiling, the least of which was an enormous stuffed alligator that hung over the giant bed. The walls also used to be covered in a kaleidoscope of peculiarities, as well as an explosion of different blotches of colour as if it was a former paintball arena.

    But now? Now it was nothing but an empty broom closet. Not only had almost everything in it vanished, but the room was now so small that Rust and Indigo were crammed together. Oddly enough, the stuffed alligator had been left behind leaning against the wall, its only purpose to make the closet even smaller.

    ¡°Oh hell,¡± swore Rust. ¡°She took her damned room! I really wanted that ginseng...¡±

    Indigo looked around sadly. She had loved that room as a child, its curiosities a source of constant fascination. But now? The closet it had reverted back to felt like a joke. It taunted her, driving home how Aqua was well and truly gone. But as her eye caught something, a brief memory resurged.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s something else here!¡± exclaimed Indigo. Hidden behind the alligator¡¯s tail, set into the stone wall was the door of an old safe. Aqua¡¯s words flashed through her mind as she pulled the stuffed monstrosity aside.

    ¡°Certainly. I will have something for you as well to celebrate your first council meeting, tucked away in my safe. I¡¯ll give it to you then.¡±

    Eagerly Indigo leapt forward and grabbed the safe¡¯s handle, but unlike the other locks this one didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°It won¡¯t move!¡± she said, frustrated.

    ¡°Looks like this one needs a code word,¡± answered Lady Rust. ¡°Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ open?¡± Nothing happened.

    ¡°Swordfish? Alligator? Mellon?¡± spouted Indigo, desperate.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ funnily enough, I have a feeling this one might actually be for me¡­ let me try.¡± Confused, Indigo stepped aside to let Rust reach the safe. Running her hands across its surface, the witch immediately spotted what she was looking for; a small vivid pink rhododendron flower that was carved into the inside of the handle. A sad smile crept across her face, and she whispered, ¡°You never change, do you.¡±

    She stepped back and spoke out loud.

    ¡°Mo ghr¨¤idh¡±

    A loud click was heard and the door of the safe swung open. Rust stepped back and gestured for Indigo to look in.

    ¡°She probably wanted to make sure I¡¯d be here to unlock it for you, but I suspect the contents are yours.¡±

    Indigo stepped forward again, though with some trepidation this time. She reached in, and pulled out four items. The first two were photographs: one was of Indigo, taken on her graduation day at the Academy. On it bore the words Indigo¡¯s Graduation! I¡¯m so proud - Aqua

    The other photo was far, far older, its colours faded and washed out. But Indigo could still make out the joyous expressions of the three witches that stood arm in arm. To the left stood Rust, her expression one of a cheeky grin as she scratched her head. Her hair was much longer in the photo, and she was missing some pentagrams. On the right side stood Aqua, a familiar warm smile on her face as she wrapped her arm around the woman in the middle. She was much shorter than the other two, but her brilliant smile of pure joy lit up the photo in a way the others did not. Indigo knew her face - practically everyone in the Empire did; after all, it was the face of the most famous witch in history: Witch-Queen Cerise.

    But the Cerise Indigo saw in the photo was unlike all of the other depictions Indigo had ever seen of her. Official portraits and illustrations depicted her smiling, yes, but it was always a gentle, formal smile that betrayed a hidden strength. But here, her grin was filled with nothing but boundless delight.

    Rust leaned over her shoulder to see the photo.

    ¡°Oh! I had forgotten about that one! That was taken about a hundred years before Cerise got married.¡±

    Indigo bit her lip. ¡°She-she looks so happy. Mother told me she gave all that up for our sake¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh, well your mother always had a tendency to idolize her. I wouldn¡¯t believe everything she¡¯s said. What else do you have there?¡±

    Indigo turned her attention to the other objects from the safe. One was an old, leather bound journal, that was heavily wrapped around with a leather strap. The other was a sealed letter that bore the name Indigo.

    Indigo looked up to Rust, who gave her a grin. ¡°The letter or the book first?¡±

    Indigo glanced at the items in her hand, then turned to make her way back into the study.

    ¡°The letter. But I think I need another cup of that tea you made first¡­¡±

 Ch. 14 F: Forgotten Farewells

    ¡°NO! No Aunty Fenny, you can¡¯t leave me!¡±

    Fena sighed as she tried to gently extract her arms from Rosie¡¯s surprisingly strong embrace. Madam Isabelle as well as Rosie¡¯s mother Mona watched on with sympathetic eyes, but made no move to help.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Rosie¡­¡± said Fena in a half-hearted attempt to comfort the girl.

    ¡°No! Promise you¡¯ll come back. You have to! You always do!¡± she screamed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that Rosie¡­¡± Fena gave in and knelt down to Rosie¡¯s level. She wasn¡¯t getting out of this without sharing some of the truth. ¡°Listen¡­ I have something I have to do. Something¡­ something that I can¡¯t avoid anymore.¡± Fena ignored the Crow¡¯s derisive snort as she spoke.

    The girl sniffled as fat teardrops squeezed their way out of her eyes. ¡°But-but you can come back, right? Why are you saying you won¡¯t come back?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can Rosie,¡± Fena could feel her own eyes start to prickle as the reality of her piecemeal plan weighed down on her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to. I don¡¯t want you to wait for me like you usually do¡­¡±

    She bent forward and awkwardly returned Rosie¡¯s hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ you¡¯ll meet plenty of people more fun and exciting than me¡­¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± The girl suddenly pushed Fena away, her tears still damp on Fena¡¯s vest. ¡°You¡¯re stupid! Noone will be better. I hate you. I hate you!¡± Overwhelmed by her disappointment Rosie turned and ran out to the back garden, leaving behind a stunned Fena.

    ¡°Good job,¡± said the Crow sarcastically.

    Mona sighed. ¡°Forgive her Fena. She¡¯s just upset. I should have prepared her for this day¡­¡±

    Isabelle shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not anyone''s fault. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t expect you would leave us so suddenly¡­ we will miss you, my dear.¡±

    Fena stood up and looked towards the garden. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing such a fuss. I didn¡¯t expect Rosie would be so upset over this.¡± She turned back to the women. ¡°But thank you for letting me stay here these past few years. I wouldn¡¯t have managed nearly as well without how welcoming you¡¯ve been.¡±

    Isabelle stepped forward and gave her a hug. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome back. And though this may be selfish of me, but on behalf of everyone here I sincerely hope you do come back.¡±

    Fena wiped her eyes as they prickled further, but managed to keep her composure. ¡°If-if it¡¯s any help, I¡¯d like you to keep my travel chest. It¡¯s too bulky to take with me on a horse, and you could fetch a high price if you auction it off. It may help with the lack of customers.¡±

    Mona smiled in response. ¡°Thank you Fena. But unless things get really desperate, we¡¯ll keep it to give you a reason to come back. Stay safe for us.¡± She stepped forward and gave a hug as well.

    With that, Fena picked up the large sack that carried all her belongings and waved goodbye.

    ¡°Say farewell to the others for me! And may the Gods be with you all in the future!¡±

    ¡°To you as well!¡±

    Though the Black Kitten could hardly be called a home, Fena had grown more attached to the people that lived there than she realized. Her heart turned bitter as she walked away. Seeing her unhappiness the Crow sighed from where it sat in its usual spot.

    ¡°You know this is for the best.¡±

    ¡°Is it really¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They don''t need us there, even if they enjoy the company. And Rosie will forget us anyways; you know how quickly her mind jumps to a different thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right. But what if-¡±

    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t? Didn¡¯t she scream ¡®I hate you¡¯ when she left? She doesn¡¯t care for us as much as you might have thought. Look, it''s for the best she forgets about us. That way she won¡¯t stay sad, and she¡¯ll meet plenty of better people.¡±

    Fena sighed. Despite the Crow¡¯s wisdom, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of disappointment in her heart. Nonetheless, like she always did, she bore through it and marched to the Guildhouse.

    ------------------

    For the next week she threw herself into training with Antony and the others, learning each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. But no matter what she did, she could not please Avairy with her swordsmanship. The elf began dragging Fena out of her room at the crack of dawn every morning to train, regardless of her victim¡¯s complaints. Despite a slight improvement over the week, it was clear that it was still nowhere near what Avairy was hoping for.

    ¡°Seriously?! You need to be faster than that! How the hell did you land amongst the top ten in the Guild anyway?!¡± she shouted as yet another swing fell short.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best,¡± panted Fena. ¡°Do you realize how big this Zweihander is?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s your best you should be long dead already!¡± snapped back the short elf. ¡°Focus!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Do better!¡± encouraged the Crow from where it peacefully lazed atop a fence post.

    Fena sighed and reluctantly raised the greatsword once again. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time. I¡¯ve gotten by just fine at this level anyways.¡±

    Avairy twirled her twin scimitars with a snort. ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. Either you bribed Montegrie the unbribable, or you¡¯re not taking this seriously. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll believe you¡¯re actually this shit to have gotten this far in the guild. Again!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    What is the point of this anyways?

    Avairy leapt forward at Fena with a shout, swinging the scimitars horizontally. Fena blocked them with the zweihander, and using its weight knocked them towards the ground.

    It¡¯s not like anything I do will kill me anyways...

    The elf danced back as the greatsword swung up towards her face, clumsily slow compared to her movements.

    ¡°Come on Fena!¡± shouted the Crow excitedly. ¡°Hit harder! Get hit harder!¡±

    Fena jumped forward, raising her sword for a half-hearted downward slash but Avairy twirled under the blade and swung out a leg, knocking the startled girl to her back.

    The elf plunged her two swords into the dirt on either side of Fena¡¯s neck and gave her a disgusted look.

    ¡°Fucking hell, you¡¯re like a wet noodle. You¡¯re really starting to piss me off with this shit; how do you expect me to work with you if you won¡¯t even swing your sword properly?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think her attitude¡¯s the problem; I¡¯d say she needs to work on her footwork more,¡± said an easy going voice.

    Fena and Avairy looked over to see a tall, young man with black hair and sparkling violet eyes standing at the edge of the Guild¡¯s training ground. He looked to be nearing his twenties and wore stylish black chain mail that also looked quite practical. An impressive looking longsword swung from his waist, and though not as big as the Zweihander, it nonetheless exuded a dramatic presence.

    Next to him stood a small woman who looked only a couple years younger. She had lush blond hair and wide, innocent green eyes, but the most shocking thing about her were the white and silver trimmed clothes she wore. Her tunic exposed the top of her breasts with a plunging neckline, but it also cut off just above a short skirt that miraculously failed to flash anyone as she moved. The large flowing overcoat utterly failed to cover her exposed midriff and creamy white thighs, except from the back. To tie it all off, she also wore white knee high socks and high heels. Fena¡¯s gaze lingered on her as she wondered how the woman was able to walk on the rough terrain so easily.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± spat the foul mouthed elf as she reached down to pull Fena to her feet.

    ¡°Your commanding officer,¡± answered the man with a thin smile.

    Looking past his pleased expression, Fena could see Guildmaster Gendric approaching with a brilliant smile. Following him was Lady Montegrie, who looked like she had just swallowed a rotten lemon.

    Seeing Avairy¡¯s confused look, Montegrie stepped forward. ¡°The King has just informed me, that in the interest of fairness between Guilds, he has decided to add two adventurers to Her Majesty¡¯s personal escort. This¡­ hero has been assigned as your captain.¡± She spoke through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Now, now, Monty, we¡¯re all working together here,¡± responded Gendric with a grin. ¡°These two are the best my Guild has to offer, and as such will be in command of the Princess¡¯s personal bodyguards. They are S and A+ ranked you know; I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to share their stats.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t need to see your made up fantasy numbers, Gendric,¡± snapped back Montegrie. ¡°Let¡¯s just get the introductions over with.¡±

    ¡°Certainly!¡± The man in black stepped forward, ignoring Montegrie¡¯s tone. ¡°It¡¯s very good to meet you ladies; my name is Derick Rosewell and I will be the commanding officer. I¡¯m rank S at our guild, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along quite well.¡± His violet eyes seemed to twinkle with intrigue as he turned to the irritated elf. ¡°You must be Miss Avairy. You seem quite skilled, especially for an elf; I must confess I was somewhat surprised.¡±

    Fena was tempted to sneak away when she saw the million voltage glare Avairy gave the man, but his attention was already turning towards her before she could.

    ¡°Ah, and you must be Miss Fena. It¡¯s always good to see a woman with the determination to improve. If you have some spare time, I could offer some tips that may help.¡±

    Turning away to ignore the now two blazing glares he was receiving, Rosewell gave Montegrie a smile. ¡°Where do the men train? I would like to engage them in a mock duel to determine their abilities.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be out soon. Who¡¯s your friend?¡± said Avairy, her tone surprisingly calm despite her eyes.

    ¡°Ah yes, of course. This is Anna, Anna Maybell. She is an A+ level Summoner specialized in healing spirits. She can even recover severed limbs! You won¡¯t even have to worry about damaging your skin on this quest.¡± The woman gave a neat bow, blushing eagerly at Rosewell¡¯s praise.

    ¡°Neat. Can she fight?¡±

    The man blinked at Avairy¡¯s abrupt question, but smiled. ¡°Of course! But let us hope that won¡¯t be necessary. If you wish to test her abilities I¡¯m sure she is willing to show you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care that much! Do you Fena?¡± asked Avairy, her glare giving her a slightly wild look.

    ¡°Not really¡­¡± Fena answered back. She could sympathize with Avairy; something about Rosewell had set her teeth on edge.

    But Rosewell seemed utterly oblivious to it. Glancing at the barracks, his gaze lit up as he spotted the other mercenaries arriving.

    ¡°Ah! And here are the men! Pleased to meet you, my name is Rosewell and I am your captain on the royal escort mission.¡±

    Antony gave Fena a confused glance, to which she only shrugged. Devurst seemed somewhat disinterested, but Fena could only imagine what expression Oswald was making under his beloved hood.

    ¡°Nice¡­ to meet you¡­?¡± asked Antony hesitantly, sensing Oswald and Avairy¡¯s stares.

    ¡°You as well! You must be the famous beast-man Antony!¡± answered Rosewell in an excited tone. He hurriedly shook Antony¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m actually anweiran¡­¡±

    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Rosewell immediately turned to Oswald, seemingly ignoring Antony. Lady Montegrie quickly stepped forward, interjecting.

    ¡°This is Shadow. He has taken an oath of silence, and so does not speak.¡± She glared at Oswald, threatening him into following along.

    ¡°Right¡­ oath of silence¡­¡± muttered Oswald with a death glare at the adventurer. Fortunately Rosewell didn¡¯t seem to notice, his interest now jumping to the mage. Devurst only gave a brief introduction, his attitude now back to the usual gruff, quiet person he was.

    ¡°Excellent! Well I think we have a well rounded party here, but I¡¯d like to test your skills in mock duels so I know how to best use you.¡±

    He gestured towards the ground where Avairy and Fena had been dueling but moments before. ¡°Who¡¯d like to start?¡±

    Avairy responded with a hungry grin. ¡°I¡¯ll take you on.¡±

    Roswell seemed to hesitate for a moment as he looked at her. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. I already watched you duel Miss Fena, so it seems a bit pointless, don¡¯t you think? How about you Antony?¡± He turned his attention back to the male anweiran, the smile back on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve been positively eager to spar with you ever since I heard your reputation.¡±

    Fena felt a surge of frustration rise as the man blatantly ignored Avairy, but surprisingly the elf did nothing.

