"No thank you. I'm not interested in meeting some child who is lost." Tharja huffed as she uncrossed her arms, "Anyhow, I'm going to search for Dark Spikes."

The woman turned around and began to walk away, while Henry just went back to what he was doing. He began to recall that Sophia did mention that she could read runes. Runes were very rare and very difficult to read. They go back before even the Legendary Hero Marth was born. Not to also mention if a rune did appear in the black market of any kind, it would be sold for over a thousand gold.

"Maybe I should show her some basic healing arts," Henry muttered as he picked up a Physic and Heal tomes.

"Hmmm..." he hummed and looked around once more.

Not much he wanted but the other tomes were far too advanced. Perhaps some experimenting would do. Henry finished gathering the books and tomes he needed, putting them in a bag over his shoulder. Exiting the library, he saw his fellow mages and warriors of Plegai walking around. Others chatted; some even spoke a few whispers of him.

"Look what I got!"

Henry stopped and slightly turned his head as he heard a familiar rattle from earlier today. A female mage laughed in glee when she held a small bottle with blue clear pills.

"I have never seen such high-quality medicine! This was worth the 2000 gold coins I spent. Such unknown ingredients as well extremely rare ones. Haha! This Raven sure knows how to make it." The mage laughed as her companion shook their head.

"But something has been troubling me." The mage said as her companion raised an eyebrow, "The fae. They've got...very defensive. I can't even get near one anymore without nearly losing an eye. Ugh...not sure if you noticed but...the element of earth magic...seems to have grown." They muttered.

"Most likely your imagination. Now let's go. Lady Aversa has been wanting us to translate the ancient language of Judral. Ugh." The mage's companion complained as they began to walk away.

Henry was silent as he continued to walk and listened to the mages and soldiers.

"Annoying."

- Training Grounds -

"Heavy! Ho! Heavy! Ho!"

The harsh sun came down brutally in the training grounds of the palace. Plegain soldiers sparred against one another using their axes. The wyvern riders tended to their wyverns. Feeding them meat to fill their stomach from flying exercises that are needed. Myrmidons sharpen their swords and got excited with a new shipment that just came in. Dark Mages practices firing spells at the wooden puppets. Henry rarely came to this area but today was an exception.

"Alright, men! Offensive formation! Roko! Get that damn axe higher!"

"Yes Sir!"

General Mustafa ordered his soldiers to get into the recent training formation that was taught. While it wasn't perfect yet, it got the job done. Henry smiled as he began to walk towards the group and waved.

"Ah!" A young man said, "Henry We-Ghhhaaa! Keep it together!" The man quickly tried to keep the formation together but unfortunately, the distraction was enough for the other sparring team to take advantage of.

Mustafa let go of a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The new formation was going to take a lot of work. He looked to the right and saw Henry walking his way, with his usual smile.

"Hey there!" Henry grinned as he stood next to him, "I see training being wild as always!" He laughed.

"Sigh...this new formation is different." The man sighed as he saw the two now start arguing with each other.

"Did one of your soldiers just jump in the air to elbow someone?" Henry kept himself from snickering loudly and Mustafa groaned.

"You get used to it at this point. Anyhow, I am surprised you are here. You rarely come to the training ground." Mustafa muttered as the groups were trying to form once again.

"Well, it's something important." The boy said and Mustafa turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Remember Miss Water Nymph named Sophia?"

The older man turned to him; his attention caught.

"I brought her to the Capital. We spoke a lot during the 6 days together and I was able to confirm she isn't from any of the three nations. Nor Valm or Chon'sin." Henry muttered as he crossed his arms and looked back at the group.

The soldiers were fighting again. Ah. Looks like the wyvern riders got dragged in. Poor bastards.

"So, she is a foreigner." Mustafa muttered, "But why did you bring her here?" He asked.

"Well, she wants to talk to you." Henry smiled.

"What does the girl wish to speak of?" He asked.

"Well, I think she should tell you herself." Henry smiled and then burst out laughing as one of the more tall and dominant women screamed for all of them to shut up.

"Where is she now?" Mustafa chuckled as the soldiers slumped at the scolding they were getting.

