The beautiful lands of the Celestial Vale stretched out before her eyes. Kagura took a deep breath, warding off the unpleasant sensation of the teleport spell. Her lungs sang with the inherent magic in the air when she released it and her lips curved upward in a pleased smile.
It was a difficult matter to get into the realm, as it was used only for training rookies for the war against the wraiths. Even so, she could tell all the trouble had been worth it. The humiliation of being grouped together with young, inexperienced warriors and mages was nothing compared to what she could sense in the air. It was so different to the old, stale magic of Perfect World that she had been so used to. The most powerful of ancient spells found peppered around some of the older dungeons paled in comparison.
Exerting her control over the earth, she felt for the ground's leylines – lines connecting anchors of magic deep beneath the surface that formed an intricate web spanning the entirety of the land they belonged to. In Perfect World, the leylines often dimmed to near non-existent levels if you were in an area far from any big magic sources, such as old dungeons or large cities, with nodes of power spread so far apart. Here, she needed to but lightly tap the leylines for them to suddenly come to life, lighting up to distances she had never been able to see to before. It made her giddy with surprise and joy, so much so that she nearly jumped and giggled. It would have been undignified for her as a senior wizard, however, so she caught herself before she could do something that silly.
A quick glance around her told her that the rookies were being gathered up and sent to their respective guides. Well, that's fine, she thought. I'm not going to stick around much longer anyway. She walked away from the commotion, heading for the main square in a gait that conveyed 'd learned a very long time ago that no one would question you if you looked like you belonged. A nervous look would garner suspicion, which would in turn lead to questioning.
Her pataka was slung firmly over her back and she reached out to run her fingers over it, relishing the sensation of power that came with it. Silence of Frost was a good weapon, and even though she was much more comfortable casting with only her hands, having a stick to hit someone with as a last resort was a very good thing to have.
After having seen some of the weapons the rookies were bringing, she hadn't bothered to shroud her own, seeing as it was far from the fanciest or flashiest around. The same did not apply to her own characteristics, as the look of a new, untested warrior was not one she pulled off very efficiently. Several centuries of experience tended to do that. That was why she now looked around ten years younger than usual, with straw-coloured hair and a sun-burnt face. Last she checked, that was the general look of female children in and around Etherblade city. Then again, that had been around ten years ago…
Kagura snuck a glance at the people milling around the streets. No one looked at her, going along with their daily lives, so she allowed herself to relax just a bit.
The disguise is sufficient enough, then. Good.
She picked a direction and started walking, following the leylines rather than relying on only her eyes. With the amount of magic she could feel around her, she heavily doubted that anyone would notice some of it going missing, and even if they did, she'd most certainly not care for their opinion.
Her path led her past a main square, which was dominated by a large circle made of what looked to be granite. Outlining it were statues of dramatically posed people, two of every race. She paid little attention to the stonework, however, because the edge of the settlement was in view ahead, tempting her with limitless possibilities.
Kagura paid no attention to the people on the city outskirts until a man grabbed onto her hand, twisting her around. She recovered from the surprise quickly enough, suppressing her urge to burn something human-shaped and close-by with some regret. She sent him a look that could freeze water, perfected with centuries of experience.
"I'm fairly sure that no beginner wizard would have the prowess to wield Silence of Frost." His tone was flat, the words having no inflection. His face showed no emotion, no indication that the glare had any effect. Kagura was rather impressed.
"Similarly, I have not seen an invitation to any of the more powerful beings in your world. Pray tell, what is it that you want from here?"
By the left testicle of Pan Gu, he actually noticed Silence of Frost.
Kagura mulled over the situation she'd landed in. Continuing the charade she was playing would be difficult at best, impossible at worst. Even if she managed to convince this man that she was just another new arrival, mesmerised by the beauty of the landscape, she'd just be placed back with the rookies for training and what not. Patient she was, but not patient enough for that. If she failed at convincing him, then a fight was almost guaranteed. Not that she thought that there was anyone here to really stand in her way, but the little annoyance of having to potentially kill everyone in this realm was a bit too much.