    Antony gave a confused look towards Avairy, not understanding Rosewell¡¯s rejection. Nonetheless he gave a slight nod as Rosewell waited for his answer. ¡°I suppose so¡­ I have heard of you as well. You¡¯re a master-at-arms, are you not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so pleased! Yes, I¡¯m skilled with a variety of weapons but I do prefer the sword. Would that be acceptable to you? I wouldn¡¯t want to spar with you at nothing but my full strength.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± answered Antony still confused.

    He gave Avairy another questioning glance, but she only shook her head and gestured for him to go.

    Roswell eagerly led Antony onto the field, but Avairy suddenly jerked Fena away, pulling her from the training ground. Seeing them leave, the quiet Anna Maybell followed them at a respectable distance as the Crow fluttered to catch up to Fena¡¯s comfortable shoulder.

 Ch. 15 F: Departure

    After they rounded the corner Fena shook off Avairy¡¯s hand and gave her a look of surprise.

    ¡°I thought for sure you were about to throw something.¡±

    Avairy rubbed her facial muscles, the stress of her frustration now obvious on her face. ¡°No shit idiot. Fuck! I wanted to punch him so bad.¡±

    ¡°What stopped you?¡±

    Avairy sighed. ¡°You haven¡¯t worked with others much, have you Fena?¡±

    Fena dropped her gaze, but nodded. This was technically her first time.

    ¡°I thought so,¡± continued the elf. ¡°Adventurers are like sheep; they follow one leader, and listen to everything he says. And if you don¡¯t agree, or kick up a fuss, you get labelled as a troublemaker and thrown out.¡±

    She sat down with her back against the wall and rubbed her face again.

    ¡°As such, we¡¯re now stuck under that asshole¡¯s command and there¡¯s fuck all we can do about it. Trust me, I know how those bastards work. Anytime you complain or throw a fit, it¡¯s always your fault. They¡¯ll ask if you¡¯re on your period, or dismiss your complaints as being hysteric.¡±

    Fena nodded and sighed. She had experienced similar things before, though under very different circumstances.

    ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the type to walk away.¡±

    Avairy gave her an incredulous look. ¡°What, because I¡¯m the angry elf that throws things? Listen, the best way to deal with it is to bottle up those shitty feelings and bury them wayyyyy deep down. Despite how I usually am, I won¡¯t let anything interfere with this escort, whatever that asshole says.¡± She sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve done it for fucking years, we can manage it for a month. Or however long it takes to deliver that bitch of a princess.¡±

    ¡°Umm-¡± a gentle voice interrupted their talk. The two girls turned to see the quiet Anna Maybell shyly standing behind them.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m- I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but Derick is actually a really nice man! He¡¯s super considerate, and doesn¡¯t get handsey like a lot of other guys. You should give him a chance.¡±

    Avairy snorted as Fena sighed.

    ¡°Nice to meet you too. We never actually greeted each other did we? Your boyfriend saw to that,¡± answered Avairy irately.

    Anna blushed. ¡°He-he¡¯s not my boyfriend. At least, not yet¡­oh!¡± She quickly covered her mouth in an adorable fashion.

    Aviary looked up at Fena. ¡°See what I mean? They¡¯re all the same.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t blame you for leaving the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±

    Anna gave them a confused look. ¡°Uh, you can call me Anna if you like. I-I thought since we¡¯re the only girls we might get along¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not possible,¡± answered Avairy harshly. ¡°You represent everything I despise, so let¡¯s just keep a friendly distance, shall we?¡± She pulled herself to her feet and began walking off.

    Fena got the distinct impression that her bottled up anger was reaching its maximum. Nonetheless, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit sorry for the innocent Anna.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ just frustrated. Don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± said Fena in a lackluster tone.

    ¡°Oh,¡± said the girl, her expression drooping. Her big eyes and button nose gave off the appearance of a sad bunny. Fena couldn¡¯t help but relent slightly.

    ¡°You can call me Fena.¡±

    As if the sun had risen on the darkest night, her expression lifted itself up to the heavens.

    ¡°May I?¡± she asked, practically hopping. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad! I was worried, because the mercenaries don¡¯t like us adventurers very much, but you seem nice! I hope we can be ¡°Well, we all have our own reasons for disliking your guild. Avairy¡¯s is just a bit more¡­ personal.¡±

    The girl looked confused for a moment. ¡°Really? What¡¯s yours?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Don¡¯t they collect all sorts of information about you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s called the Stat system; it¡¯s really cool!¡± said Anna excitedly. ¡°There¡¯s this magical tool that scans you and gives you a rank and your statistics! It makes it super easy to see how good you are!¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ well I find that¡­ uncomfortable. Anyone could track me down with that information.¡±

    Anna tilted her head cutely to the side. ¡°Why¡¯s that? Is there someone after you?¡±

    Fena was about to open her mouth when the Crow suddenly bit her ear.

    ¡°Are you crazy?! Are you seriously trusting this girl just because she¡¯s cute? I thought you learned your lesson!¡± it whispered hurriedly.

    ¡°I¡­¡± trailed off Fena, processing the Crow¡¯s words. It was right; there was something about the girl that made Fena want to talk about herself.

    A charm? It must be.

    Fena couldn¡¯t sense anything magical, but she was no magician; she had no way to know if a spell had been cast on her. Fena shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She needed to speak carefully, now much more conscious of what her mouth was saying.

    ¡°No¡­ not really. It¡¯s just in case, y¡¯know. What about you? You been with Rosewell for long?¡± she asked, mentally kicking herself for not being more cautious.

    Anna had a slightly concerned look at Fena¡¯s initial silence but her face beamed as soon as she answered.

    ¡°Yes, from the very start! We¡¯ve been friends since childhood, and ever since discovering our own talents we swore to go on adventures together!¡± She twisted her hands shyly. ¡°Honestly¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without him. He¡¯s saved me so many times I¡­¡± she blushed. ¡°I have a bit of a crush on him. But he never notices! Stupid Derick. And I¡¯ve seen the looks some of the other female adventurers give him!¡± A sad expression sank over her face. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even notice me¡­¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Fena¡¯s heart clenched, in sympathy and anger but she reminded herself to be wary.

    ¡°Right... hope turns out well for you... listen, I- I¡¯ve got something I have to get to so I¡¯ll see you later¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh-oh right. Sorry, I just met you and I¡¯m spilling everything, haha,¡± the girl wiped her eyes that were suddenly damp. ¡°I look forward to working with you!¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ likewise...¡± with that Fena made her quick escape.

    Once the summoner was out of sight, Fena caught her breath. The Crow hopped anxiously on her shoulder, preening and checking Fena over as if she had sustained an injury.

    ¡°What the hell was that? What was that?!¡± it babbled anxiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ a charm of some sort? She was even affecting my emotions!¡±

    ¡°Oh hell. We better be on high alert; this mission has just gotten so much harder.¡±

    Fena patted the Crow as she sought to steady her racing heart.

    ¡°Thank you for calling me out there. She almost caught us.¡±

    The Crow pushed its head into her hand. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You know I¡¯m always looking after you, right?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    _________________

    Two days later

    The gilded trimmings of the ornate black and gold carriage reflected the sun across the ground, scattering it at the feet of the royal entourage. Maids bustled back and forth as the last few supplies were stuffed into the carriages, and the adventurers and mercenaries moved into their formation, patiently waiting for the princess to arrive.

    Fena stood by a feisty grey mare near the front of the procession, joined by Antony atop an enormous black warhorse. The horses had been given to them by the palace as part of the contract, and though it had been a long time since she last rode Fena was able to quickly adapt to being back in the saddle. Oddly enough, her mare wasn''t very happy with this and made a game out of seeing how far she could mess with her rider. Antony didn¡¯t have this problem at all, as his giant, intimidating black warhorse was actually quite friendly and eager, though seemed oblivious to his own size. As for the other three mercenaries, they didn¡¯t know how to ride and so would follow in the carriages.

    Eselin, as Fena had decided to name her mare, shifted impatiently as they waited. Fena couldn¡¯t blame her; they hadn¡¯t even started the journey yet and Fena was already soaked in sweat. Montegrie had insisted that they wear those stupid uniforms for the departure, as she wanted to create an impression as they left the city. It was a good thing they didn¡¯t have to do so for the whole journey, else they all would have quit on the spot. But they were already two hours past their departure time, and Fena was beginning to be tempted to do so anyways.

    The Crow had attempted to make a small nest in Eselin¡¯s mane, but the horse had put a swift end to that idea after she bit the Crow for coming too close. Currently the bird was sulking on the top of Fena¡¯s head, nursing the foot that had gotten snapped.

    ¡°Little miss princess sure likes to make people wait, doesn¡¯t she.¡±

    ¡°She gets that right, as royalty,¡± answered Fena with a sigh. ¡°No matter how selfish they are, there¡¯s not much we can do about it,¡±

    ¡°You should push her nose in when you¡¯re alone with her,¡± suggested the Crow. ¡°Or ¡®accidentally¡¯ trip her into a puddle. I¡¯d pay good money to see that.¡±

    ¡°Shut your blathering beak; you¡¯re going to get us arrested,¡± scolded Fena, but a small smile graced her lips as she pictured the sight.

    Noticing, Antony smiled as well and passed over his waterskin. ¡°Here, drink some; I can practically see your sweat coming off in waterfalls."

    "Speak for yourself," snorted Fena, but she took a swig regardless. "You''re like the mother of our little entourage."

    "If it means you''re not going to fall off your horse I''ll gladly be," laughed Antony. "But I don''t think we need to wait much longer; take a look."

    Fena looked back to see where he was pointing. A large group of maids, butlers and royal guards all neatly arranged themselves in formation outside the entrance to the palace. A moment passed before the light wood doors swung open and out walked the princess, followed closely by her parents. From where she stood Fena couldn''t make out what they were saying, but the Princess seemed to be kicking up a fuss about something; she was yelling and pointing at one of the maids, seemingly upset with one of her suitcases. Eventually the King managed to calm her down enough to stuff her in the carriage with a gruff kiss and goodbye. The Queen followed with only the most formal of goodbyes; a stiff kiss on the cheek and a bouquet of flowers.

    "That Queen looks like a miserable sort, doesn''t she?¡± said the Crow. ¡°She''s had that doll-like expression on her face every time we see her."

    "It''s like she''s saying goodbye to a stranger¡­"

    "Royals are weird. We know that better than anyone. Stop sticking your interest into other people''s lives; we''ve got enough problems already."

    "Yeah." Fena cleared her thoughts, then made to mount up onto her horse. Eselin pranced sideways, but relented when Fena clicked her tongue sharply at her.

    "That horse of yours is going to make this journey so much more interesting," laughed Antony as he watched the struggle. "But I don''t think it''ll be as entertaining as watching Avairy being locked up with that Princess."

    Fena ignored his sniggers as she looked back over the caravan. There were four carriages in total; two for the princess and her personal maids, one for the catering servants and bringing up the rear was the wagon that the adventurers and remaining mercenaries were bundled into. Fena figured it was only a matter of time before Oswald got into a fight with someone, but she could only hope it was quiet enough that the Princess didn''t notice. As for Anna and Rosewell, the summoner was with Avairy in the Princess''s carriage while Rosewell rode up and down the line, making sure everything was in order. Eventually he made his way to the front, where he gave Fena and Antony a nod.

    "Everything ready to go?" he asked with a smile.

    "Yes," they answered in unison, but Fena added, "Please just get us moving."

    "Alright!" With a beaming grin, the adventurer stood up in his saddle.

    "ATTENTION!! HER HIGHNESS¡¯S ROYAL ENTOURAGE, BEGIN MARCH!" he bellowed in pleasure, causing Fena to clap her hands over her ears and Eselin to flatten hers in displeasure. Nonetheless, the horse followed Rosewell when Fena gave her a nudge and the entire caravan began its journey, blissfully unaware of the fate that awaited it.

    Crowds gathered as they made their way through the city, cheering and waving as their princess left for the Academy. Fena despised the attention, wanting nothing more than to shrink away and hide. The Crow did just that, burying itself into one of Eselin''s saddle bags until nothing but its beak and a few stray feathers could be seen poking out. But the rest of the caravan seemed to be enjoying the crowds, as even the arrogant princess stuck her head out of the carriage and waved to them.

    Noticing Fena''s discomfort, Antony gave her a concerned glance.

    "You okay?," he shouted over the roaring crowd.

    But Fena simply shook her head in dismissal and waved him away, indicating he should mind his own business.

    The King had gone all out in celebrating his daughter''s departure, as banners lined the street and children threw flower petals into their path. Fena would''ve thought they were a wedding procession if she didn''t know any better. But Fena''s anxiety only grew as they progressed further through the city and the crowds thickened. Despite the happy atmosphere her eyes kept racing, searching the crowds for anything suspicious. Her hands twitched, wishing they could hold a blade. She had no reason to suspect a threat, but an indescribable part of her could not relax; a primal fear of danger tried to overwhelm her senses.

    But as her eyes flinched back and forth, they caught something: the waving hand of a five year old girl.

    Despite her fear and anxiety, despite the fear of being recognized by a passing stranger, Fena couldn''t stop a sudden smile breaking out across her face. Little Rosie was seated on the shoulders of her mother, yelling excitedly as soon as she spotted Fena.

    "FENNY!!" She cried out over the crowd. "I¡¯M SORRY FENNY!! I DON¡¯T HATE YOU!! STAY SAFE AND COME HOME IF YOU CAN!!"

    Even though she went through the struggle of cutting her out of her life and her desire to let Rosie forget her, Fena raised a hand and waved to the little girl with a smile and a nod. The Crow would disapprove, but Fena couldn''t help but hope that she would get to see the little girl again.

    Fena kept glancing over her shoulder even long after Rosie was out of sight, until Antony asked her what she was looking for. She only smiled in response and straightened her back, slightly less afraid of the road ahead.

 Ch. 16 I: The Letter

    My Dearest Indigo,

    Firstly, an apology is warranted. I''m sure my sudden departure has left you with a wealth of anxieties and questions. Though I am sure you are feeling utterly overwhelmed, I have the absolute confidence that you will rise to the challenge.

    I am sorry for having left without saying goodbye. I have never been very good at them, and I reasoned to myself that you did not need distractions going into your first council meeting. But the truth is that that is but an excuse and I am a coward. I always have been selfishly putting my own feelings before others, and for this I am truly sorry; I hope you can forgive me, for your sake.

    As for my own sake, I likely do not deserve such forgiveness. One has ample opportunity to do both good and evil in a thousand years, and I am sorry to say that I have done plenty. You know me as Lady Aqua the Wise, your loving mother and supportive master. But that name carries a kindness that disguises my numerous sins; my jealousy, my rage, my greed and my selfishness. Perhaps it is hubris then that I have lived long enough to see what witchcraft has turned into; something sterilized, neutered and logical. I do not fault Cerise for what she did; though it broke the ancient code, she demonstrated that sometimes doing so was necessary. She could not have predicted that witching would turn out this way.