"Having her stay at an inn for now. Had her go through a few tests on the way here." Henry smiled at the memories.

"You didn't make that girl do anything unfortunate did you?" Mustafa looked at Henry like when he was scolding Dana.

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Henry quickly put his hands up in defense, "I made her tend the people of the villages we passed through. I must say, I was very impressed. No magic whatsoever. She treated them all with her hands." He smiled fondly.

"Hmm...I might have to witness it myself." Mustafa said as he crossed his arms, "But if what you say is true...I know rumors are going to start spreading."

Henry frowned at that.

"I'm well aware." Henry sighs, "I just hope the king or any of the others don't ever catch wind of them." He muttered.

"She's an outsider. She shouldn't get herself involved." Henry thought, "Anyhow, I'll be bringing her tomorrow here. Should be interesting." Henry chuckled and walked up the group.

"Hey, Henry!" One of the males grinned, "When did you get here?" They asked.

"Not too long. I see you guys are getting hounded." Henry smiled.

"It's not too bad!" A female yelled, "Just if Favoi here got his shit together!" The female shot a snark.

"Come at me bitch!" The said soldier yelled back at her.

"Alright enough!" Mustafa chuckled as he walked up to them, "All of you need to work together."

"Yes Sir!" The soldiers yelled and the training once more began.

Swords, axes, weapons of all kinds clashed against one another. Men and women follow the order of instructors on how to improve their techniques. Once more, Henry walked through the training grounds and out of them. It was time to head back to the inn.

[-]

"Grrrr..."

Sophia's right eye twitched as there was a scowl on her lips and her eyebrows furrowed. She was having a difficult time reading the book written in the runic language. It's been years since she has read the language and she was quite rusty.

"Well, you are not so terrible at this." Sidi commented and Sophia just groaned.

"Hmm..." the woman hummed as she grabbed her pen from her bag along with her notebook, "Let's see.." she looked back to the book, "This one is L but its meaning is Laguz water. This one is...I...next one F...last one E..." she finished writing and saw the word spelled out, LIFE.

"It means Ice and Cosmic Coherence. F means Wealth and Mother rune. And E means Twin Gods and Relationships. Hmm..." she lightly tapped her pen on her chin, "Water..ice..mother run, relationships...altogether it means LIFE. The cycle of life. How it is born." Sophia smiled softly.

"You got it!" Windy clapped her wings cheerfully, "These runes have existed since the First Dragons came to this land. Very and I mean very few humans let alone mages are even able to read it. Not that we would let Magus learn our language. Foul ones!" Windy snarled.

"Yes...I do recall fae especially are not fans of Magus. Hmm..." Sophia muttered as she kept translating the letters she recognized.

"The first one is LIFE. The second one is BIRTH. Ha! This one spells NAGA and..huh...TIKI. Is this a story about how Naga is Tiki's mother?" Sophia muttered as she placed her notebook down.

She recalls a bit about Naga's history. Closing the book, she let go of another sigh as she leaned back onto the couch. She wants to go out. Explore. Possibly buy new clothing she could blend in. Maybe even meet new people.

"But I stick out like a sore thumb," Sophia grumbled as the four fae flew to her bed.

They made themselves comfortable and fell asleep. Another sigh the woman let out and growled when she noticed blue pigment starting to stain her white coat.

"I really should touch this up soon. I don't need my real hair color to be seen." She muttered and jumped when the door to the inn suddenly opened.

"Hahahaha! Looks like I scared you!" It was Henry.

The white-haired mage laughed as he closed the door. Sophia had her eyes wide as her right hand was over her heart.

"Have you ever been taught to knock?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sophia yelled at him.

"Really?! No! Your death as a doctor should be overwork or washed away by the wind!" Henry laughed back and he barely dodged the shoe she threw at him.

That thing left its imprint on the wall and Henry was beginning to wonder just how much force she threw that thing with. It was with the pure intent of rage and kill. Like how a mother was about whoop their kids' arse.

"Anyhow," Sophia sighed as she crossed her legs, "Welcome back. Guess work went by fast?"

"It did." He walked towards the couch across from her, "Had to run a few errands but I got some things we need." He sat down.