With options ranging from bad to worse, she picked the one that would do the least damage at that moment and simply remained silent.
"Not only that, but your posture belongs to that of a seasoned veteran of war. No honourable warrior would sneak into another's home, never mind lie to it's inhabitants."
His words ignited a spark of anger inside Kagura, but she suppressed it with practiced ease. Honour? The thing that got people killed?
A wizard's emotions were dangerous indeed, so she kept a carefully neutral face while she thought. Whoever this man was, she already knew that he could see right through the disguise she'd woven around herself. Impressive in it's own right. And if he could see right through it, then why would she need to keep it up any longer?
With that reasoning, she allowed her illusion to drop, focusing on the man's face as she did so.
Upon seeing this changed appearance, the man's eyes widened imperceptively. Kagura, having lived for more than long enough to have learned every trick in the book and then some, noticed the change in his expression and quirked her eyebrow slightly to show her surprise.
"You seem to know me."
"Kagura Yamasama." Well, by Pan Gu's beard. He does know me. I wonder how? "You would steal into the Celestial Vale."
"Well, you appear to know me, so you must know something more about me than just my face and name. Is it so unacceptable for me, then, to have come here out of sheer curiosity?"
He swallowed uncertainly, and that lapse in the cold, detached mask of his made Kagura push forward, ready to use any ground he gave her.
"It would appear that I am famous even here. Tell me, why was it forbidden for any but the newest of warriors to enter?"
The man's eyes flicked up towards the main square, where the recruits were starting to gather together. Villagers fussed around them, giving out armour sets and weapons. A steady stream of chatter came from the group, too far to make out individual words but close enough to hear.
„This place is our home. Do you think that it would continue to be so if everyone was permitted entry?"
Some of his former strength returned as he visibly pulled himself back together. Kagura watched as he straightened, some resemblance of his conjured mask reforming on his face.
"I'm afraid I must bring this up with the elders. This is transgression at the highest level."
Really? Kagura had explored some of the most dangerous places in Perfect World and not only come out alive, but thoroughly looted the places of all useful magic. She triumphed where others fell, and if she had to dodge attacks all throughout the Celestial Vale, wherever she went, then that was what she would do.
However, as she had prepared to Distance Shrink, she could suddenly feel something deep in her connection to the earth. There was something in the forest, further from the village than she'd bothered to extend her senses to. It had no direct connection to the earth, but it warped and twisted the leylines and magic around it nonetheless. It felt deeply wrong, even to her.
"There is something in the forest." Kagura kept her tone even. "Deeper inside in that direction. It feels like a Wraith, and a strong one at that."
The man paled and looked in the same direction. His mask shattered as he grabbed for a crystal from his robes with frantic motions, face twisted with worry, but Kagura found no joy in seeing it. In all her 400 years of living, the only time she had come across such a presence was a very long time ago.
That was the one time she hadn't triumphed. Merely survived.
And yet, when she examined the presence closer, she found glaring differences. The thing in the forest felt much less menacing, for lack of a better description. It didn't so much exude the power it itself had as it couldn't control the power it had gotten all of a sudden. That meant that, at least from what she could gather from all the way away from the thing, it was simply a powerful being who had been corrupted by the soul-bending power of the Wraiths, lending it excess amounts of magic to release into the surroundings.
Next to her, the man was busy staring into the crystal. He flinched when its bluish-green colour turned an angry red. Gaze contemplative, he looked once more to the rookies, before seemingly making up his mind.
"Follow me." He placed a hand on Kagura's shoulder, withdrawing it when she turned her head to look at him.
"My name is Sekron Shien. I am one of the scribes of this city." He explained as he led Kagura through the square. "When we opened the connection between our world and yours, a dark presence leaked through. We managed to contain it, but even now with every travel more comes into our lands. It's twisting the wildlife."
"That thing in the forest is more than simple wildlife. There's something more going on here."
Sekron stopped and turned to her, face pensive.
"Our world contains what are known as spiritual beasts. They are extremely strong beings who have protected us since the beginning of our existence. They are the reason the Vale is known as a peaceful place. They protect us from any and all threats. I believe that now, one of them may have become corrupted."