    However, the institutionalization of witchcraft has led to new evils being created by those who seek its power, paid for by men who do not understand it. The world believes that witchcraft is simply another form of magic, to be cajoled and controlled at will. I have taught you that it is so much more, and I hope you can teach future students of the Academy the same.

    Time has shown my inability to adapt to modern witchery, but you; you are a child of the future, and I believe you will combine the past and the present in a way I cannot. As such, I feel compelled to take on a new role; one that I truly regret, but is still necessary. I must ensure that the evil created by the white witch is brought to an end, and to do so I have decided to commit a great evil myself.

    Before the ancient code was created, by my master¡¯s master¡¯s master¡¯s generation, the world of witchcraft was one filled with bloodshed and violence. Witches constantly fought with one another, creating abominations of creation to ruin their foes. Realizing that these actions would lead to their eventual destruction, the witches of old sealed away their creations in a vault deep beneath the earth and created the ancient code, swearing that witches would never steal from or harm other witches. We would keep the secret of our magicks hidden from outsiders so that it might never be used by the ignorant.

    But that last rule was broken when Cerise was crowned Queen. And now, I have made the conscious decision to break the other two. By the time you read this, I will have harmed and stolen from Lady Snow Albus. Please do not come looking for me. I will deliver what I have stolen to the darkest place on earth; to the tomb of the one I loved, so that it might be sealed away for eternity. I do not know if I will survive the journey, but upon it I will repent on a life of good and evil, right and wrong. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I fear you will not see me again. I have become old and slow, and I see the world begin to turn without me, in a direction I do not like. Perhaps it is the fate of all witches to become grouchy and wicked in their old age and if so then this was inevitable.

    But I will not abandon you so quickly. I have left with this letter a journal; a journal that shares all I know about witchcraft, and magic in general. I was not able to teach you everything, so I will have to ask you to teach yourself. This journal contains spells, curses, potions and mysteries of a thousand years; it is incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. Be very, very careful.

    My dearest daughter. Of my thousand year journey, know that you are my greatest pride and pleasure. Though it breaks my heart to leave you in this manner, it does not make the time we spent together any less valued.

    Please, please, please do not look for me. I only hope you will remember me for who you knew me as, and not the woman who deserves her penance.

    Your Loving Mother,

    Aqua

    PS. My old master insisted that any good witch must have a stuffed alligator. Something about impressing the locals¡­ keep mine; you will put it to better use than I ever did.

    <hr>

    Closing the letter Indigo bent forward, clutching it to her chest. She gasped for air as she tried to suppress fresh sobs, an unbelievable tension building within her that threatened to explode at any moment. Rust rubbed her back awkwardly.

    ¡°Let it out girl. Let it all out.¡±

    Hearing her words, Indigo could no longer suppress herself and like a volcano erupted into tears. Gulping for air in between sobs, she collapsed into the witch¡¯s lap beside her. Her thoughts dashed about as Rust clumsily comforted her, from her warmest memories of her mother to the difficulty of understanding her reality.

    This¡­ this can¡¯t be right. This isn¡¯t right! Surely you will come back...

    What did you do¡­? What made you leave me like this!? I-I thought you cared about me...

    No¡­ no. I knew you as my mother, but I never realized how much more you are. How could I have such a narrow minded view of you. Is that why you didn¡¯t take me with you? Why you told me nothing of your plans?

    Why¡­ why did I think out of your entire lifespan¡­ I would be special? That I would be good enough, deserving enough to call you my mother?

    You say such kind words to me while stabbing my heart¡­ perhaps I let you down. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry if I wasn¡¯t good enough, and yet you¡¯re still so kind when saying goodbye. Why are you still so kind to me?

    Please don¡¯t leave me...

 Character art

ARTWORK:

    Sleepy Indigo hard at work:

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Young Indigo getting her degree:

    Fena lookin'' fine on the new cover!

 Interlude: Levitiaâ€™s Diary â€“ DO NOT READ!!

    Dear Diary,

    I fear this may be my final entry. The conditions of my travel are absolutely horrific, and should things fail to improve I will likely pass from this mortal earth. Sir Rosewell insists that the conditions may soon improve, but I hold out little hope. Extreme heat has dogged us consistently for the last week, turning this carriage into a death trap. The maids take turns waving fans, but all they are managing to do is blow hot air around. No doubt it is all they are good for; I hear them gossiping and whispering to each other in the night, disturbing my sleep. Not to mention the tea they offer; it is simply dreadful. It tastes nothing like what I was served at home; either they have been using foul creek water, or their discipline has been slipping since leaving the Royal Palace. I must give them a good scolding later; Father would be most disappointed in me if I could not keep my subordinates in line.

    I do hope I won''t let Father down. I must confess a secret, dear diary: I am rather¡­ worried. What if I fail to meet Father''s expectations? What if I cannot find a good man to marry? I must aid Father as much as I can in increasing the power of our Kingdom, yet I worry that¡­ that no man will want me¡­

    Ah, I let slip my thoughts again. It is unbecoming for a Princess of Ladisa - Mother has never let slip her emotions, and I should learn to do the same. Perhaps I should seek advice from the Elf; she sits in absolute silence when it is her turn to ride in the carriage, staring morosely out the window. I tried engaging her in conversation several times, but I suspect she is either deaf or mute; none of my appeals were ever met with any kind of response. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    As for my other female companions, only one is of any interest. Her name is Anna Maybell, an A+ rank summoner. Despite her experience, she is bright and cheerful, engaging me in long conversations about romance novels and other such things of interest. It is delightful to find a confidante in the world of literary love, quite unlike the girl named Fena, who constantly needles me with harsh and unnecessary remarks. She is quite the miserable fellow, and I sorely regret demanding she join me in my carriage. Hardly the first time my mouth has gotten in front of my senses, I admit¡­ it frustrates me how I seem to lose control of my words in the presence of others. It is a flaw Father has harshly criticized me for; rightfully so, as I doubt any prince would want a woman with a wagging tongue.

    Oh diary¡­ perhaps I ought to find another way to make Father happy. Perhaps if I brought back a priceless treasure or a heap of gold Father would be pleased enough to forget that I am an unmarriageable woman. Who would want someone as childish and bratty as... I?

 Ch. 17 I: The President

    Fresh from its journey across the ocean, a summer breeze warmed by a late afternoon sun danced eagerly across a sea of clay-tile rooftops. After spending weeks of travel doing nothing but carrying albatrosses, a new landscape of winding streets and alleys of a vast coastal city lay before it, ready to be explored. The jutting rooftops and stoic chimneys did little to break the wind¡¯s enthusiastic energy; it dove between the buildings, playfully stealing hats, scattering newspapers and causing the city¡¯s diverse population to curse and chase after their property.

    But the city the wind frolicked through was not nearly as playful. Dense city blocks created a maze of streets and alleyways that navigated around stately stone cathedrals and palaces. Gargoyles and buttresses peered out from every corner, and rusticated black brick lined the base of the yellow limestone buildings. But despite the architecture¡¯s dour mood, it was still a city full of life. The warm sun wriggled its way into every corner, splashing colour through crowded markets and twinkling reflections onto lawns mown so short they betrayed a peculiar sort of insecurity.

    At the very heart of this proud yet colourful city known as Becheim lay a large, walled off section of land that contained the most ambitious and stately buildings of all. Even the smallest of buildings here could be considered a cathedral in its own right, but they were nothing compared to the towering walls and spires that desperately reached for the sky. These buildings demanded attention; they carried a gravity with them that came not only from size, but from age as well, as the passage of time had stained their walls a smokey black. At the centre of them all stood the Great Hall, an enormous gothic building in a + shape that clambered nearly six hundred feet into the air, with an enormous tower that sprouted up an additional three hundred feet from its very centre.

    Only one institution had enough resources to waste on this extravagance: the main campus of the Royal Academy, the finest educational institution on the entire continent. It was a school so renowned that royalty and nobility from far and wide travelled to this historic institution to study and form valuable connections with their classmates.

    Theoretically, it was a school of equal parts pride and prestige. Each student took an entrance exam upon arrival, and though it was known to be difficult, for those with wealth, influence or talent it was hardly an issue. Even commoners were allowed to participate if they were clever enough. Successful applicants were then offered a place in one of seven courses: Knighthood, Civilities, Magecraft, Mercantilism, Wizardry, Witchcraft or Artificery, based on their exam results. To be offered a place in any course was a great honor, and practically guaranteed one¡¯s future. Or at least, it was supposed to.

    Of course, the reality was far less romantic. Nobility had a tendency to form their own ideas about what was acceptable and what wasn¡¯t. Some of the courses were deemed¡­ peculiar. Funding then followed popularity, and as a result the witchcraft and artificery courses always ended up getting the short end of the stick. Blowing things up and mixing potions together was hardly something even the most obscure royal family member would be caught dead doing.

    But, as history is wont to do, that was about to change.

    ---

    Indigo¡¯s face was green from exhaustion and dizziness as she finally reached the landing that sat before the office of the President of the Royal Academy. The genius who built this place thought it was a brilliant idea to have the president live as high as possible, and so installed it at the top of the tower that climbed out of the Great Hall¡¯s roof. The office sat nearly nine hundred feet in the air, as much designed to look down upon the masses as it was to scour the heavens. It had taken Indigo nearly an hour to climb the damned thing, going up the nine hundred step spiral staircase that left a terrifying drop down its centre.

    She took a moment to catch her breath, as well as her balance. She didn''t suffer from vertigo; no self respecting witch would ever admit to such a thing. She just... didn¡¯t like broomsticks. Or magic carpets. Or other means of magical flight that brought her more than ten feet off the ground. Besides, climbing the stairs while sticking as close to the wall as possible was good exercise¡­ right?

    Indigo shook her head, trying to clear her mind of any thoughts about plummeting nearly a thousand feet to the ground. Instead she cleared her throat, adjusted her oversized witch hat and raised a fist to knock on the enormous oak doors that dominated the small landing. No voice answered; instead the doors unlocked with a click, prompting her to cautiously push them open.

    Her freckled face peered around the door and an enormous circular room greeted her eyes, filled to the brim with a variety of astrological tools and other contraptions of mysterious purpose. It was because of the President¡¯s specialization in astrology that he had had the office transformed into an observatory, installing an enormous telescope that hung from the ceiling with nervously thin wires. Nearly everything else had been customized to match; the ceiling was painted a midnight blue with magic silver paint that accurately displayed the positions of the stars, and constellation maps made from gold and silver were found on every wall. Giant stacks of papers and scrolls were hastily shuffled into the corners of the room and giant bookcases haphazardly leaned against any walls not already taken up by the star maps.

    Indigo had only been here once before as a child, and though filled with wonder at the time, the fear of the telescope coming crashing down at any moment had kept her safely at the edges of the room. Though that premonition still haunted her, by now she had gained enough assurance to ignore it.

    ¡°Is that a pretty face I see? Come in, come in!¡± cackled an old voice, breaking through her thoughts.

    Recovering from the distractions the room offered, Indigo slipped in and let the doors swing shut behind her. She coughed nervously, then spoke to the figure happily seated beneath the precarious two hundred ton telescope.

    ¡°H-how do you do sir. My name is Indigo, Leader of the Caeruleus Sect and the new candidate for professor in the Department of Witchcraft.¡±

    Sat behind a surprisingly empty mahogany desk was a tiny, elderly white haired man with a long beard. His name was Lord Fornax Von Handersson, the sitting President of the Royal Academy for the last twenty years. The man was the picture perfect image of a wizard: long flowing robes of a deep blue, dotted with stars and constellations embroidered with golden thread, and capped off by a brimless pointed cap to match. He was old; his eyes practically disappeared into the deep wrinkles of his face as he squinted at Indigo, but they still twinkled with a sharp wit and a sharper mind as he energetically waved her into the room.

    ¡°Come in, come in! It¡¯s not everyday I get to see such a lovely face, huahuahua!!¡± His laugh was gasping, as if choked by the thick layers of dust that coated much of the room.

    Indigo slipped inside, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as she walked towards the old man cheerfully seated beneath the enormous weight.

    ¡°Thank you for seeing me sir¡­ I apologize if I¡¯m late, but I only found out about the meeting this morning.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry darlin¡¯! Anything for Aqua¡¯s kid! I still remember when you were an adorable little girl! Ah, but you''ve grown into such a fine young woman now!¡± The President gave her a grin that was almost childish in its eagerness; it was an odd sight from the most powerful man in the Academy.

    ¡°Umm, thank you sir¡­¡± Indigo smiled awkwardly but chose not to point out the fact that he clearly didn''t remember her, as she was anything but an adorable little girl when she was last here. Instead she suppressed a sigh and slipped into the dusty blue chair opposite the President.

    "Well. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering if I¡¯ll approve you for the position, aren¡¯t you?" The old wizard¡¯s expression turned comically serious and he waggled a pair of ridiculously long eyebrows at her.

    Indigo squeezed out an awkward smile. "I¡¯m sure you will make the best judgement, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Hua hua huah, of course I will! President¡¯s not supposed to mess around with what the witches decide! Too many people died that way, hua hua huah!¡±

    Indigo¡¯s stiff smile grew slightly more strained as her gaze drifted upwards to the enormous weight hanging above her. ¡°Of course not sir. Thank you sir.¡±

    ¡°Sir this, my lord that. Nobility¡¯s important, I¡¯d swear an oath it is so, but not amongst friends! Your mother and I got along famously! Call me Lord Fornax.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Ah, of course Forna- I mean, Lord Fornax,¡± answered Indigo, slightly confused by the hypocritical statement. ¡°I-I look forward to serving the Academy, but I hope I won¡¯t let you down.¡±

    Handersson coughed, drawing Indigo''s gaze back down to him. His entire atmosphere had suddenly changed, the childish expression disappearing and the light in his eyes turning serious.

    "Hmph, hope is not good enough! As a teacher of the Royal Academy, you must exemplify our Academy''s finest virtues and traditions. Yes... yes indeed! Royalty from at least nine different countries come here to study, not to mention the long history of our own Imperial Family being educated here as well." He peered at Indigo over the top of his tiny yet perfectly round glasses. "Though I sincerely doubt anyone of importance would wish to study witchcraft, you nonetheless must be perfect to your students; ''A bonis ad meliora'' is our motto after all!"

    The knot of anxiety that had sat in Indigo''s belly since Aqua left tightened further. She didn''t need this extra pressure; she wouldn''t be here in the first place if the Council hadn''t insisted she fill the teaching position Aqua left behind. She hadn''t even had enough time to start working as the Sect leader before she suddenly found herself buried in a pile of work for the upcoming fall semester. And now she was suddenly introducing herself to the President of the Royal Academy.

    The President continued. "The role of a Royal Academy professor is a highly sought after position; they even used to hold duels over it! Well, we''ve become a bit more boring and civilized since then, but you''ll still find the occasional mage poisoning someone''s coffee, hua hua huah..." The old man trailed off, his laugh turning into another cough. "Let''s hope Lady Aqua didn''t end up that way, eh? Eaten by a batch of wild plants, or whatever it is you witches do when killing each other."

    "I assure you my lord, we do not make a habit of killing each other. Because that is illegal." Indigo''s voice turned cold at his implication. "Nobody would dare to use spells from the Dark Ages."