Placing the bag on the table, he opened it, letting a pile of books spill onto it. Colors of green, yellow, blue, one mysterious-looking purple one, Sophia immediately recognized them. She quickly uncrossed her legs, grabbing the first book that was closest to her.

"These are...tomes." She gasped and Henry smiled.

"You're familiar with them. That's good!" He smiled as she gave him a small nod.

"While magic doesn't exist in my country," she lightly trailed her hands on the cover, "We make our own "tomes" out of entertainment. Like for writing or drawing." She smiled.

She picked her opened notebook and closed it, showing it to him.

"This a regular journal but it was modeled after the tome, Arcthunder," Sophia said as she handed it to him.

"Very interesting. So, it's a fake?" Henry said and Sophia nodded.

"Pretty much. It's pretty much a regular notebook I use for taking down notes and writing noooott-What are you doing?!" Sophia suddenly screeched when Henry started flipping through the pages.

"I wonder what juicy gossip is here!" He laughed and quickly moved to keep her from snatching the notebook back.

He was taller than her. Sophia is 5'4.

"Sadly, I can't read any of it. Pity." Henry chuckled as he spun around but a small piece of paper slipped out from the pages. He stopped and picked it up. He had never seen such a realistic type of painting? That showed the details of a person so well. There was an old woman with light orange-colored hair. She had a warm smile with half-lidded eyes. Her clothing was similar to an archer except it didn't have any armor on it. On her waist was strapped two wooden chakrams. Next to her was a man who looked about 23 years of age. He had dark green colored hair, a closed eye grin but a bead of sweat running down his face. With arms up in the air and doing a victory jump, was a little girl who looked about 5 years old. Her eyes were closed with a big grin on her face as she held a kid-size chakram in her right hand. Her clothing was the same as the old woman's. Her hair co-

Sophia quickly took the picture from him and held it to her chest, over her heart. Henry was stunned as he turned to her. The woman was shaking as her usually cold eye held sadness and anger. It was clear to him that the strange painting meant a lot to her. He was able to see something written on the back of it.

First Training Lesson: March 11th, 2002

"How about we check out the tomes I brought? " Henry suddenly said and Sophia was surprised.

She thought Henry was going to ask more about the picture. But he didn't. She was glad he was respecting her boundaries as the two walked back the couches and sat down across from each other. He picked up a green-colored tome and spoke.

"Usually I would be teaching you Fire since it is a beginner's spell but I don't want to pay the bill should we set the place on fire." He chuckled and Sophia pouted a bit as she put the picture and book away.

"First off, we need to test if you can use magic since you did say you come from a country with no magic whatsoever." He said and the fae nearby were watching with a bit of sparkle in their eyes.

He wanted to ask why they were out of the cages but seeing how happy they look now, plus the peach slices on the table, he assumes that they took a liking to his companion. Henry took a small glass piece that was in the shape of the skull of Grima. Placing it on the table, he tapped it lightly with his index finger.

"This magical device is called a Magic Sorting Crystal. If you can cast magic, it will react, and the magic will take shape. For now, let's just see if you have the talent for it." He smiled, "Place your hand on top of the head. Try to relax and focus your energy on the object."

Sophia nodded as she placed her hand on it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then exhaled, letting herself relax a bit. Like Henry instructed, she focused on the item before her. If she can use magic, she's going to be livid. If she can't, she'll settle with the training to become a pegasus knight. Sophia took small breaths, letting her body relax. Henry smiled as he watched, waiting patiently for a reaction from the magical device. And sure enough, he saw something spark in it. It was like a small flicker at first and then it grew. Budding like a small flower that waited for so long to bloom. The magic tool began to glow a bright green and Henry smiled.

"Open your eyes!" He grinned and Sophia did.

However, he did not expect her eyes to be glowing just a tad bit. That threw him off completely. Sophia's eyes went wide as she saw the magic device glowing a bright green. The feeling felt warm.

"Surprise!" Henry gives her a big grin and then the damn thing let off a powerful gust of wind and leaves to her face.

Henry burst out laughing as the woman screeched and then slapped the damn thing, immediately letting it go. Sophia's hair was a complete mess with leaves sticking in it. The fae was also barely holding back their giggles. Sophia glared at Henry, who was a laughing mess.