Sekron looked past her and Kagura turned as well, looking at the youngsters scattered around the perimeter.
If I manage to play this off of pity and a big desire to help, I should be able to get further into these lands. They obviously need my help, and that's my initial ticket in.
With that, she deftly moulded her face into a worried expression.
"I believe I can be of assistance then."
Sekron quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He looked at the people in the square for a few seconds longer before answering.
"I suppose so." He pulled the red crystal from his robe. "Go and try to find traces of the spiritual beast outside the city. This should help you track it."
Kagura took the stone, glancing at it briefly before depositing it in her pouch. She didn't bother to tell him that she already had a much better way to track these so-called "beasts". The crystal could be useful in some way.
"What is it called?"
"I believe it could be the Flameflow Butterfly. Just don't engage it yet. I have a theory about it and this entire situation, but I need to know what's going on first."
Kagura looked him directly in the eyes. She could see the realisation bloom on the man's face – that his world was slowly crumbling and he knew he alone could do nothing. He needed her help. They both knew it. She smiled pleasantly. I can definitely work with this.
The forest was silent. No wind rustled through the trees, no birds chirped, no animals moved through the canopy. It was slightly unsettling, even for Kagura. Wraith-infested woodlands were full of noises made by the corrupted wildlife. Here, there was only a pensive quiet.
It was remarkably easy to find the spiritual animal, considering its effect on the leylines. It was a simple matter of following the path laid out for her through the trees. After around ten minutes of walking the trees opened up into a large clearing. A large pool of water shone with magic in the centre of the area, and above that fluttered a massive burning butterfly. From beneath the flames she could faintly make out the darkened aura of Wraith corruption.
This close, Kagura felt slightly lightheaded from the warped space this being was surrounded by. She reluctantly pulled her magic back from the ground around her. The effect was minimal, a slight distraction rather than an actual annoyance, but anything could throw one off at the most inopportune times in battle. Better to take no chances.
Oh, right. What had Sekron said? Don't engage the spiritual beast?
A predatory grin spread across her lips as she tracked the butterfly's movements with her gaze.
Slowly, not once taking her eyes off the butterfly, Kagura stretched her hand behind her back and pulled her pataka out. Its reassuring weight easily complimented the surge of power that ran through her spine.
You know what? I never was very good at following orders.
Flames meant fire, so water was sure to at the very least put a dent in it. Holding Silence of Frost in one hand, Kagura started charging up a Hailstorm. Radiant blue light accompanied the spell, illuminating her surroundings and revealing her position. The butterfly turned towards her, spreading its wings wide upon noticing a perceived threat. However, before it even had a chance to make a sound, it got a faceful of ice for its troubles. Kagura didn't stop there, though. Before the spell had even hit, she fired off a Gush and followed closely with a Glacial Snare, watching with satisfaction as the blades of ice hit home.
For a moment there was silence. Then, the Flameflow Butterfly burst out of the haze of mana and emitted a high screech.
Kagura stood and stared. Even when the spiritual beast turned its full attention on her and began its advance, she did not move. Only when it was close enough that she could already feel the heat of the flames coating it did she pull a cover of water over her, swiftly dodging to the side and running around the side of the pool.
That combination has not failed to kill in at least two decades. The grin was back full force as she threw two Gushes at the chasing butterfly, stopping just to swing her weapon in a large arc to toss another Glacial Snare at it.
I like this place all the more already.
Kagura jumped into the pool, commanding the water to boost her forward. Behind her, the beast screeched again, throwing a blast of fire at the woman. She noticed it far too late, and the projectile hit her square in the back, throwing her into the pool. She did not resurface.
The butterfly waited to see if its prey would reappear. When it became clear that the threat had been eliminated, it moved back to the edge of the pool to continue its' patrol route.
The water in the pool violently burst outward, reforming some inches above the bottom into the shape of a woman. One of the creation's hands shot out and grabbed onto the retreating butterfly. With an indignant squawk, it attempted to burn away the offender, only to find that the flames covering its body had been extinguished.