    Handersson had the decency to look awkward at her response, but he offered no apology. Instead he cleared his throat and said, "Yes, of course. I was only joking, child. And I wasn''t suggesting our staff go around murdering each other; no I was merely reminiscing about the good old days."

    "Of course. Thank you for the history but¡­" Indigo hesitated as a question arose in her mind that had been harassing her for the last three weeks. "If you don''t mind Lord President, did Aqua give a reason for her departure in her resignation letter? Or did you perhaps hear rumors of why she left¡­?"

    The President peered at her over his glasses again, his gaze prying into her.

    "Why? Didn¡¯t she tell you?"

    "N-no sir, she gave no reason¡­ I was hoping you knew." Indigo did not feel very confident in her lie, and the long pause that followed as the eyes of the president bore into Indigo did not help. But after a moment, he shook his head and Indigo released a breath she hadn''t realised she''d been holding.

    "Nope! Didn¡¯t say a thing. Damn shamed too, she was a fine woman. But I wouldn''t waste your time worrying about such things, little Indigo. You witches like to do your own thing, hua hua hua!!"

    "Yessir. Thank you, my lord." A sigh escaped Indigo''s lips. The president seemed just as ignorant about the truth as everyone else.

    "Oh, that reminds me. When you joined the Witching Council, you gained a noble title. It''s nothing special; just a special form of nobility made just for senior staff at the Academy. There¡¯s no land or wealth with it, but it lets you request an audience with the Royal Family. Not that you''ll have any royalty in your course of course. Still, you might want to brush up on your etiquette classes, Lady Indigo.

    A blush overcame Indigo as she struggled to find the right words to express her awkwardness. She was aware of the noble title she would be receiving, but it still felt uncomfortable to hear.

    "T-thank you, my lord. I will do so. Do you have any suggestions?"

    "Hmmm. Lady Alice of the Civilities Course runs an excellent etiquette class, though she can be a bit of a nasty old hag.¡± The old man leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially to Indigo. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I said that though; she still terrifies me, huahuahua! You¡¯d better get ready; The welcoming ball is on the third night of the semester, and you would not want to humiliate yourself there."

    "T-the ball! I have to attend that?!"

    The old man looked a little puzzled at her question, as if she was asking if the sky was blue.

    "Yes, the ball. Not only is it a chance to get to know your potential students, but I have to introduce you to everyone as the newest teacher!"

    "Ah- I- I don''t really feel that that is necessary¡­"

    "Of course it is! It is one of our Academy''s finest traditions!"

    "Right, traditions¡­"

    "Indeed. Well, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you Miss- ah, Lady Indigo. And say hello to Aqua for me if she¡¯s not dead, would you?"

    Indigo scrambled to her feet at the implied dismissal. She bowed, "Thank you Lord Fornax. A-and of course I will, should I see her... I hope you have a wonderful afternoon."

    "Farewell!"

    As soon as she was clear of the doors they slammed shut behind her, leaving her alone again with a frustrating dose of fear, worry, and a long descent back down the tower.

    Her body crumpled against the stone wall, the hidden tension within escaping out all at once. The President was known to be eccentric: prone to impulsive decision making and change of heart. She was just grateful he hadn''t made things more complicated for her; it was starting to feel like everyone she met wanted to make her life harder these days.

    But I shouldn''t complain¡­ Indigo thought to herself. Rust had advised her that this much was to be expected. Her position was now one of responsibility, and even if she wasn''t ready she had to learn to swim: sinking wasn¡¯t an option.

    Indigo pulled off her hat and began scratching at the base of her antlers as she began to make her way down the stairs; a bad habit that had resurged recently. She used to do it as a grouchy teenager, until Aqua''s incessant nagging had finally killed it.

    But now that she was gone¡­ the anxiety surged through Indigo again like a punch to the gut, causing her to stumble on the steps. It had been like this every single day since she had read the letter. She would wake up and immediately curl up in bed as her new reality assaulted her. Once she garnered enough courage to face the day, she''d go to Aqua''s old office and dive into the enormous pile of documents and schedules that needed writing, organizing and signing. But the distractions only lasted so long; soon she would remember her mother¡¯s disappearance and find herself curled up on the floor as her stomach curdled with crushing depression.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this¡­¡± muttered Indigo under her breath as she continued down the spiral stairs. It was a long walk, and the fact that the architect had placed the teleportation room at the bottom of the nine hundred steps made it all the more infuriating.

    Even so, she was still struggling to calm her anxiety-induced stomach ache by the time she reached the bottom. There, a complex yet beautiful set of magical circles and runes lay carved into the floor. These were a product of wizardry: carefully aligned runic lines and equations that were designed to teleport anything inside it. Aesthetically it was beautiful; the lines were inlaid with gold and silver, and the floor itself was a complex design of lapis lazuli, agate and black and white marble.

    But Indigo paid the rare stones barely any attention at all, and simply walked over them to reach a dull black iron door that sat hanging half open; an entrance to nothing but a stone wall behind it. Despite the fact it led nowhere, Indigo pulled it shut, pulling out a piece of white chalk as she did so. Then she paused, trying to clearly picture the image she wanted to draw.

    After a moment had passed, she began to mark little white points against the blackened metal, slow and hesitant at first. But as her confidence drew, so did her hand: the lines began to connect in between the dots; some as straight as an arrow, others as curved and meandering as a child¡¯s drawing. Soon a strange yet beautiful network of lines and symbols began to take form; almost like a cluster of constellations intermingling and complementing one another until they came together to create an image. Indigo''s hand moved quicker and quicker, but she often paused to erase and redraw the lines she wasn¡¯t satisfied with. It took her nearly five minutes to finish it as a whole, but this was a precise magic and couldn¡¯t be rushed.

    Eventually her patience finally paid off and she stepped back to survey her work as a whole. To call the image abstract would be an understatement; at first glance it read like a painting created by an insane, bougie arts student. But the longer one stared at it, the more sense it seemed to make. Not on a logical level; no, this was something far more instinctual, emotional. It evoked imagery of a warm fire, like a hearth. Swooping lines seemed to suggest a comforting embrace, or perhaps a guardian angel. But at the bottom, the shapes seemed to meander into mystery, as if unsure where or what they were supposed to be. It was utterly confusing to many; an illustration that made no logical sense but spoke to one¡¯s feelings of safety, security and a desire to return to a home that was suddenly unfamiliar.

    Satisfied at her handiwork, Indigo drew out a wand from her robes. The wand was far from straight; gnarled and twisted, it followed the contours of a tree branch. But the wood itself was cleanly shaved and polished, showing the natural white tone of maple wood that matched pleasantly with its red leather handle wrap. It was clearly a well loved tool, but one that was far from orderly; it evoked imagery of a natural, more instinctual magic.

    Indigo swished the wand back and forth a bit as if warming it up, closing her eyes as she did so. The image in her mind was just as important to get right as the image on the door, and she whispered something under her breath as she concentrated. Then, with a sudden and sharp flick of her wrist she snapped it towards the door. A wisp of smoke accompanied by a light breeze shot out of the wand and collided with the door, causing every single chalk line to glow at once. A loud click was heard, like the sound of a door unlocking, and Indigo gave a sigh of relief: her route home was secure.

    She pulled open the heavy iron door, revealing an open air corridor that wasn¡¯t there a moment ago. She stepped through, letting the door swing shut behind her. As it resealed itself, the abstract drawing burned brightly before fading away as the magic dispersed, its work complete.

 Ch. 18 F: Making Friends

    Zzzzzz¡­ zzzz¡­ zzz- *WHAP*

    Fena growled in frustration as the horsefly mysteriously slipped through her fingers yet again. It was a crafty little bugger; far cleverer than its brethren of mosquitos and gnats who made up for their stupidity in sheer number.

    ¡°Godsdamned-¡±

    *WHAP*

    ¡°What the HELL!!¡±

    Fena¡¯s temperamental grey mare, Eselin, twitched her ears in irritation and yanked her head from side to side. She was in just as foul a mood as her rider; the dust and sweat from the sweltering heat had baked themselves into a nasty hair cake in her mane, and the swarm of flies gorged themselves on the edge of her eyes and nose.

    To be fair, they had plenty of other reasons to be grumpy. The caravan of carriages had been travelling for just over a week and was already three days behind schedule, thanks to its precious charge. Fena had known plenty of spoiled, foul tempered and selfish children before, but if they were handing out prizes the Princess would have won them all. Whenever it was Fena¡¯s turn to ride in the princess¡¯ carriage, the girl would do literally nothing but complain. She whined endlessly, about how the weather was too hot, too cold, too humid or too breezy. The maids were always lazy and the guards were always useless. She even had the nerve to complain about the other mercenaries to Fena¡¯s face, and no doubt complained about Fena to her co-workers when it was their turn in the carriage.

    Once the Princess grew tired of that, she would whine endlessly about how selfish and rude her friends were. According to her, their goodbyes were bland and uninspired, and they probably only wanted to be friends with her for her money. Privately Fena agreed with this last assessment - it was highly unlikely anyone would want to be friends with this girl.

    The Princess¡¯s whining would inevitably turn into ¡®breaks¡¯ that stretched on for ages. Even Rosewell¡¯s pleading and the groans of every single other person in the procession could not stop her; the ¡®breaks¡¯ could number anywhere between five to ten a day, each one eating into their schedule like the princess wolfing down the cake she was served. The hot sun didn¡¯t help matters either; they had spent the last three days travelling through open fields of wheat without a single cloud in the sky. A sight beautiful at first, but quickly grew awful as the heatstroke began to set in.

    And as if matters weren''t already bad enough, Fena''s period decided that now was the perfect time to come knocking. Her¡¯s tended to be somewhat irregular, and the poor timing meant she found herself constantly having to shoving new rags down her pants every time they stopped. At the very least the Princess¡¯s ¡®breaks¡¯ helped in this regard, but the nasty cramps combined with her saddle sores made for a Fena who was fully prepared to kill anything that even looked at her the wrong way.

    zzzzZZZzzz...zzzzZZzzz...zzZZZZZzz- *WHAP* ¡°Fuck!¡±

    ¡°Ferdorald,¡± groaned Fena. The Crow was currently seated behind her, sunning itself above Eselin¡¯s tail and carefully ignoring her.

    ¡°Ferdorald¡­ Ferdorald!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Or was it Fedora? Fedora?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name!¡± exploded the Crow.

    ¡°So? It¡¯s close enough.¡±

    ¡°Why you-! You do realize I¡¯m your only friend right?!¡± came its indignant response from behind.

    ¡°Ha, so that¡¯s what you call it.¡±

    ¡°Wha-?! What else would you call me then?!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Fena paused, seriously contemplating it for a moment. ¡°Stalker? Do you want me to call you that?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?! No!! Call me-¡± The Crow stopped. ¡°Oh hell, why do I even bother¡­¡±

    Fena shrugged, disinterested. ¡°Can¡¯t you eat some of these hell-spawn flying around?¡±

    The Crow stared up at Fena¡¯s back, giving her a stink eye she couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°What am I, a fly swatter? No thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t Crows eat practically anything? I¡¯ve seen you pluck eyeballs out of week old corpses.¡±

    The Crow sniffed, turning its beak into the air. ¡°I have standards.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bloody useless,¡± Fena snapped back as she tried to swat another fly out of the air.

    They were riding at the very front of the caravan, nearly a hundred feet ahead of everyone else. Fena had little patience for the mindless chatter and snickering of the other adventurers, mostly directed at her and the mercenaries. Not that being alone with her thoughts up here was much better.

    A few moments of silence passed, broken only by Fena¡¯s occasional swearing and fruitless slaps.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, you call me useless but I kinda feel like that¡¯s a bit unfair. Where would you be without me?¡± eventually asked the Crow. It fluttered its wings and hopped up onto her shoulder, tilting its head to get a better look at Fena¡¯s face.

    Fena didn¡¯t answer, but her frown darkened.

    ¡°¡®Cause as far as I can tell, we¡¯re heading right back into the lion¡¯s mouth without a plan, without allies and without even a clue of what we¡¯re trying to accomplish.¡± The Crow nipped Fena¡¯s ear, drawing a drop of blood as it did so. ¡°And when we end up trapped in a dungeon being experimented on for the rest of our lives, it¡¯ll be your fault.¡±

    ¡°I. Know.¡± Fena practically snarled in response. ¡°But what do you want me to do? Turn my back on those kids? Pretend they don¡¯t exist while they suffer the way I did? Even if I don¡¯t have a plan right now, it¡¯s better than ignoring them. Besides, you¡¯re the one who rushed me into this! If I had more time then-¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. No, nonono. Don¡¯t pin this on me sweetheart.¡± The Crow¡¯s voice rose sharply in irritation. ¡°This was your choice, and I¡¯m just pointing out all of the flaws in your genius master plan. Such as, the fact that it doesn¡¯t exis-!!¡± Its voice cut off with a squawk as Fena¡¯s hand shot up and seized the Crow by the neck. She shook it, her expression twisted into one of fury.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?!! I may not have a clue about what I¡¯m doing but you¡¯re not a damned spectator!! All you do is whine and complain, but you never help! Not until it''s convenient!!¡±

    Fena¡¯s grip unconsciously tightened as she spoke, her hand squeezing the Crow¡¯s neck as it squawked. But just when it seemed about to break, the Crow suddenly slipped from her grasp as if it had turned to putty. It slid between her fingers and reformed to the Crow¡¯s normal shape so quickly that Fena would have thought she was insane if she hadn¡¯t been holding it. One moment it was in her hand, the next seated on Eselin¡¯s mane in front of her.

    As she stared at it in shock, it gave her a look full of pity. Its head shook sadly as it spoke.

    ¡°I really wish you could see that I¡¯m just trying to help. I know your issues; better than you know them yourself. I¡¯m not a magic bird- I can¡¯t give you the answers. All I can do is tell you when you¡¯re making a mistake.¡±

    Fena dipped her gaze, her head rapidly cooling as she realized what she had done. Yet again, she lashed out violently. Hot shame replaced hot anger as she cursed herself.

    ¡°Why do you keep pushing people away? Do you not want help?¡±

    Fena refused to raise her gaze.

    ¡°No¡­ it''s because you know the truth. You know you hurt anyone who gets too close. But it¡¯s okay.¡±

    The Crow hopped closer, tilting its head into her line of sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, because I¡¯m here. Nothing can hurt me. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re not alone. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be the one who stays by your side.¡±

    Fena¡¯s hand trembled as she hesitantly reached out to stroke the Crow¡¯s head. But the bird did not shy away, instead leaning into her touch.

    ¡°I-I-... I know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ ,¡± it repeated. ¡°Even when everyone else leaves you¡­ you still have me.¡±

    Fena sniffed and hurriedly wiped her eyes as a painful surge of gratitude washed through her. Even though they constantly drove each other crazy, the Crow had never left her. It had been with her since the day her entire world had collapsed out from under her. It was the one thing she hadn¡¯t lost - the only thing that stuck by her side when everyone else had thrown her to the wolves. And despite her endless failings, despite the fact she should have died long ago, it had stayed through everything. She knew she¡¯d be lost without it.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Y-yes. Thank you. I, umm¡­ sorry, I just got some dust in my eye¡­¡±

    The Crow snorted sarcastically. ¡°Suuuuure. Tell you what; I''ll scout ahead, see if I can spot anything interesting.¡±

    Fena nodded as she pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose as the bird fluttered away. But as it left, a sudden and mysterious wave of physical exhaustion washed over Fena. She suddenly felt like she had cried for three days instead of a few seconds, and she found herself tipping ever so slowly forward in her saddle.