"Wind and Earth magic seem to be your specialty! Congratulations! You officially can become a mage!" He congratulated her, "By the way," he smirked, "You're welcome."

"I ought to throw you out the window," Sophia growled at him.

"Oooohh~ Now that's nice." He chuckled, "But anyhow, congratulations. Let's start with something simple." He placed an apple on the table.

Sophia noticed the bruises on it, indicating that it must have been dropped multiple times.

"Your job is to heal the bruises on this apple. Like they never existed in the first place." He said and had her placed her hand on the apple, "Like before, concentrate. Focus on the apple. You want to heal it." He explained.

Sophia nodded as he picked a medium size tome and opened it. It was the tome Heal. While her right hand was on the apple the left one was on the pages of the open tome. She focused on the apple, trying once more to send her energy to it. Closing her eyes, she heard...like a soft voice humming a tune. It sounded warm and kind, she couldn't help but hum to it. The apple in her hand began to glow a soft green, the tome on her left, the letters on the pages glowed a bit. The bruises on the apple began to heal before Henry's eyes. The white-haired mage couldn't help but smile, seeing the small victory the female achieved.

Yet...

"Hmmm~ hmmm~ Hmmm~" she hummed and that's when Henry noticed the small little piece of tree brand on the apple, sprouting a leaf.

The fae suddenly has unsure looks and Aerial whispered.

"(She can hear the song)?" The fae whispered to each other in their native tongue.

A bead of sweat rolled down Henry's cheek as the leaf grew more and suddenly the apple was starting to sprout. It started to grow. That wasn't good.

"Sophia, stop," Henry said firmly and the woman's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong?" She answered bluntly and Henry pointed at her hand.

"Oh..." Her eyes went wide as she looked at the once apple, now a small tree, in her hand.

"Seems I...overdid it?" Sophia looked at him worried as he quickly put the tree down on the table.

He took out a small cauldron he brought and had her place it in there. Well, at least she now has a bonsai tree.

"I must admit. That was pretty impressive but one thing for sure." He looked her straight in the eyes, his own eyes opened, "You lack control. If I had left you to keep doing it, that apple would have grown to a full tree. Not only would have exhausted all of your energy, but you would also have forced yourself into a comatose state because it is your first-time using magic." He said and closed their eyes again in satisfaction seeing the woman gulp.

"So, how do I control it?" Sophia asked and Henry smiled.

"Since it's the first day you are doing this, I much rather you practice at a place you won't set on fire." Henry chuckled while she gave him a blank face, "Tomorrow, we'll go to the training grounds. I'll show you there."

"Alright." Sophia nodded, "Anyhow, have you eaten? And what time is it anyway?" She asked as she looked out to the window.

It was already getting late.

"We arrived around the afternoon so it's pretty late now. Not midnight yet but still late." Henry smiled as he put the tomes back into the bag, "I'll order us some food and we can discuss a bit about magic types as we eat."

"Alright," Sophia said.

Like Henry said earlier, he touched the crystal ball and ordered food. Around 20 minutes passed and the servant brought it, also setting up the table. Delicious foods and their scents made Sophia's mouth water. She had also asked Henry to order sweet cream for the fae. Which they gladly drank and ate the fruit that was in the fruit bowl. The dishes for tonight are a grilled wild boar steak with a fresh salad. Lamb sausages, rice, and bread. For dessert were fruits like watermelon, kiwis, and strawberries. And for drinks, wine.

"This is so good!" Sophia was in utter bliss as she ate.

"You love food, don't you?" Henry laughed at her stuffed cheeks.

"Yes! I rarely get a chance to eat so this is bliss for me!" Sophia said and quickly swallowed the rice she was chewing.

"Rarely?" Henry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well," she places her fork down, "in my country, I was in the front lines as a doctor. Unfortunately, there was a pandemic going on when I suddenly ended up here. Every single day I would be meeting with patients, doing operations, as well as helping with what I can. I oversaw a small clinic." Sophia explained as a sad smile graced her lips, "I'm used to working every single day and rarely getting a break, eating like this feels so strange. I can't relax. I have to be doing something or else I start getting anxious." She said.