Kagura stepped out of the now-dry pool, absentmindedly smoothing out her burnt robe. She smiled at the butterfly.
"Well, this has really been fun. Mind you, I do not have all day to play with you, so I'm afraid that we'll have to cut this short." She motioned to the water statue. While it tightened it's grasp around the spiritual beast, she paused in her damage assessment to look back at the butterfly.
"Thank you, though. I know now that I need not hold back with anything in this realm. A reality check really was necessary. Dear me, I've gotten sloppy…"
She continued looking over her robe thoughtfully as the water statue she had conjured killed the beast. The armour was burnt rather badly in the back, but she had little doubt that a blacksmith would be able to fix it. With magical armour, it was oftentimes the case of it simply needing some encouragement before it pulled itself back together. It was a good thing that she'd been pushed in the water, though, as it had lent itself to faster healing. Not that something as basic as a fireball could kill her, but burns on her back would have been a nuisance all around.
It was because she was checking over her clothes that she noticed the red glow from one of the pouches on her belt. Within, she found the crystal that Sekron had given her earlier. It was pulsing with a warm red glow. Kagura looked closer, observing the differences in the crystal, when she noticed a repeating pattern. A pattern that, to a discerning eye, looked like fluttering wings.
Kagura glanced over to where her conjured water elemental towered, its now empty hands hanging lifelessly by its sides. Her brow furrowed slightly. With a small flick of will, the water fell back into the pool, leaving Kagura alone with her thoughts.
When she Distance Shrunk back into the city a few minutes later, what met her was total pandemonium. People were running to and fro, some with books and sheets of paper held tightly against their chests, others half-way in suits of armour. She stared for a moment before dismissing the crowd as a bunch of morons and walking straight to the blacksmith to her left. A quick fabricated explanation and a swift repair later, she was once again fully clothed and on her way to Sekron.
She found him in the town square, talking with an old man in hushed tones. Both fell silent when she neared, with Sekron taking a few steps forward to meet her.
"I thought I specifically told you not to engage the Flameflow Butterfly."
Well, wraithcurse. Here we go again.
Kagura prepared herself for yet another lecture, carefully keeping her face free of the sheer boredom she felt now that any fighting seemed to be in the rather distant future, when the older man stepped forward as well, placing a placating hand on Sekron's shoulder.
"Now, now. Don't chew out the lady who managed to take down a spiritual beast. Could be bad for your health, boy."
He turned to Kagura, smiling.
"Thank you, miss. That's one problem less for us to worry about."
Kagura quietly released the breath she had been holding. She flashed him one of her more charming smiles.
"It's always nice to hear praise, even in my field. Pray tell, I do not believe we have met?"
"I am the Senior Scribe around these parts. No one has used my name for a long time by now, anyway. Old man should do for you, hm?"
Kagura laughed, making sure to keep it short so as not to risk insulting the man.
"Well, old man, my name is Kagura. Kagura Yamasama. Nice to meet you."
The scribe's eyes widened, flashing to Sekron for just a moment. Kagura followed his gaze and found that Sekron suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable, shuffling his feet and making every effort to look anywhere else but at her. Her smile grew even bigger and much more genuine.
Interesting.
"Why, Kagura Yamasama! I must say that it is the greatest honour to have you here in our modest little realm. Tell me, did young Sekron here give you much trouble?"
Again, Kagura looked at Sekron. He noticed her staring and mouthed a silent please, don't tell him anything at her. She smiled politely.
"Oh, not at all. A stranger in one's home must make one angry, but he was a real gentleman, I assure you."
The scribe nodded, looking pleased. He motioned for her to follow and led them to a table some ways away. Sitting down, he levelled a stern glare at them both.
"Now then, on to business. I trust you still have the crystal Sekron gave you?"
Kagura fetched the crystal from her pouch, handing it off. The old man studied it carefully while Kagura and Sekron waited. She took to following the movements of two butterflies that fluttered around one of the statues. When she turned her attention to the statue itself, she noticed that it was that of a female wizard. Her mouth quirked into a smug smile.
Sekron came up next to her. She could tell he was looking at the statue as well.