    ¡°Are you doing alright up here?¡±

    Fena jolted up at the unexpected voice, spinning around to see Antony riding up behind her atop his extremely friendly black warhorse. She hurriedly ducked her head, quickly wiping her face again to make sure there weren¡¯t any remaining tears. The last thing she needed right now was sympathy.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Just wanted to check in¡­ is your ear bleeding?¡±

    At the reminder Fena quickly wiped off the small amount of blood with the handkerchief and shook her head in dismissal.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a bug bite. See, it¡¯s already healing.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah, the flies are really awful. If we had a breeze it would be much better but¡­¡± Antony gave her a worried glance. He could sense something was wrong, but wasn¡¯t sure exactly what.

    Fena didn¡¯t give him any hints, ignoring his open statement and urging Eselin to walk a little bit faster. Antony did the same, keeping pace with her in silence for a few minutes as he sought a way to start a conversation.

    ¡°Say¡­ umm is everything going okay with you? I can¡¯t help but feel like you¡¯ve been avoiding us over the last few days¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± answered Fena in a curt tone.

    ¡°Really? Because you seem¡­ upset? Is there something bothering you? Maybe I can help.¡±

    Fena looked back at him, annoyance spread out across her face. She didn¡¯t need this interrogation, nor the cheap attempts to win her over. Casual conversation was already a pain, but Antony¡¯s dogged attempts to befriend her were starting to get annoying. Fortunately her time at the Black Kitten had taught her a guaranteed way to get rid of a man¡¯s interest.

    ¡°You really want to know?¡±

    Antony nodded eagerly.

    ¡°I¡¯m on the rag.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± An expression of confusion raced across Antony¡¯s face. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°The rag? Strawberry week? I¡¯ve been touched by the crow?¡± Antony¡¯s confusion only deepened as Fena began listing off euphemisms. ¡°Aunty Flo has come to visit?¡±

    ¡°What, she¡¯s come all the way out here?¡± He looked around, as if searching for an old woman hiding in the grass.

    Fena sighed. ¡°Really? Period! I¡¯m on my period!¡±

    ¡°O-oh.¡±

    Fena looked away blushing, annoyed that she had to say it explicitly. Menstruation was a topic that was taboo for conversation, even amongst women. It was utterly embarrassing to confess, but at least Antony would be so disgusted with her he¡¯d leave her alone. No-one wanted to be around a woman openly willing to admit her impurities.

    ¡°Sorry to hear that. Umm, do you maybe want to ride in the wagon instead?¡±

    Fena looked back at him in shock, her ears in utter disbelief. Antony looked embarrassed and even a little shy, but nowhere to be found was the anger and disgust she had grown used to.

    ¡°What?¡± she asked stupidly.

    ¡°I just thought, sitting in the saddle all day must be pretty painful. If you like I can lead Eselin while you rest in the carriage.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Y-you¡¯re not disgusted?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± He looked a little puzzled. ¡°I mean, it''s a pretty normal thing for women right?¡±

    Fena continued to stare at him with her mouth hanging open, befuddled by his reaction. It was something she had never even thought possible from a man.

    ¡°Wha- How? How do you even know about them?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Antony scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡°Well Anweiran cavalcades can get pretty cramped at times, and having grown up with two other sisters I learned pretty quickly how not to piss them off.¡± He gave an awkward chuckle. ¡°Not to mention Anweiran culture is kind of obsessed with raising a family, so everyone learns about that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Hah?!¡± Now it was Fena¡¯s turn to feel embarrassed. Despite having lived at the Black Kitten for so long, it still felt strange to her to hear a man talk about sex.

    ¡°Do you mean¡­ what do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Antony scratching moved the base of his horns as his blush deepened slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but for Anweirans it¡¯s really difficult to have a child. Because of that, in most Cavalcades it''s really important to the elders that you get married and start trying for kids as soon as you become an adult. My family had a lot of influence because my mother gave birth to three kids¡­ and my siblings and I were expected to do the same. It¡¯s...kind of why I ended up leaving.¡±

    Fena looked at him in surprise. Despite his embarrassed tone, it was obviously an important topic for him and it lit a spark of curiosity in her.

    ¡°Did you not want to get married?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­ it¡¯s not like there was a lack of interest but I grew tired of it, you know? The constant nagging, the matchmaking and just the whole social aspect of it all. I love my parents dearly, but they¡¯re not really the smartest people. So why does everyone come to them for guidance on how to repair a wagon wheel? Just because they were really good at having kids, it¡¯s like they¡¯re the experts on everything! It just seems so¡­ stupid to me.¡±

    Fena nodded awkwardly. The idea that fertility determined social status wasn¡¯t a totally alien concept to her; in a lot of ways it was similar to how nobility treated marriage. To them, continuing their family line was the most important thing, and once they had their heir the rest were just spares. But the idea that the quantity of children one had could determine one¡¯s social status definitely felt strange.

    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad though,¡± said Antony, his gaze now wandering over the long grass of the fields surrounding them. His expression looked lonely, almost melancholic. ¡°Children are loved by the whole cavalcade and greatly prized. Families are also quite closely knit; there¡¯s always a huge celebration for every successful birth. It¡¯s a beautiful community. I just¡­ I just wish I could have the choice, y¡¯know? The chance to decide whether I want that life or not.¡±

    Fena nodded again, but more subdued this time. She had given up on that question long ago, and had no answers to offer.

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re open to the idea though?¡±

    At this, Antony shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I won¡¯t lie, I¡¯ve been keeping my eye out for potential¡­ partners, but I already told you that most people just want a quick fling.¡± He sighed. ¡°As for the people I am attracted to¡­ well I think I have a bit of a saviour complex I have to sort out first.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re looking in the wrong places. I¡¯ve met plenty of men interested in long term relationships,¡± said Fena. ¡°A little too interested,¡± she added, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°What about you then?¡± A look of intimate curiosity leapt onto his face. ¡°Surely someone has caught your eye at some point.¡±

    Fena¡¯s heart jolted in panic as she spoke. ¡°No, there¡¯s no one. And there never will be.¡±

    ¡°Really? I saw the way you¡¯ve been looking at Anna during the past few days.¡±

    ¡°Anna?¡± asked Fena, confused. The small round face of the summoner flashed through her mind, causing her face to grow oddly flushed. ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s a woman.¡±

    ¡°So what? Surely you must have learned about that sort of thing when you stayed at the Black Kitten?¡±

    Fena¡¯s face grew even more heated as she blushed at his implication. ¡°Certainly not. I¡¯m not interested in that sort of thing anyways- stop laughing! Even if I was, I prefer men!¡±

    Antony cackled from atop his horse, the traces of loneliness long gone from his face. ¡°You certainly are the dishonest type! Well, it¡¯s fine to swing both ways,¡± he ended with a cheeky wink.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± huffed Fena, but the face of Anna flashed through her mind once again. There was something about the girl¡¯s honest, eager nature that drew Fena to her in a way she couldn¡¯t quite explain. But she refused to admit it was a romantic attraction- that sort of thing was impossible for her after all. Not after what she had been through.

    ¡°She¡¯s just- I don¡¯t know, she just reminds me a bit about myself¡­¡±

    Antony¡¯s eyebrows rose at this, giving her an expression of absolute disbelief. ¡°Yourself? Cheerful, friendly you?¡±

    Fena swatted at him but she missed as the horses drifted apart. ¡°Not now, idiot. I wasn¡¯t always like this; you wouldn¡¯t recognize me if you had met me five years prior.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Antony leaned forward, curious. ¡°What were you like then?¡±

    Fena sighed. ¡°Stupid and naive, not to mention far more talkative than I am now.¡±

    ¡°Oh come one, tell me more!¡±

    But Fena merely shook her head in response and urged Eselin into a trot, escaping. Antony also squeezed his legs, trying to keep up.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair! You can¡¯t just tease me like that and run away!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already spilled more than I wanted to! Why do you care anyways!?¡±

    ¡°Well I-¡± Antony¡¯s words sputtered to a halt as Fena¡¯s horse suddenly stopped. ¡°I just want to get to know you better!¡±

    Fena turned in the saddle to look at him, her face reverting back to a cold expression. ¡°For what purpose? To find a mate? Sorry, but I¡¯m really not interested.¡± She clicked her tongue again, urging Eselin forward again - but the headstrong horse ignored her this time.

    ¡°N-no¡­ I just want to make friends¡­" Antony flushed, in frustration and embarrassment. He wasn''t lying; he really did want to be her friend, but he couldn''t help but feel that there was something more that drew him to Fena''s rough and broken personality. He sighed. ¡°Fena I-¡±

    ¡°Friends?¡± Fena cut him off. ¡°No. I don¡¯t do friends. It¡¯s a responsibility I have no interest in; at the very most we¡¯re coworkers.¡±

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like you have anything to lose,¡± asked Antony, puzzled.

    ¡°I have plenty to lose. Time, energy, love, and trust,¡± Fena¡¯s expression turned dark again as she spoke. ¡°People are inherently selfish. There¡¯s no point in investing in a friendship if they¡¯ll abandon you when things get tough. In the end, the only thing people really care about are themselves. Even this bloody horse has her own priorities.¡± She clicked her tongue in anger again, kicking and squeezing her legs. But despite her efforts the stubborn animal refused to budge.

    ¡°Come on! Move, you ass!¡±

    Antony sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculously nihilistic perspective to have¡­ and one I think you know is untrue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s served me well enough so far. Now are you going to leave me alone?¡±

    ¡°Fena¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±

    "Fena-!"

    "Just leave me alone already!"

    ¡°No, Fena! Look!¡±

    Fena looked up to see Antony staring intently down the road. She followed his gaze, staring until she spotted it; a dark but distinct shape, rustling in the tall grass nearly seventy-five metres ahead.

    She frowned. ¡°What are you fussing about? It''s just¡­ a¡­ deer....¡±

    It was at that moment that Fena realized that Eselin, her fussy, temperamental horse who loved nothing more than to prance about, was standing stock-still, her ears pressed flat against her head. Fena could feel the horse¡¯s muscles quivering in terror; a pure, instinctual terror that overpowered any creature¡¯s logic entirely.

    Fena looked at the deer again, more closely this time. It was difficult to make out at such a distance but as it began moving closer at a strange, jerky pace, Fena began to feel more and more uncomfortable. There was something strangely uncomfortable about it; a certain wrongness that was difficult to describe. But as it grew closer, she was able to make out more and more features. Features that caused her heart to race, her own muscles trembling in fear and anticipation as they remembered an agony they had suffered not so long ago. It was a sight that brought her both overwhelming terror and... the strangest sense of relief.

    The creature that was once a deer turned its head to stare directly at her with red eyes of pure insanity. It opened its jaws to an impossible width, releasing an unholy screech of horror as black bile poured from them.

 Ch. 19 I: Prying Pallbearers

    Indigo''s door portal had taken her home to the Eastern Campus, home of the Witchcraft and Artificer Departments located on the distant outskirts of the city. The campus was carefully shuffled away from any ''important'' parts of the city; both departments were inclined to have a... negative effect on their surroundings. High concentrations of Witchcraft occasionally made the laws of reality stop working: one could walk for miles only to come out next door, or accidentally wander into next week. Meanwhile the Artificers loved reckless experimentation. A lot. Loud noises and explosions were commonplace, and having bits of metal rain down on one¡¯s head wasn¡¯t very popular with the locals.

    It made for the perfect combination of things city officials and any student with a reputation to uphold want nothing to do with. Why they decided to put explosions and empathetic magic right next to each other was a complete mystery, but the witches and artificers compromised by splitting the campus in two with an impossibly thick wall; thick enough that the witches didn''t have to constantly hear explosions and the artificers didn''t have to worry about their constructs suddenly developing a terminally depressed consciousness.

    The door portal conveniently linked to another door right outside Aqua¡¯s tower; a pudgy round thing that jutted out of a yellow brick two story house. The roof was lined with mossy clay tiles, and a wide variety of colourful vines raced each other to the top of the tower. The property even had its own little garden surrounding it, growing a wide variety of herbs and flowers that were far rarer than they looked.

    The structure was old; Aqua had built it nearly two hundred years ago when she settled down as a professor. Located right on the edge of a huge open field and a collection of buildings known only as The City, one would never guess that it was built right in the heart of the Witchcraft''s side of the Eastern campus. In fact, if one were to fly over top of the campus one would see nothing more than a compound of buildings no bigger than a city block, with a small garden of crops and an orchard.

    But space worked differently within the Department of Witchcraft. Up close, things quickly lost any sense of logic. A small cottage might contain an enormous lecture hall within it, or a huge warehouse might only contain enough space for a mysterious chest. The small garden of crops suddenly became enormous fields of wheat and corn, and the orchard transformed into a dark magical forest full of secrets.

    At its core, witchcraft was not a logical nor sympathetic magic. It was an empathetic magic, one that imprinted the wide variety of wants and fears of the campus¡¯ residents on the very fabric of reality. It created a place that was alive, constantly shifting forgotten corridors and abandoned rooms around. It was a nightmare to navigate for outsiders; even if one knew the secret to navigating it, it was still a difficult task to not get drawn off course and accidentally discover a secret garden or two.

    But Indigo loved this place. It was her home, and the home to many other witches; some of whom had nothing better to do than to hide in their cottages and sneer at the younger witches accidentally stumbling into their ¡®secret¡¯ gardens.

    Such as the gang of half a dozen men and women who were currently crowded around the entrance to Indigo¡¯s newly inherited home. From a distance they looked like a crowd of lost pallbearers thanks to their black robes and depressing cloaks, but their pointy hats gave away their true nature. Indigo¡¯s gut lurched as she drew near; she already felt exhausted from her meeting with the President and this gang of troublemakers was the last thing she needed right now.

    The dour looking witches were banging loudly on Indigo¡¯s iron black door as she approached, their shouts and screeching loud enough to chase off the pair of nesting owls that lived under the eaves of Aqua¡¯s- no- Indigo¡¯s tower.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hide up there forever, Indigo!! We have a right to answers!!¡± yelled a tall, elderly woman with a hook nose covered in carefully cultivated warts. ¡°Aqua would never choose an apprentice to take over her council seat!¡±

    ¡°Ah, actually I-I graduated four years ago¡­ I¡¯m a proper witch...¡±

    The crowd spun around as one at Indigo¡¯s quiet answer, sour expressions of shock and surprise on their faces.

    ¡°Wha- How did you get over there?!¡± shouted an elderly balding man at the back of the crowd.