"That explains why you looked so shifty when I came." Henry muttered, "You don't know how to relax, do you?"

"Not really. Even on my days off, it felt strange. Yes, I would sleep in but after I wake up, I head straight to my desk to work. I just can't relax. But on rare occasions, it does happen." She said as she took a sip of her wine.

"What exactly would you do when you do relax?" Henry asked as he propped his elbow on the table, resting his hand on his cheek.

"Well, I would draw sometimes or read books about herbs." She said, "I also played video games, but I'll keep that to myself." She thought that last sentence.

"Not bad. Anyhow, let's change the topic to magic." He smiled and Sophia nodded.

"Let's start with the lesson. What is magic?" He began, "Magic is the life force of the earth. We as mages conquer the energy around us and use our thoughts and bodies to make it manifest. Tomes and Staffs help us. It's also a way to help us control the magic in our bodies. Which, we call a magic system. The magic sorting tool you used helps identify if the individual can use magic as well as tell us what that person will specialize in. The elements of magic are Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Thunder, dark magic, black magic, anima, light, and white magic. In some countries, this magic is also divided into two sections called Reason and Faith magic." He finished.

"Interesting. I like it. Since my specialty is Wind and Earth magic, would that mean I would only be able to use magic from those elements?" Sophia asked.

"Not at all. That's why Tomes exist. They help mages cast spells of different elements. Some Tomes are even custom made to be compatible with the caster." Henry said and Sophia placed her index finger on her chin, thinking.

"Is it possible to cast spells without a staff or tome?" She asked and Henry suddenly stopped chewing his watermelon slice.

"...it's possible. But very few can do it." He muttered and she leaned back a bit on her chair, still thinking.

She tilted her head up a bit, looking to the ceiling.

"What about familiars? Do they exist?" She asked.

"They do but very few have ever been able to summon one," Henry answered.

"Hmmm...What about anti-magic?" And Henry choked on his food.

"Where did you learn about that?!" He suddenly hissed at her.

Sophia was caught off guard by his sudden reaction. The fae began laughing to themselves evilly as if they knew.

"Is something wrong?" Sophia asked, worried, "Is anti-magic some sort of taboo?"

Henry looked at her surprised and calmed down, his purple eyes closed once more.

"First off, answer my question. How do you know about anti-magic?" He frowned.

"Well..." Sophia was a bit nervous but answered nonetheless, "Anti-magic is a form of magic that is considered fiction in my country. Many stories are revolving around it. The most common one is that it is the opposite of magic. That it eats away, erases, or destroys. It is a type of energy that destroys the fundamentals of the supernatural. That's about it." She finished explaining.

"Interesting...but for your safety, never speak of Anti-magic in public or in front of any mages," Henry said.

"Why?" Sophia asked.

Henry let out a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Anti-magic isn't well known and those who do know about it consider it as forbidden arts. It isn't talked about. Places like Ylisse and Ferox consider it illegal." He explained with a bit of a worried look, "I'm not saying anti-magic is evil, but it is feared. Because of its fundamentals to turn a mage into a normal human. It's worse for those of dragon descent. For example, manaketes. It's like poison to them. Anti-magic can temporarily shut off one's magic or permanently destroy one magic system. Making them unable to use magic ever." He finished explaining and Sophia nodded.

"It's interesting how in this world anti-magic is feared. Hmmm...let's move onto a different subject then." Sophia thought as she took another sip of her wine.

"What about alchemy?" Henry perked up, "Surely alchemists exist. What about science?"

"I know about alchemy. It's a mandatory lesson all mages must learn to properly brew potions and medicines. Science is also mainly used by alchemists who wish to learn more of the foundations of the world." Henry smiled and Sophia nodded.

"Hmm...very interesting. Well," she smiled a bit, "please teach me well, Master." She gave him a smirk and Henry laughed.

"Haha! Very well then. Anyhow, let's finish up eating. By the way, which room have you claimed?" He said and she pointed to the green-colored door that was opened.

The fae was giggling at her saying that.