"You know, you're kind of a legend around here."
Kagura turned her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow to show her interest.
"You see, in the Celestial Vale, we look over Perfect World in a sense. We send out help to adventurers in need with a small power boost. Nothing too big, but just enough for it to be commonly attributed to an adrenaline rush. As such, we tend to know of certain heroes rather well. And you have been one of the biggest news around here for a long time. You've never really needed help from us, so..."
The eyebrow was joined by the corner of her mouth, which rose in an amused grin. Sekron noticed and backtracked hastily.
"I don't mean- It simply gets boring around here with nothing to do, so people bet on heroes like you. Gives us something to do."
Kagura's expression did not change in the slightest. If anything, it grew in intensity. Sekron visibly shrunk under her gaze.
"…What?"
Kagura smiled even wider and turned her attention back to the statue. After a few seconds, she mentioned, quietly enough so that only he could hear:
"I didn't actually know that. Good to know that someone looks out for all of the less-than-capable people stumbling around dungeons these days."
As Sekron looked rather pleased, she turned back to the scribe, who was looking deeply into the crystal. Good thing I chose not to make a joke about people staring in from windows at someone getting dressed. The thought got a chuckle out of her.
"So tell me, old man, what have you found?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he turned the crystal this way and that, as if mulling over some sort of difficult problem. Then, he placed it down on the table.
"As far as I can tell, the soul of the Flameflow Butterfly has been completely absorbed by the crystal. It is protected from the darkening influence of the Wraiths, at least for now."
„I had gleaned that much from my own studies. Tell me, what about the other spiritual beasts? As far as I understand, there are more."
That earned her a thoughtful look.
"I suppose that all of the others must have already been similarly corrupted. I have not heard from any of the other cities, but that's hardly a surprise, if I'm honest. However, we cannot send any of our own people to hunt them down and capture their souls, as we are most certainly not equipped for such a quest. We're supposed to be a safe haven for young warriors to mature in. There was no war here before, so we have no warriors, at least not in this village. To send one of the young ones would mean death for them. I don't think we could ever recover our reputation from that, not to mention our pride."
Sekron, having recovered from his earlier embarrassment, piped in:
"We could always send Kagura again. She can handle herself, as we have already learned."
The scribe huffed, but cast a glance towards Kagura.
"If that is what you need. I would not mind helping. For the rookies."
Kagura walked down the forest path, a merry skip in her step. When the Flameflow Butterfly had been killed, life had returned to the forest. Birds chirped in the trees, tiny butterflies fluttered in the air and she could hear wild animals just outside of her vision range, living their own lives. Everything was as it should have been.
She felt pleased with her progress. Now that a threat had arisen, the old man and Sekron had sent her on a quest that would take her deeper into these uncharted lands, with no one even mentioning kicking her out. As an additional bonus, she'd be able to cut loose on the beasts, as proven by the encounter with the Flameflow Butterfly. There were some spells in her arsenal that had been waiting a long time to be used, and she was at the very least a tiny bit grateful for the opportunity to do so.
The crystal which held the Flameflow Butterfly's soul was in her pouch. The scribe had given it to her to capture the souls of the other spiritual beasts. She felt the thrum of power from within it. It seemed to bolster her energy reserves. The fact that she could even feel the effect indicated it was at the very least a massive source of mana, as her own reserves were at this point nearly infinite. And all that was with but one spiritual beast contained inside. It made her rather reluctant to have to part with it as she knew she'd have to by the end of this fetch quest.
„I'm glad to see the forest revitalized. I hadn't even noticed how quiet it had been until now."
Ah, yes. Sekron walked a few steps behind Kagura. She attempted not to roll her eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time that day, but the battle was lost almost immediately.
Kagura Yamasama, the Witch of the Harshlands, Conqueror of the Twilight Temple, the Shining Star of Etherblade, along with several more titles, each more impressive than the last, had been assigned a babysitter.
The old man had sent her to the next town over, called Lorreway City, to see a woman called Heartmark. What had initially amused her was the way the two men sent each other a look right before Sekron declared that he would be coming with her as a guide, as if she was a blind infant. She hadn't protested back then, taking it all for a laugh. Now, though, she wondered if she'd even make it to Lorreway before she did something she could not undo.