    ¡°She clearly walked there, Slate!!¡± snapped back the hook nosed witch. She eyeballed Indigo as if daring her to deny it.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Uh- Yes, I walked here. Umm¡­ Miss Oxford, were you folks here for the letter again?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± shouted the witch, marching up to Indigo to jab a finger at her. ¡°As the elders of the Caeruleus Sect, we cannot sit idly by as a mere amateur attempts a coupe deetat right from under our noses!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s pronounced coup d¡¯etat actually-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how it¡¯s spelled!¡± Indigo couldn¡¯t stop herself from flinching as the older woman practically screamed in her face. ¡°Or pronounced, or whatever! I demand you show us the letter Aqua left in her office! And if you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    The witch stepped back, a sneer on her face. ¡°Then it means she never wrote one, because you disposed of her and stole her seat!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Thief!¡± ¡°But I thought she was inside the tower...¡±

    Miss Oxford¡¯s triumphant smile was joined by a variety of jeers from the crowd, as well as Slate¡¯s confused mutters.

    The lump in Indigo¡¯s throat tightened as she stared at the witch in shocked bewilderment, astounded by her train of thought. The idea that Indigo had the motive to ¡®dispose¡¯ of her own mother, let alone that she was powerful enough to even attempt such a thing was absurd, not to mention offensive. There was nothing in the world that Indigo wanted more than to have her mother come home and take this terrible weight off her shoulders.

    ¡°Miss Oxford- I have the letter, but I can¡¯t let you read it. There¡¯s confidential-¡±

    ¡°Trying to cover up your guilt won¡¯t work on me! If you can¡¯t show us the letter, we¡¯ll have you removed from office!¡±

    ¡°I-I-¡± stuttered Indigo. Removed from office? She hadn¡¯t even gotten started!

    ¡°W-what if you talk to the other council members? Like Lady Rust! She can vouch for me!¡±

    ¡°And trust a member of another sect?! This is an internal matter!¡± Miss Oxford sighed and shook her head, somehow managing to look even more insulted than before. ¡°What an outrageous suggestion! If that¡¯s the best you can come up with, you¡¯re undoubtedly unsuited for this job!!¡±

    ¡°W-wait, that¡¯s not-¡± tried Indigo.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± ¡°What a disaster!¡± ¡°Wait, does that mean she wasn¡¯t in the tower when we got here...?¡± The gang of elderly witches promptly followed up like a pack of well trained dogs, except for Slate who was still a little confused.

    ¡°Clearly what this Sect needs is stable, wise leadership! In this time of crisis, we must turn to our elders and seek their guidance!¡±

    Miss Oxford snapped the fan shut and pointed it like a weapon at Indigo.

    ¡°Miss Indigo, you cannot prove that you did not unjustly steal the seat of Sect Leader away from Lady Aqua! As such, I demand a hearing! Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, the wisest members of our great and ancient Sect shall form a coven to determine your guilt!¡±

    Miss Oxford smirked, her victory self-assured. ¡°We¡¯ll have you expelled and install a proper wise leader.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡± Indigo couldn¡¯t believe her ears. How was any of this fair?! ¡°That¡¯s not- you can¡¯t just accuse me and-and not give me a chance to defend myself!¡±

    ¡°Then prove your innocence tonight!¡± Miss Oxford stuck her nose in the air and began walking away, her posse of followers trailing behind. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting to see what kind of excuses you come up with.¡±

    ¡°Excu- what?!¡± Indigo sputtered in astonishment as the morbidly dressed gang of ¡®elders¡¯ made their way back into the city, throwing sneers and faces at her as they went.

    Once the last one had disappeared, Indigo let herself collapse to her knees and stared up at the giant old house. She had once called it her home but now it felt more like an enormous burden.

    ¡°Oh¡­ hell.¡±

    The situation was absurd; beyond absurd and well into the realm of insanity. It was almost like Oxford and her gang were on a different plane of existence. But as ridiculous as this whole situation was, she needed them on her side. The Caeruleus Sect had around sixteen active witches; decent for a medium sized sect, but small enough that the fuss those six were causing was a problem. Not to mention the fact that eight of the Sect members were spread out across the continent, effectively giving these ¡®elders¡¯ even more leeway to do as they wished.

    Indigo choked out a sob of frustration, rubbing her eyes in a vain attempt to prevent her tears from escaping. It was just so¡­ unfair. She hadn¡¯t asked for any of this, and yet everyone was suddenly demanding she prove herself to them!

    Proof¡­ she needed proof. She couldn¡¯t reveal Aqua¡¯s letter; not only would that destroy her mother¡¯s reputation and have her condemned as a criminal, but Indigo herself might end up implicated. But Oxford and her gang were a stubborn bunch; once they had latched on to an idea, only a cold hard slap of reality would make them let go. A decisive blow¡­

    Wait!

    The letter wasn¡¯t the only document Aqua had left behind; there was another letter, one Indigo had delivered to the Council herself: Aqua¡¯s letter of resignation.

    Indigo leapt to her feet and began sprinting for the Council Chambers. Theoretically the letter had to still be there; academy policy was to keep any and all documents, whether it was a letter of resignation or a receipt, in the campus archives. But the Council was notorious for being disorganized, and even such an important document could have easily been shuffled into the wrong pile. Or worse, it was already destroyed by Miss Oxford. Indigo¡¯s heart leapt into her mouth as she considered the possibility- No¡­ it had to be there. It was her only chance.

 Ch. 20 I: A Maze of Truth and Lies

    With panic building in her chest, Indigo sprinted towards the distant tower that housed the council chambers. It was a fairly distinct building; a tall gothic tower poking up from between a huddle of tudor and romanesque buildings that comprised The City.

    From the outside, The City was a total misnomer - the buildings were old, and only numbered a few dozen. From a distance, they seemed small and insignificant; just enough to fill a city block, let alone a whole city. But, like everything else in the Department of Witchcraft, appearances were deceiving. If one actually tried to navigate through it, they¡¯d quickly find themselves in an endless maze of streets, alleyways, and buildings that earned The City its name. One might assume it was bigger on the inside, but that wasn¡¯t entirely accurate either.

    For size was not the only thing that made this magic city unique. The buildings that had housed thousands of people over the centuries, filled with life, death and everything in between, were no longer just structures of wood and stone. No, they had taken on a life of their own, imbued by empathetic magic that defied the laws of reality itself. The ¡®city¡¯ was practically an entirely new lifeform, unknowable and alien, both bigger and smaller than it appeared and one that shifted and responded to the emotions of its residents. And if a witch was feeling particularly stressed or emotional, it¡­ reacted.

    Indigo had run for nearly twenty minutes before she started to notice that something was wrong. She had taken this route to the Council Chambers many times before, and knew it well - but as she moved the tower on the horizon that housed her objective hadn¡¯t gotten any closer. The street she was running along somehow felt¡­ wrong. The usual students and porters that could be seen bustling about were nowhere in sight, and the usual buildings looked slightly¡­ different.

    Indigo¡¯s pace quickened as her fear grew, racing through the old streets and alleyways that had suddenly grown strange. It was little things at first; an old sign pointed the wrong way, or a doorway in a place it didn¡¯t belong. But the further she ran, the worse it became; the houses that lined her route became more and more unfamiliar, twisting into strange alternate versions of themselves. The sun¡¯s lighting began to draw long shadows despite being midday, and an eerie silence settled over a city that was now completely unrecognizable. It was like the world had transformed into a dream of itself; alien, yet somehow familiar at the same time.

    Indigo¡¯s stomach dropped out as she came to a halt in a small brick and moss alleyway. She was lost. Of course she was. Only a blindly panicked rush could have caused the city to react to her like it did, warping her path and dragging her completely off course.

    ¡°Damn¡­ damn damn damn. Oh Indigo, you fool¡­¡± she muttered under her breath. She didn¡¯t have time for this; she needed to find that letter and fast.

    She almost never had trouble navigating The City before. Indigo had only ever gotten lost twice before; once after running away from a fight with Aqua as a young child, and the second time when she returned home from an exam she had studied for nearly three nights straight. Neither experience had been inherently dangerous; after running away, she found a beautiful secret garden where she hid and cried till she felt better. The second time she ended up in a storage room full of nothing but mattresses and pillows. But the true danger revealed itself when she returned home; on both occasions, her passage of time had been completely warped. After spending three hours in the garden she came home to find she was only missing for twenty minutes - but her short nap in the pillow room had turned into three weeks outside The City.

    And right now, time was the last thing she could afford to lose.

    ¡°Come on, please¡­ please let me through¡­!¡±

    Indigo¡¯s stomach lurched as her hands began to tremble; a sure sign that a panic attack was on its way. But she didn¡¯t have time for this; Indigo forced herself to ignore the sensation and staggered forward. She¡¯d be safe at the campus archive if she reached it in time; the more people passed through a building, the more grounded in time and space it stayed.

    Hitching up her robe, Indigo continued down the narrow alleyway that only seemed to be constricting more and more as she progressed. Doubling back would do her no good; the path would¡¯ve already changed. Her only option was to press forward, mentally willing her destination to appear. It was like the campus was actively trying to resist her, closing the walls in around her as she tried to concentrate on her breathing to control her rising panic. She- she could do this. She had to do this.

    The alley was now so narrow that she had to wriggle sideways, her clothes catching on the English ivy that clambered up impossibly high above her. Her breath caught in her chest and she was forced to remove her lovely, comforting hat and hold it sideways as she wriggled from side to side.

    Come on¡­ come on! Take me to the archive!

    The threads of her dress were catching on the rough brickwork as her breasts were painfully squeezed into her chest. She couldn¡¯t even face forward anymore; her head was forced to the right as her antlers caught the ivy and dragged it with her.

    Let me go¡­ Let me GO!

    Just when she thought she was about to be squeezed to death, the alley suddenly ended. A bright light blinded her for a moment as she thrust herself out of the crack and she fell to the ground. But she didn''t hesitate; scrambling back to her feet, she saw she had stumbled into a rough and overgrown courtyard that contained nothing but a green door.

    Indigo paused for but a second before rushing over and throwing her weight against the door.  It gave way almost immediately, and Indigo stepped through-

    *CRASH!!*

    Her foot went straight into a bucket and she tripped, falling onto a clean checkered marble floor. A pile of brooms, dusters and various other cleaning implements came clattering down onto her head, seemingly from nowhere.

    Indigo lay sprawled on the checkered floor, staring up at a distant but familiar atrium ceiling.  She recognized the room as the main entrance of the Council Chambers - close to where she needed to be. She was in the right place- what was the time though? Thankfully, the enormous old mechanical clock on the far wall told her the same hour, of the same day, of the same month, year and lunar cycle. It was a very detailed clock.

    Indigo allowed herself a small smile; she had made it. Whether through sheer determination or pure luck, the city had released her from its maze and dropped her right where and when she needed to be. Looking back, Indigo realized the green door had sent her through a broom closet hidden under the large U-shaped staircase that spiraled to the floors above. The magical cleaning implements she had knocked over were far from happy; a feather duster was frantically trying to beat her over the head while the broomsticks had haughtily returned to their places, radiating as much judgement as a broomstick could. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Sighing, Indigo pulled herself to her feet and cleaned up the mess she made, apologizing profusely to the feather duster until it was satisfied enough to return to its hook. She pulled her hat back on and hurried to make her way up. But just as her boot touched the first step, a distant voice brought her to an immediate halt.

    "I am quite confident in her. The poor thing seems a bit traumatized, but that''s nothing a bit of love and attention won''t fix."

    Indigo''s blood froze as the cheery voice of Lady Snow echoed down the staircase.

    "Hmm, but it is thoroughly unusual. Is the child not too old to have serious potential?"

    The deep rich voice of Lord Goldenrod followed closely behind. From the sound of it they were at least two stories up, but descending steadily.

    ¡°Of course not. In my mind, age is merely a superstition when it comes to recruiting novices. Besides, if I were you I¡¯d waste my time worrying about Aqua¡¯s ¡®protege¡¯ rather than my own little pet project.¡±

    Shit. Shitshitshitshit

    The panic surged back up into Indigo¡¯s chest, stronger this time. She choked, staggering back from the stairs; Snow¡¯s snide comments were the last thing she needed to hear right now.

    "Aren¡¯t you worried about how things are going? The Caeruleus Sect is about to fall apart from within. Their ¡®elders¡¯ have already decided to throw the anweiran out." Snow''s tone of mild concern was doing a poor job of suppressing her glee. ¡°I knew he¡¯d never last.¡±

    Wait¡­ what? How does Snow already know about the trial¡­?

    "Be as it may," answered Goldenrod. "She is still the current leader of her sect. It would not do well if someone were to hear you speculating about her authority."

    A clear peal of laughter echoed down the stairs, growing ever closer. ¡°My dear Lord Goldenrod, you have always been a stickler for the rules! But I think there is no harm in predicting the inevitable, is there?¡±

    Were- were the elders planning this the whole time? Was Snow¡­ helping them?!

    Indigo¡¯s panic intensified and she suppressed a groan as her stomach cramped horribly. Her body was shivering- sweat pouring off her brow as she felt far too hot and far too cold at the same time. The pain spread, sharpening as it climbed into her chest; it was like a knife had buried itself into her lungs, preventing her from breathing. She staggered back down the steps as the voices slowly grew closer. She needed to hide- to get away.

    The sound of Goldenrod sigh growing closer urged Indigo to move faster, back to the maze hidden behind the closet door. Anything was better than being here right now.

    ¡°Your confidence will be the death of you, Lady Snow. You should take more care,¡± answered Goldenrod eventually. ¡°Regardless of that situation, I still have concerns over your ¡®pet project¡¯. Could you even look after her?¡±

    Snow snorted. "Every biological woman has a motherly instinct. I certainly hope you¡¯re not doubting my capacity for love?"

    Goldenrod snorted in return - they were already at the top of the last flight of stairs. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me such a foolish question. You already have your hands full with the military contract. How are you going to take care of a child at the same time?¡±

    Indigo rushed back to the closet door and pulled it open, only to have her heart drop out as she was greeted by nothing but a wooden wall where the green door had just been. For whatever reason, The City had shut the way behind her.

    ¡°Military contract¡­?¡± For the first time, Snow¡¯s voice sounded hesitant. ¡°Y-yes, the military contract. It should be nearly complete. I plan to show it off in a demonstration soon.¡±

    Indigo¡¯s escape had closed off. But it was too late to run elsewhere; she couldn¡¯t afford Snow or Goldenrod, or anyone else to see her in her current state. She clambered into the closet.

    Goldenrod¡¯s voice sounded surprised. ¡°A second demonstration? Did you make changes to the formula?¡±

    ¡°A-a second?¡± answered Snow, her tone now openly confused. ¡°N-no, the formula¡­ required changes, but¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± replied Goldenrod. ¡°But you¡¯re diverting the topic yet again. What are you trying to achieve, adopting some random child?¡±

    Their voices were now right above Indigo¡¯s head. She tugged on the door but the hinges were off balance; it caught in the floor.

    Snow¡¯s tone immediately switched back to a confident one as she answered.

    "I am serious about her. She seems to have been through quite a lot. I believe it''s only natural that I look after that girl. But I also want-¡± Her voice suddenly dropped, almost conspiratorially. ¡°I need her to reach her potential. Aqua is gone, and yet her ghost still lingers here, especially with that sick boy of hers wandering about. I¡¯m tired of hearing about how wonderful Aqua¡¯s so-called ¡®protege¡¯ is. Don''t you think it''s time we stop letting a few individuals tell us what we¡¯re allowed to think? To wash out these old fashioned ideas about people that the old guard propagated?" She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just like what Cerise said when she reformed the Imperial government; ¡®You have to get rid of the old to start with the new.¡¯¡±

    "So you¡¯re looking to steer witchcraft to a place of your own designs," said Goldenrod. ¡°But there are plenty who will disagree.¡±

    Their voices had already passed over Indigo as she desperately tried to pull the door shut, but it remained stubbornly open, forcing her to yank at it in increasing desperation.