"Damn. Oh well. I'll claim the one with the red door." He smiled but handed her a small bottle, "Found the pigments for hair on my way back here. I managed to find the same color you currently have." He smiled.

"Thank you." Sophia thanked him.

After they finished eating, a servant came and took the empty dishes away. They two said goodnight and headed to their rooms. The room Sophia chose was nice. Fit for a noble but too damn lavished for her taste. The fae had already cuddled up together and fell asleep on a pillow. Meanwhile, Sophia made her way to the bathroom of the room. It was huge and quite luxurious. The bathtubs were more like a hot tub. It was made of glass and she could see some sort of magic tool at the bottom.

"Must be for heating water." She thought as she began removing her clothing.

She didn't know how long Henry and she were going to be staying at the capital, so she brought extra clothing.

She turned on the faucet, allowing the water to flow out. The magic tool at the bottom of the tube lit up and the water began to warm up. She gently dipped her feet in, the water was at the perfect temperature. She then went fully in bliss, sighing in bliss as she drove in. She grabbed her shampoo bottle she brought and placed about a small handful onto her hand. Lathering it into her hair, the suds began to turn blue as she massaged the soap all over her scalp. The woman let go of a sigh as the water was turning blue. The old pigment of her hair began to wash away. The colors of dark midnight blue became pale as she removed the plug to the drain. The water began to drain away as her face was blank, just staring at it. While that happened, she turned on the showerhead, the warm water falling gently on her head. The suds and old pigment washing away as it began to reveal her real hair color. She was silent, taking a small strand into her hands. Staring at it. The color of her real hair held both cold and warm memories. She frowned.

"I need to stop." She muttered and picked up the bottle Henry for her.

She needs to re-dye her hair.

[-]

"Today's talk was very interesting," Henry muttered as he wore white pajamas and sitting on the chair that faced out the balcony.

Speaking to Sophia about magic was interesting, to say the least. However, he never expected her to ask about anti-magic. Very and he means very few people even know of those magic arts. Even those of Grimleal stay clear of those records that have been locked away. Those who came from the anti-magic clan were hunted down. Many, like seers, hide their existence and live in the shadows. Or live like normal humans. If one does know the anti-magic arts, they must also be careful.

Knock, knock.

There was suddenly a small tap on the balcony and Henry stood up, walking to it. He opened it and saw a male wearing a wyvern mask.

"We have come to inform you that the auction went smoothly. Come tomorrow morning to pick up your awards." They said and handed him a letter with a waxed seal.

Henry smiled as they quickly warped away. He closed the balcony door and took the letter. He could feel the thin piece of metal in it. Henry had to admit, it's been a while since he felt excited. Sophia was smart. That he could tell with what he witnessed today.

He looked over to the small apple tree she grew. Not even beginners should be able to do that. She had talent. It just needed to be let out. He can tell she has been holding back so many emotions.

"I wonder what she'll look like when she snaps? Will she go on a rampage? That will be fun to see! Haha!" He laughed to himself as he saw down on the bed.

Mages crave knowledge.

To understand. To unravel and unveil the secrets of the world.

"I'm looking forward to the next upcoming months."

- The Next Day -

"Sleep well?" Henry smiled as the two walked through the marketplace.

"I did. Been a while since I slept on a bed." Sophia said as she finished tying her hair into a ponytail.

"I see you used the hair dye I got you." He muttered and she nodded.

"I did. By the way, how long does it last?" She asked as they made a turn to an alleyway.

Both took out their mask and put them on.

"Should last you for about a year," Henry answered as they arrived at the door.

It opened as they went. Once more, they walked through the black market. It still made her skin shiver but Sophia knew she was going to buy things from her if she was going to make medicine that would be needed. After a few more minutes of walking and they arrived at a desk where a female dark mage was.

"Yes?" Her voice was low as Henry handed her the letter.

She opened it and from it, she pulled out a small thin silver card with the symbols of Naga, Grima, and Ferox.

"Ah. Alright. Let me quickly register you and your funds will be transferred to your card." The woman said and placed the silver card on top of a magic device that was the shape of a leaf.