In her infinite boredom, Kagura sent out her mind along the leylines, intending to map out more of the world while she was already doing nothing anyway, and nearly fell over when they distorted all around her. As it was, she merely stumbled and caught herself before anything further could happen. The feeling was nearly identical to the effect the Flameflow Butterfly had had on her, but amplified tenfold.
She pinpointed the exact location of what had to be another spiritual beast. It was a few meters to her left, right next to a tree. After that she closed off her connection to the earth once more. It was giving her a terribly annoying headache, which was not helping her think of ways to solve this without burning down half the forest and killing Sekron in the process.
Sekron only seemed to notice something was wrong when she pulled her pataka off her back, moving almost casually, and pushed him gently behind her.
"What's wrong?"
Kagura ignored him. She considered her options for magic. Earth was, once again, an inferior choice, as without connecting to the ground underneath her the spells in that tree were woefully inaccurate and lacked force behind them. The headache she got when she was one with the ground and a spiritual beast was near was definitely not worth it. Fire seemed like a pleasing choice – it had been so very dreadfully long since she had last gotten to burn something.
With that in mind, she flicked a red burning card at the spot she had sensed the beast at.
The spell made contact with something invisible and exploded into a fiery maelstrom. A harrowing roar broke the air when a large, white monkey appeared seemingly out of nowhere, fur now heavily scorched. It whirled its' head towards the pair, stalking forward on three paws, the fourth holding onto a barrel it carried on its' back.
Kagura took a step back on instinct, hand already pulling another card out of thin air. She had just enough time to throw it and jump out of the way before the beast pounced. It missed by a hair's breadth, claws groping empty air where Kagura had been a second ago. With the person it had been aiming for now out of its reach, it turned instead to the person closest to it.
Sekron paled when the monkey turned to him. Kagura swore, already on the move again, when the man pulled a long stick from his sleeve. He dropped it on the ground and jumped away, taking cover behind a tree. Kagura had just enough time to cover her face and summon a shield to protect her when the stick exploded into a maelstrom of flames. Through the heat and the noise, she could faintly hear the beast's roars die off along with the blaze.
The crystal on her belt glowed a faint white as it absorbed the essence of the monkey. Well, that makes it certain that it was, indeed, another of the beasts.
Kagura took the crystal off her belt and turned it this way and that, watching light flicker across the uneven surface of the gemstone. Within, the vague flapping of wings had been joined with ripples, as if someone had dropped a stone in a pond. The coloration was a decidedly lighter tone, having changed from red to orange.
Sekron came up next to her, also looking at the stone. He seemed almost mesmerized with the way the patterns played under its' surface, until Kagura snapped her palm closed and put the crystal in one of the pouches on her belt.
"That was the Drunk Monkey. I have no doubts about that. It's good we got to him here and now. I can't imagine the havoc he could have caused, running rampant like this."
He noticed Kagura's look of incredulity and tried to start explaining when the wizard chuckled softly, turning and starting again along the road.
"Drunk Monkey? A fitting name, that one."
Sekron blinked, surprised at what had amused the woman, before he hurried along behind her. It was a considerable distance yet to Lorreway, after all, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Twilight shone through the palace windows. A heavy silence lay on the antechamber and small twinkling lights danced in sheaths of shadow. In the middle of all of that, a young female Tideborn stood and waited patiently.
She'd requested an audience with General Chugunov, concerning her desire to be sent to the mainland to join the battles against the Wraith armies. She'd been waiting for close to half an hour now, and it was making her nervous. She didn't wish to be in the palace for any longer than absolutely necessary. The whole place gave her the creeps, with it's size and absolute quiet, so different from her own home.
"Lady Hakumei of the Moontide family?"
The young woman's head snapped in the voice's direction, startled out of her uneasy thoughts. She quickly composed herself and followed the handmaiden into the throne room through a massive double-sided door.