    ¡°Let them,¡± answered Snow. ¡°We can¡¯t keep living in the past all the time, Lord Goldenrod, terrified of our powers because of what might happen.¡±

    "How many times have I warned you about your ambitions Snow?" replied Goldenrod. "If it wasn''t for your developments in biological research, I would have led an investigation months ago. Be careful that your words are not misinterpreted as violating the code, or-" his voice cut short as the closet door finally came loose, slamming shut with a bang.

    "Is someone there?" called out Snow, a hint of caution in her tone.

    She hurriedly descended the rest of the stairs with Goldenrod as Indigo held her breath. But it was pointless now; they knew where she was. Her mind raced- she needed to get out of here. She swallowed, trying to contain her anxiety for but a few more moments. She needed a way out; a door out of the closet, yet the only one here led to Snow.

    Wait...

    Quietly, ever so quietly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of chalk.

    Snow approached the closet door slowly, her caution rising despite the silence in the room.

    "Whoever is in there, you can come out. I won''t be mad." She called out, her voice switching back to a pleasant tone. "I just want to make sure you weren¡¯t hurt."

    Indigo leaned against the inside of the door, her hand scribbling away with the chalk as quickly as possible. Gone was the careful precision and caution she had used earlier; now her hand moved with swift and sloppy movements.

    Snow crept slowly closer, her right hand curling up as it prepared a spell. Goldenrod hung back, seemingly uninterested in Snow''s investigation.

    No! I need more time!! thought Indigo as the sound of Snow¡¯s shoes clicked and clacked closer and closer. Feeling desperate, Indigo did the only thing she could think of: she leaned in and whispered quietly into the door. The humidity in the closet suddenly dropped and the sweat on Indigo¡¯s brow dissipated, but the wood let out a creak as its shape changed ever so slightly.

    Snow''s other hand reached out for the handle and slowly twisted it. Readying herself, she gave a violent tug as she prepared herself for the eavesdropper to come tumbling out.

    But to her surprise, the door stayed stubbornly stuck, refusing to budge. She tried again, and the door creaked but refused to give in. She tugged again and again until it suddenly relented, bursting open to reveal¡­

    An empty broom closet. Snow snorted and stuck her hand in, waving it about until she was sure no one was hiding with an invisibility spell.

    "Are you finished interrogating a broom closet?" asked Goldenrod. "We''re going to be late for our meeting with the President."

    Snow hesitated, but Goldenrod¡¯s impatience pulled her away before she could notice the intricate chalk drawing swiftly turning to smoke on the backside of the closet door.

 Ch. 21 F: Terror and Fury

    The cold grip of terror wrapped its claws around Fena¡¯s heart as the sound of the monster¡¯s scream reverberated through the air, rattling her mind with a horror so overwhelming it left no room for thought. It was the sound of a horse being flogged to death by its faithful rider, a child being tortured to death by their once loving parent. It was a noise so illogically vile, so fundamentally disturbing it seemed to carry the very concept of betrayal within it; a sound that dragged out painful memories from the depths of Fena¡¯s subconscious.

    The creature raised its rotted and putrid snout into the air, inhaling deeply. The hot sun had not been kind to the undead thing; its fur had almost completely fallen off, leaving only coarse patches that revealed a rotting black hide. Even worse, the creature¡¯s shape was round and bulging, but not like it was overweight; rather it was like it had gained mass without growing new skin. The hide was stretched painfully tight, as it strained to contain the overwhelming mass of the creature.

    It would¡¯ve been an oddly amusing sight if not so disgusting; strange bulbous protrusions burst out of the former deer¡¯s legs and head, leaking a thick yellowish pus that dried and clotted to the body like candle wax drip. Its teeth had warped as well, growing twice their normal length and stretching the horrific creature¡¯s jaws apart even when closed. This was a creature that was wrong; a mistake of an herbivore that had been seized and overcome by something that was not meant for it.

    The monstrous creature finished sniffing the air before turning its gaze towards Fena, fixing her with a single glowing red eye that leaked black blood.

    An image of the enormous undead bear flashed through Fena¡¯s mind, but her instincts told her that despite the similarities, this thing was far worse. It was a thing of destruction gone haywire, a mistake left uncorrected. It was an insult to nature; a joke that no one wanted to laugh at.

    Fena''s muscles began to quiver as they remembered the agony the bear had wrought, but her instincts screamed that this thing could do far worse. Her heart raced, pumping adrenaline through her body as it begged her to flee.

    But with these instincts came something else. A peculiar emotion, one familiar to her yet much despised. It was a promise; a promise of the inevitable pain that thing was about to bring. A promise of the relief that would come after.

    ¡°Antony.¡± Fena¡¯s voice was small, but tense. ¡°Get back to the caravan. Warn them. I¡¯ll buy you time.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± Antony¡¯s response was slightly delayed, still recovering from the thing¡¯s scream. ¡°No. I can¡¯t leave you here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t argue. We don¡¯t have time for it.¡±

    Antony opened his mouth to protest again, but the words caught in his throat as he saw Fena¡¯s expression. Her eyes were as cold and unshaken as diamond, a glare that would defy even the gods themselves. Shaking his head, Antony reluctantly yanked on his reins, turning his terrified horse around.

    ¡°Fine. But ONLY to distract it. Don¡¯t try to fight it alone, okay? We face it as a team.¡±

    Fena gave a vague nod, but Antony could tell she was barely paying attention anymore. Sighing, he turned his horse around and galloped back down the road, his warhorse eager to flee as quickly as possible.

    Eselin made to follow, but a firm squeeze of Fena¡¯s legs held her in place. The horse was panicking, but not enough to defy her rider; something about Fena¡¯s atmosphere had changed from a grouchy and distracted temper to a laser focused killing intent.

    The monster began lumbering towards her, its gait awkward and slow. Its legs barely moved properly, hindered by the warped proportions of the creature they carried, and yet their movement was determined, unstoppable. It opened its rotting jaws again and let out another unholy scream, this one louder and more piercing than the last.

    The terror still coursed through Fena¡¯s veins, but its energy was transforming from anxiety to anger. This thing, this insult to life brought her a visceral emotional reaction. Its scream wasn¡¯t just a noise; it was an emotion, one that she was all too familiar with. She hated it: hated the monster for making her feel this way, hated the memories it brought up and above all, hated herself for needing the pain it brought. Deserving it.

    A sharp kick of Fena¡¯s heels sent Eselin snorting and prancing forward unwillingly. Despite the horse¡¯s resistance, she managed to get her to gallop towards the lumbering mass, drawing her Zweihander out as she did so.

    Fena¡¯s heart leapt into her mouth as they drew closer, the mix of rage and fear growing in her mind. Doubt began to seep in as the sheer insanity of her actions set in, and a small part of her considered stopping the frenzied gallop and returning to Antony and the others. If they fought together, Fena wouldn¡¯t have to put herself at risk and they could defeat it as a group.

    Why was she even doing this to herself? Would it ever stop¡­?

    Haven''t I suffered enough?

    But as reason began to creep in, a familiar black shape swooped through the air in front of her.

    ¡°Come on!! Kill it!!¡± The Crow¡¯s voice was full of energy, both anxious and excited. ¡°You need this!!¡±

    The creature was only a few metres away now, yet Fena¡¯s grip on the sword was still hesitant. Deep down, a part of her still resisted: a part that knew she didn¡¯t want to keep doing this to herself. And yet-

    ¡°DO IT!!¡± screamed the Crow and Fena leapt from the saddle as a scream of frustration tore from her throat. The tip of the sword slammed into the monster¡¯s forehead, the full weight of Fena¡¯s momentum behind it. She could feel her arm sockets yank as her body came to a sudden halt, and her grip on the handle slipped.

    Before she knew it, she was tumbling head over heels across the monster¡¯s back and onto the hard gravel road behind it. She could feel her skin tear as the rocks ripped into her, and instinctively moved to protect her head from the fall until she came rolling to a halt.

    Another scream echoed out across the field, piercing Fena¡¯s eardrums until they bled and filled her head with a monotone ringing. She scrambled away from the monster and pulled herself back to her feet; she didn¡¯t have time to check her injuries, and her adrenaline prevented the pain from registering.

    Looking back at the monster, Fena was shocked to see that the Zweihander had embedded barely an inch into its forehead. With her strength and momentum, the hefty sword should have shattered the creature¡¯s skull; yet the vast majority of it still stuck out of the monster¡¯s head like an oversized, cursed unicorn.

    As Fena watched, gravity regained control of the blade and it clattered to the ground, leaving nothing behind but a seemingly insignificant wound. The deer shaped thing tossed its head and snorted, or tried to; its bulging, oversized neck seemed to allow for very little movement. Nonetheless the monster managed to turn itself around, keeping her in its vision.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    But that was far from the worst thing that happened. To Fena¡¯s horror, the wound she had left behind began to twitch and move. Tendrils of muscle and flesh seemed to shift and move beneath the deer hide, converging on the wound like snakes. Fena watched closely, expecting the wound to heal then-

    *SQuelcH*

    With the sound of wet tearing flesh, the wound suddenly burst open, spraying wriggling tendrils of flesh nearly ten feet into the sky. It looked like a giant bonsai tree made of purplish flesh, fueled by pitch black veins that ran up its length - only it was moving, wriggling and convulsing in the air.

    The deer thing snorted and fixed her with a glare of deadly rage. The tendril¡¯s movement was aimless at first, but as soon as the monster focused onto Fena they responded, shooting towards her with shocking speed. Fena tried to leap back but the flesh was too quick; the largest tendril wrapped around her left wrist and squeezed.

    Fena let out a scream of agony as the bones in her hand instantly shattered under the tendril¡¯s immense strength. Her hand could offer no resistance as it was crushed like an egg; the tendril was nothing but pure exposed muscle, superpowered and incredibly dense. Her other arm grabbed it, trying to pull herself free- but the monster had other plans. Smaller tendrils, outgrowths of the main branch, began to snatch for her, trying to restrain her body. She desperately kicked them away, dancing and twisting her body as much as her captured arm would allow.

    Fena clawed at the tendril with her right hand, trying to pull it off her, but the muscle tightened its grip, squeezing harder and harder. Even worse, the smaller tendrils were growing more accurate in their attacks; dodging them was quickly becoming impossible. Her hand went to her waist for one of her short swords, but before she could draw one another tendril lunged for her hand, seemingly aware of Fena¡¯s intentions. She tried again, and again, but each time another tendril forced her to dance and twist away, rendering access to her weapons impossible.

    Her frustration grew, as did her panic; she was quickly becoming overwhelmed and the prospect of being completely enveloped by this thing, feeling her bones shatter and pierce her own organs as she was crushed in darkness, frightened her to the core.

    A surge of terror and fury ran through her at the thought, and in a moment of sheer desperation she wrapped her free hand around the main tendril that held her captive and began to squeeze it back. A couple of smaller tendrils wrapped around her arm and legs as her movement slowed- though they were not strong enough to crush her, she could feel the severe bruises they inflicted as they began to cut off her blood supply.

    The main branch of muscle didn¡¯t respond at first; it was so dense that Fena¡¯s fingers didn¡¯t even make a dent. She squeezed harder and harder, trying to crush the incredibly strong flesh with her own pure strength. It was a insane idea, born from sheer desperation; but the anger and fear burning within overpowered almost any logical thought. But Fena¡¯s instincts weren¡¯t stupid.

    Whatever the deer thing was, from its twisted and disturbing proportions a part of Fena suspected it had far too much mass for its body. Those suspicions only deepened when its skin was pierced by the sword and the excess flesh was forced out into these twisted tentacles. Fena had no clue what kind of twisted magic had kept that mass contained until now, but whatever it was, it was powerful. Very powerful.

    But despite its immense strength, Fena wasn¡¯t giving up - after all, her ¡®blessing¡¯ had a few more benefits than just healing. Her knuckles strained, turning white as they conveyed a ludicrous strength of their own, squeezing the tendril of muscle as Fena let out a scream of agony.

    The muscle finally began to respond - the black veins along its surface began to burst and the purple flesh darkened. The deer-thing let out what could only be described as a yowl; it began to shake and jerk about, but its own weighty body hindered its movement. It began to grow desperate; just above where Fena was squeezing, tiny tendrils shot out from the main branch, flailing and battering at her grip. Though they were weakest yet, they still riddled her hand with more purplish bruises.

    In response Fena tightened her grip even more. Her shoulder and bicep muscles bulged and rippled in protest as she pulled and squeezed, and she had long lost sensation in her hands. The attacks of the other tendrils grew wild and desperate; Fena¡¯s other limbs and torso cried out in pain as the tendrils imprinted themselves onto her flesh. On and on it went - a battle of endurance, and pure strength between two shockingly powerful foes. But Fena could feel herself begin to give way; any moment longer and she would-

    ¡°GAAAAAOOOOORLLLLLL!!¡±

    With a bellow of agony, the enormous tendril suddenly went slack, releasing her now completely ruined left arm.

    But despite the opportunity, Fena didn¡¯t let go. With a growl of her own she yanked with her good arm, pulling the monster off its poor balance and to the ground. The creature was so heavy it felt like pulling down a house, but Fena didn¡¯t care; the burning fury triggered by this thing had sent her into a hazy state that could only be described as bloodlust.

    She stomped onto the tendril with her foot, holding it down as she began to pull the tendril apart. The other tendrils were no longer attacking her; instead they squirmed away from her, abandoning the large one she clutched in a death grip. Again her muscles screamed out in protest, but she could hardly feel the pain now; she only wanted to destroy this¡­ thing.

    Another scream of rage tore from her throat as she pulled and pulled. The tendril jerked about, trying to escape her, but there was none to be found - with a terrific rip, the tendril came apart, spraying a vile black blood across everything in the vicinity.

    Clutching her damaged wrist Fena staggered back, regaining her senses as she watched the monster struggle to clamber back to its feet. It seemed to be moaning, or at least the closest approximation the creature could make. The tendrils from its head wound had all gone limp, hanging uselessly from its head as the blood from the destroyed tendril poured out like a river, squeezed out from the insane pressure within the monster¡¯s body.

    ¡°Shit,¡± swore Fena under her breath. A wave of dizziness overcame her as she returned to her senses; her left arm was nothing but a tangled ruined mess of shattered bone and flesh. She had learned something, but she was still no closer to defeating the monster than before - she would need a cannon to pierce into the monster¡¯s core.

    ¡°Crow!¡± She shouted. ¡°I need ideas here!¡±

    ¡°Do I look like a philosopher?! You need to stab the core!!¡±

    ¡°Genius!¡± she growled back. ¡°How do I pierce its body?!¡±

    ¡°You think of somethin-¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± snapped Fena. She was wasting her time. The weapons on her were too small to have any effect. She couldn¡¯t stab it properly with only one hand anyways - even her first attack atop a charging warhorse had only left a small wound. The monster was practically invulnerable to piercing attacks, not to mention said warhorse was nowhere in sight.