The device glowed and multiple numbers appeared on it. While normal people would gawk at the number of 3,000 gold coins, the woman just kept on doing numbers like normal. A name was then engraved onto the silver card. Once that was done, the woman handed it to Sophia.

"You are hereby officially registered as a mercenary of Archanea. That card is your mercenary license, which allows you to travel in and out of the country. As well as take jobs in any of the three nations. If you desire, you can take out money right now." The woman finished explaining.

"I'll take out 50 gold and 50 silver," Sophia said immediately and the woman nodded as she was handed back the card.

Placing the card this time on a triangle-shaped device, two number fifty appeared on it. One side said gold while the other said silver. With that done, the woman once more handed her the card along with a pouch. Sophia opened it and looked inside. She counted the coins to make sure everything was right.

"Have a good day." The woman said and the two left, and Sophia thanked her.

The two walked once more and left the place. Back to the surface they were and removed their mask.

"Ah." Sophia said as they were walking through the normal marketplace, "I nearly forgot."

She quickly dug into her bag and pulled out a gold coin. She placed it in Henry's hand.

"Thank you again for everything. I always make sure to pay back my debts." Sophia nodded confidently as Henry just stared at the gold coin in her hand.

"This is too much." He bluntly said.

"I don't care!" She huffed, "You helped me out a lot! Please just accept it!" Sophia insists.

"Alright then." He smiled as he put the coin away, "Now!" He quickly held her shoulders and spun her around, "Time to get you new clothing!"

"Wait! What?!" Sophia stuttered as he pushed her to a stall with many different types of clothing.

"Oh!" Sophia did not like how the female vendor's eyes suddenly had a predatory gleam, "I spy with my little eyes a new face. You are not from here." She turned to Henry, "Anything specific in mind?"

"Whatever you think suits her. But make sure it's easy to move around in as well as keep her cool." Henry smiled.

"Of course!" The vendor clapped happily and quickly pulled Sophia in.

The blue-haired woman shot the man a glare before she was dragged away. Her measurements were taken as well as a shoe size. The woman even fixed up her hair nicely. As well as add a light touch of makeup.

"And done!" The vendor grinned and Sophia walked out.

She was wearing a deep crimson cheongsam with short sleeves. Long black baggy pants that kept her cool as well as easy to move around in. Her hair was tied up in a bun with a bit of a few hair strands loose. Her shoes were sandals that were easy to walk around in.

"Not bad!" Henry praised the vendor, who beamed brightly at her work.

"I like it." Sophia said as she did a quick spin, "How much by the way?" She asked.

"60 copper." The woman said and Sophia nodded.

She handed her a silver coin and the woman went to get her change. A few minutes later, she came back and handed the change to her. With that done, the two friends continued to walk. Henry had them stop a magic shop to buy materials they will be needing for her to start studying magic. The next stop was a woodshop to purchase lumber as well as more materials for the cottage they will be repairing.

"Umm...aren't we picking up everything we ordered?" Sophia suddenly said as they were now walking towards the castle.

"That will be later. We're going to the training grounds. Mustafa is there with his soldiers." Henry smiled as they walked.

The way to the castle was through an old stone building that was in ruins. Sophia spotted a familiar rock point and stopped. She looked up to it and then looked around. The place where the ties of fate turn. The giant skull of Grima with broken fangs. The rock point where one sacrificed their life to end a war. Sophia's eyes held sadness as she looked up to it, her hand reaching out. She remembers the sorrow and regret of the scene. She honestly hated how people made fun of it while rare ones like her bawled their eyes out.

"Hey, Sophia!" Henry stopped and turned her way.

He went silent as Sophia was reaching out to the rock point. There was a deep sadness in her eyes as she made her hands go back down. She let go of a sigh and turned to him.

"I'm alright." She yelled out and quickly followed him.

[-]

20 minutes later they arrived at Plegia Castle. It was a pain in the ass walking up the stone stairs that went so high up. Henry had burst out laughing at how tried Sophia was when they finally reached the top. The woman fell on her knees, panting. He handed her a canteen, which she gladly gulped down the water.

"You get used to it." He smiled and she shot him an unamused glare.

The two continued to walk and soon arrived at the courtyards. It was strange seeing the place barren. Then again, Plegia was mostly in a desert area. Unfortunately.