The throne was empty today, as king Triton was on a visiting voyage to Dragonfang Village. General Chugunov stood in front of the steps leading to the throne, watching her approach with bright blue eyes. Hakumei moved across the massive room with quick steps, practiced over years of training. When she was a few metres from the General, she stopped and fell to one knee, forming a fist with her right hand and bringing it to her chest.
"Rise, daughter of Moontide. I was told you have business with me."
Hakumei stood, meeting Chugunov's eyes with a resolute look.
"Yes, General Chugunov. I wished to ask for your permission and blessing to join our warriors on the mainland in the fight against the Wraiths."
Chugunov frowned.
"I see your cause and I know it is just. However, I cannot grant you that right, assassin."
In the following silence, Hakumei found herself unable to speak. It took her a few moments to find the right words to say.
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
"Was my mother in any way involved in your decision?"
The General's silence was enough of an answer for her and she swore, her anger momentarily clouding her judgment.
"I understand your plight, but you will mind your tongue with me."
The General moved up the steps and motioned for Hakumei to follow.
"Assassins are gravely needed out on the battlefields, as you may well know."
They climbed up to the throne and turned to the right, going through a door and deeper into the palace. Hakumei didn't understand where the General was leading her, but when they entered a smaller room off the corridor they'd been following, she found herself in what she assumed was Chugunov's office.
"However, I'm afraid I must make an exception in your case."
Chugunov took a letter from the table. He looked at it for a few seconds and then offered it to Hakumei. The woman accepted it. She unfolded it to see a short message.
General Chugunov,
My daughter is very determined to make a mark in the war on the mainland. I understand her desires, but the casualties in that war are much too high for me to allow her to go in good conscience. I hesitate to ask you this, but I must beg of you – do not allow my daughter to join the army. She is a bright and fast learner. You can give her a spot guarding the city, or send her to Dragonfang Village to learn more of the Assassin ways.
I know you'll do the right thing, for me and for the Tideborn.
Selene, head of the Moontide family and duchess of Galerider Plains.
Hakumei felt a strong urge to crumple up the letter. As it was, she merely took a heavy breath and handed the note back over to the General.
"I am sorry, lady Hakumei. I must agree with your mother in this case. The war is heavy with casualties, and if you were to die…"
The sun set over the City of Raging Tides, casting long, orange beams of light over the roofs of the houses in the outskirts. Hakumei looked at the beautiful scenery with nary a sensation. The sight had always filled her with awe, and not only because her mother, having been on an old legend binge when she was born, had named her after sunsets. But now?
"You are much too important to risk in battles, lady Hakumei. You understand, do you not?"
Chugunov's tone was patient and he spoke as if she was a child still. It drove Hakumei up the wall, but she kept her face carefully neutral.
"Yes, General. I understand." And she certainly did.
She'd made her decision. Her bag was next to her, filled with necessary equipment for the trip she would undertake. Her daggers, sharpened and deadly, were on her belt, ready to be used.
She'd mulled this over countless times, running the scenario through her mind over and over. Her mother would find out in the morning. She'd first contact Chugunov, then send out search squads. They'd almost certainly check with the Teleport Master and then they'd comb over the shortest sea path to the mainland. Then they'd expand their search, looking through the Forbidden Sea and the neighbouring islands.
Whatever they did, she'd be long gone before the first search party entered the Forbidden Sea.
Hakumei stood, throwing one last look at the sunset, burning the sight into her mind. If she was right, then she wouldn't see her homeland for a long time to come, maybe even never again. With a determined nod, she swung her bag over her shoulder and descended the hill she was on.
Hakumei of Moontide was leaving to help the other races fight off the Wraiths. And the five elements be damned, she would not accept any other roads or options.
Welp. Here's a thing.
This is a story I've had rolling around in my head for a while now, and I wrote something. The first chapter, to be precise. I can't promise weekly uploads - life is much too hectic for that - but I can promise that I will finish this story, life be damned and all that. Tell me what you think, give critiques (yes, even the flamey ones, I don't mind) and feel free to tell me if I made any spelling mistakes. I know they are in there, I just can't seem to find them. Shame.
Until next time, enjoy life :)