    Except the Zweihander was her only realistically viable weapon. If only it was a pilum instead - that would¡¯ve at least had a chance of success¡­ As that thought rushed through her head, the beginning of an idea formed. But she needed her weapon back.

    She raced forward, past the monster that was still trying to get to its feet, and scooped up the sword. Sprinting down the road, she tried to buy as much distance as possible from the monster.

    She couldn¡¯t get far; only twenty metres or so when she heard that bone chilling scream echo out behind her. It wasn¡¯t much, but it would have to do. Leaping into the ditch, Fena grabbed the butt of the sword and slammed it into the grassy bank, its point aimed as closely as possible to the monster as the thing lumbered into a charge.

    A shout interrupted Fena¡¯s focus, and she looked back to see Antony and Avairy galloping towards her atop a very reluctant warhorse, followed by the rest of the mercenaries on foot. She scowled and waved them off; the last thing she needed was them drawing away the beast¡¯s attention. Fortunately, the thing seemed to have a one track mind; infuriated by the loss of its tendril, it was utterly focused on her. It grew closer and closer, lowering it warped and twisted antlers towards her and letting out another disgusting scream. The noise sent Antony¡¯s horse rearing into the air, sending his riders tumbling to the ground, but Fena paid them no attention; the monster was almost upon her and she leaned back, holding up the long blade with her one good arm.

    The creature slammed into the spear and Fena dived to the side as it just barely missed her. This time though the blade was far more effective; using the monster¡¯s weight and momentum against it, it buried itself deep into the monster¡¯s chest.

    The reaction was almost immediate. It was like a bomb had gone off as the deep puncture wound suddenly released an enormous amount of pressure and the densely packed flesh of the monster exploded outwards into enormous tendrils. Fena was thrown back, but as she scrambled onto her feet she could already tell that nothing was left of the deer¡¯s entire upper body. Nothing but an enormous wriggling mass of purplish flesh and tentacles that stretched up high into the air.

 Ch. 22 F: A Cowardly Sacrifice

    The mountain of flesh tendrils flailed about in the air, blindly lashing out in every direction. Fena scrambled back, just barely dodging a tendril the width of her body as it slammed into the earth beside her. A feeling of crushing regret crept over her as she crab-scurried back from the wall of flesh- instead of letting the monster impale its core on the sword like she had hoped, she had merely revealed what was truly inside the former deer: a writhing, blackened mass of ever-expanding flesh.

    Antony scrambled back up to his feet, hauling up the little elf as he went. His horse was nowhere to be seen, having wanted nothing to do with the monster, but at the very least they still had their weapons. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation the two mercenaries rushed towards the monster in perfect synchronization- Antony in front with his spear levelled straight at it and Avairy sweeping off to the left in an attempt to encircle the monster.

    Its tentacles flailed about in rage and pain, forcing the pair to dodge and weave like leaves on a wind. The writhing mass of flesh was completely blind, unaware of where its opponents actually were, but a slash of Avairy¡¯s swords drew their attention onto her- all the tendrils dove towards her at once, forcing her to leap back.

    Using the distraction he was given, Antony sprinted towards Fena, who was still struggling to get back to her feet. He grabbed the closest arm he could reach and dragged Fena clear of the tentacles, unfortunately not noticing how horribly mangled it was under the thick layer of black gore that now coated the woman from head to toe. Fena couldn''t suppress a slight scream from escaping her lips as Antony pulled her up, but she shook him off once she regained her footing.

    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±

    Fena dismissed the concern with a quick jerk of her head. "Fine- be careful, those flesh tentacles are insanely strong," she gasped, breathless from the pain.

    "How do we kill it?" asked Antony, taking her words for granted. He had no time to question what happened or what the monster was. Fena shook her head as she watched Avairy dodge and dance between the monster¡¯s tendrils like a graceful ballet dancer. Its movements were blind and indiscriminate, yet they still seemed to be able to track the elf¡¯s movements perfectly.

    "I- Give me a moment and I¡¯ll figure it out¡­."

    ¡°Let me call Devurst,¡± interjected Antony. ¡°He might be able to help-¡±

    ¡°No time!¡± Fena scowled. ¡°I can do this on my own!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for- Look out, Avairy!"

    Antony¡¯s shout came too late as a sly tendril of flesh ducked under the elf''s guard and smashed into her ribs, unfurling like a whip as it did so. Fena heard an audible crack as the elf was sent flying across the road and into the ditch wall with a violent thud. But the monster was already after her again- before her body even hit the ground it unleashed a terrifying swirl of blackish violet tendrids that eagerly hunted her body.

    Antony leapt in to save her, but Fena was faster- closing the distance with the monster in nearly an instant, she swung a wild haymaker with her one good hand into the mass of the largest tentacle with all the fury and fear she could muster behind it.

    *Boom!*

    It felt like punching a granite rock- Fena let out another cry as the bones in her hand cracked against each other. But the tendril¡¯s reaction was much stronger; it immediately recoiled, an enormous dark and purplish bruise forming where her fist had landed. Fena could see new tendrils growing within the muscle she had punched, seeking to heal the damage she had dealt by replacing it. But there was no wound for the tendrils to escape from; unlike the prior attacks, her injury had not punctured a hole, and so the new tendrils had nowhere to go. Suddenly the entire tentacle began to twitch and jerk about as new flesh grew within old, fighting each other for space. A strange yet horrifying moan of pain emitted from where the creature''s mouth used to be, and Fena stepped back as the tendril she had punched began to flail about uncontrollably.

    Unlike the bear, this monster only seemed to know how to grow muscle. Its hide was incredibly tough to stretching damage in order to contain the pressure within, yet seemed to be weak to piercing attacks- like how it was easy to poke a hole through a piece of paper yet far more difficult to pull it apart. As such, the monster¡¯s biology sought to fill its puncture wounds with flesh, and packed its internals so densely that nothing could break much further past its skin. But now that there was no hole from which the new flesh could escape¡­

    A malicious grin came over Fena''s features. All she had to do now was punch it- The monster''s regeneration would do the rest.

    Without a single word to the others, Fena began wildly attacking it with everything she had. Kicking, punching, even headbutting it; nothing was beneath her. She even used her ruined arm, elbowing the monster with it while ignoring the pain with gritted teeth. She didn''t care; the pain was fuel to her- fuel to her rage, her hate, and the burning desire to destroy both the monster and herself.

    The monster switched its attention away from Avairy, sending all it had towards this new threat. Antony rushed to check on the wounded elf as Fena attacked like a wild feral beast, covered in gore and dealing as much violence as physically possible. No longer was she trying to dodge the monster¡¯s limbs- no, now each limb was met by a fist, each feeler blown away by an elbow- it was carnage in its purest form.

    Gurgles and screeches emanated from the pile of flesh as Fena let out a scream of rage herself. The creature¡¯s limbs twitched and bubbled as the tendrils within fought to escape, destroying themselves in the process. Before long it couldn¡¯t even defend itself anymore, having completely lost control of its own tentacles; all the thing could do was curl in on itself as the battle quickly devolved into a one sided beatdown. The creature of pure terror was now a victim in the face of something far worse.

    Having pulled Avairy out of the battle, Antony rushed back to help, his spear at the ready- but stopped upon seeing the effectiveness of Fena¡¯s strategy. He was no fool on the battlefield, and so it took but a moment for him to drop his favourite weapon and join in on the melee.

    But as soon as his fist struck the monster¡¯s flesh, he let out a yelp of pain as his knuckles fractured against the monster¡¯s skin. There was no way he would be able to keep up with Fena- his punch had done barely any damage anyway. Despite being an athletic male anweiran, his strength was nowhere near close enough to inflict the damage that Fena was. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Antony took a step back as he watched the destruction. Fena was more demon than human as she let hell loose upon the monster; her eyes were bloodshot, and spittle flew from her gritted teeth. Her fists were a bloodied mess of torn skin and exposed bone- at least, the parts that could be seen under the thick layer of black viscous gore that belonged to the monster. Avairy stumbled up behind him as he did so, clutching her rib from where she was hit.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­ the fuck is she¡­?¡± whispered the elf, astonished by the disturbing display. ¡°Some kind of berserker?¡±

    ¡°She certainly fights like one¡­ but even berserkers aren¡¯t that strong,¡± answered Antony. ¡°But that thing is still alive so I don¡¯t know how long-¡±

    *CRACK*

    A loud crackling sound was heard -almost like a snap- and all the fleshy tendrils of the creature suddenly collapsed to the ground. Fena didn¡¯t notice at first; her fists continued to swing, over and over again, until she realized that her fists were now sinking into normal, soft flesh. Whatever internal force that had been holding the monster together and driving it forward had shattered, and the flesh released all its tension at once; like its entire body had simply unclenched. Like the bear, the pile of meat that was once a deer immediately began to decompose, but this time much faster. A horrible stench erupted into the air as the meat took on a variety of concerning colours and turned into a foul liquid that seeped into the ground.

    ¡°What. The fuck,¡± came Avairy¡¯s voice.

    Fena didn¡¯t respond as a wave of dizziness washed over her, the consequences of her adrenaline fueled battle now checking in as her own tension faded. She groaned and bit her lip as she took a look at her arms; her left one had lost its hand, having finally been torn off during the rage fueled violence. Blearily she looked around for her hand- there it was, lying not too far from the monster¡¯s corpse. She scooped it up before the other two noticed. Her other hand was still attached at least, but she could see the white bone of her exposed knuckles.

    Fena let gravity overcome her and collapsed onto her butt, curling her body around her ruined left arm to hide it as she did so. Hidden from view of the others, she held her left hand against the stump of her wrist and waited. It would take a few minutes for her healing to reattach it.

    ¡°The fuck was that thing¡­¡± said Avairy, poking what remained of the body with her sword. A small gout of black blood burst from where she punctured the flesh, but quickly trickled away into nothing. Antony sighed and shook his head, kneeling down next to Fena as he did so.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to know to be honest. That was¡­ something, Fena. Come on, let¡¯s get you to Anna. She needs to take a look at you.¡±

    But Fena shook her head, shirking away from him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just get me a bandage or two.¡±

    Antony frowned. ¡°What are you talking about¡­ your fists must be ruined.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a flesh wound, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s FINE!¡± snapped Fena. The anweiran took a step back with a shocked and hurt expression. A pang of guilt ran through her at the sight, but it was quickly overruled by the annoyance at his care; she didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s attention. Avairy had taken an injury as well- why wasn¡¯t he doting on her?

    Avairy grabbed Antony¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back. ¡°Come on, leave her be, Antony.¡±

    ¡°I-¡± started Antony again.

    ¡°Give her a moment, okay? Besides I think I broke a few ribs over here," said Avairy with surprising sensitivity to Fena''s thoughts. She pulled the anweiran away, leaving Fena alone in her pain.

    "The elf is cleverer than she looks," commented the Crow from where it perched on the monster''s remains. It cocked its head slightly, before bending down and tearing off a chunk of rotting, putrid flesh.

    "Ughfhh. Thastes kind of¡­ wubbery," it enunciated as it choked down the decaying meat. Fena didn''t respond, curled around her wrist as it healed. It felt like little bolts of electricity were running through her limb as the nerves reconnected, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of soreness caused by her muscles regrowing and reattaching. It was¡­ unpleasant- disgusting even. Far too familiar to the monster she had just killed.

    "Wowee¡­ crazy what the human body is capable of, huh?" said the Crow as it watched Fena gasp and groan in pain. "Well, if it actually was capable of that¡­ you''re something else entirely."

    "I- know-," groaned Fena as she felt her wrist bone click back into place.

    "Still, I knew you could do it! You should''ve had more faith in me from the start! Now you''re the hero that saved the day, all on your own. Just like you wanted, right?"

    "Wh- what?" Fena looked up at the bird with an expression of pained confusion.

    "That''s what this all was about, right? The whole, ''No! I can do this on my own!'' shtick you shouted earlier. Why else would you have sent your only ally away at the start of the fight?"

    "N-no¡­ no I just-¡±

    ¡°No? No¡­ no, it was because you wanted to protect them, right? To keep them safe from the big bad scary monster.¡± The Crow cocked its head again, its tone turning patronising. ¡°Some people might take offence to that, you know. The fact that you think your friends can¡¯t look after themselves.¡±

    Fena shook her head desperately, trying to voice her objection from between gritted teeth.

    ¡°No- I- If I can¡¯t die, why should anyone else risk their- their lives- to help?¡±

    The Crow answered her with a snort. "Sure. The valiant heroine sacrificing herself for everyone else. It''s a pretty good narrative."

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡±

    Fena looked up to see Rosewell riding up with a gang of adventurers behind him. A wrinkle on his nose at the smell tainted his heroic expression, but he nonetheless carried with him the air of a beloved, charismatic leader. It made Fena want to bury herself in the dirt to hide her filthy wreck of a body.

    ¡°What the hell- Antony, did I not order you to wait for the rest of us?!¡±

    Antony looked up and frowned, his usual cheery expression having long disappeared. ¡°Fena was in danger. If we waited, we wouldn¡¯t have made it in time.¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been in danger if she hadn¡¯t charged off on her own in the first place!¡± snapped Rosewell. He gave Fena a gaze of pity mixed with frustration. ¡°Fena -look- I know you feel the need to prove yourself to us, but this is just reckless. Not only did you endanger yourself, but Antony and Aviary as well. Please don¡¯t be so selfish next time, okay?¡±

    A wave of humiliation washed over Fena, quickly followed by anger- at Rosewell, for lecturing her while his hands were still clean, at Antony for his meddling concern, and at herself, for feeling this way in the first place. She pulled herself to her feet, clutching the still healing hand under her other arm, and began stumbling her way back to the carriages.

    ¡°Hey! Are you even listening to me?!¡± called Rosewell.

    ¡°We get it, twat,¡± interrupted Avairy. ¡°But Fena¡¯s one of ours. We¡¯ll deal with her shit ourselves.¡±

    Rosewell flushed at this, frustrated at being denied. ¡°Respectfully, Miss Aviary, I was put in charge of this mission by the King-¡±

    ¡°And respectfully, you can shove it-¡± Avairy snapped back, stopping only when Antony put a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°What Aviary is trying to say is that as mercenaries, we deal with our own matters internally,¡± said Antony placatingly. ¡°Fena¡¯s behaviour was questionable, I agree, but it¡¯s an internal company matter. We¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°I am your Captain-¡± argued Rosewell, but Antony was ready.

    ¡°Yes, you have been placed in charge of this specific mission. You have the ability to order us around the battlefield. But at the end of the day, we answer to Lady Andrea Montegrie, and if you have a complaint with one of our members, you can take it up with her. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±

    Rosewell watched as Antony swept past him, pulling Avairy who was making various rude gestures with him.

    ¡°Want me to stop them?¡± asked one of the adventurers, but Rosewell shook his head.

    ¡°No¡­ just get this mess cleaned off the road. We need to keep moving.¡±

    The adventurers nodded and set to work, none of them noticing, or perhaps daring to question why Rosewell¡¯s knuckles had whitened on the hilt of his sword.