"We have to take a shortcut through the castle. Umm...put on the black cloak I gave you." Henry said in a worried tone.

She didn't question it and put it on. The hood covering her identity. They made their way through the palace. Seeing it in person, the place strangely had the colors of black and red everywhere. The grand hallways and walls reminded Sophia of Persian and Mesopotamian buildings as they continued to walk. She saw many wearing black robes, which she assumed were members of Grimleal. The people here talked amongst themselves. Overall, the castle had a very cold feeling to it. The two walked through the hallways but was suddenly stopped when a sultry female voice called out Henry's name.

"Henry!"

The two stopped and turned. Sophia saw Henry's smile become a bit strain as a female walked up to them.

"There you are. I have been looking for you." The female cooed as she came closer.

Sophia was barely able to keep in a gasp as she was able to recognize the large chest woman. Silver hair that was at most elbow length. Tan skin with purple markings on her face as well as her chest. She wore a black outfit with the middle of it open, exposing part of her chest and her stomach in a V shape. She wore a short skirt. Black tights with patterns that were seen through. As well as black shoes with heels. A feather-like collar hoop that connected to her shoulders and metal plates around her waist and shoulders.

"Lady Aversa, how can I help you?" Henry smiled and the woman's red eyes held a look of authority when she spoke.

"I was speaking to the other mages and it seems none of them can decipher this." Aversa showed him an open book.

The pages had strange letters written. Ones Henry and others have never seen before but for Sophia, it looked familiar.

"Unfortunately, I do not know what this says," Henry said and the woman smirked.

"Of course, you don't. That's why I brought it. You and Tharja will oversee deciphering this." Aversa smiled and suddenly put the book in front of Sophia.

"You. Can you read this?" She said and Sophia just stared at it.

"Death...Darkness...agony...pain..." Sophia thought as she gently took the book from the woman.

Aversa raised an eyebrow while Henry's smile became a bit more strained.

"Sacrificed...lost...sorrow. This is in runes as well as a mixture of the language of Archanea. Tricky." She thought as she handed back the book to Aversa.

"Well?" Aversa said and Sophia shook her head.

"Ugh! And here I thought you got it." She turned to Henry, "Make sure you, Tharja, and your little mage decipher this by the end of July! We need these to summon the Deadlords!" She growled and shoved the book to his chest.

"Will do!" Henry said cheerfully as the woman walked away.

The two watched as she walked down one of the hallways and made a turn, finally out of earshot. Henry's smile turned to a deep scowl and growled.

"I can't stand her," Henry spoke in a low tone that Sophia expected.

"By the way, you lied, didn't you?" He turned to her, "You were able to decipher some of the words, weren't you?" He asked.

"I did." Sophia answered honestly as they began to walk again, "I just chose not to say anything."

"I'm glad you didn't," Henry admitted with a small smile as they walked for a few more minutes.

10 more minutes passed, and they soon arrived at the training grounds. The place was wide and enough for people to train freely. Men and women did their training routines as the minutes passed.

"You can remove your hood now." Henry smiled at her and she nodded.

Removing her hood, she followed him as he made his towards a specific person. Upon getting closer, soldiers could be seen practicing a type of formation. Their leader and the general was yelling orders to them.

"Keep it tight! Stand your ground!" Mustafa yelled and the soldiers let out a yell in response.

The man turned as he heard footsteps approaching and smiled when he saw it was Henry.

"Henry my boy! Glad to see you again. And..." he looked over to Sophia, "It is you. I am glad you are feeling better." He said.

"Thank you." Sophia lightly dipped her head.

"Hey look!" One of the men whispered as they saw their general was speaking to Henry but also a young woman, "Who's that?"

"She looks like a foreigner." A woman whispered.

"Henry told me you wished to speak to me regarding your situation." Mustafa began and Sophia nodded, "What is that you wish to speak of?"

"Right." Sophia nodded as she took a deep breath, "If it is alright with you, I wish to live in the village." She said.

"Hmmmmm...and what is your reason? I can't just let some stranger stay in my home." The man said.

"I understand that. I don't know anyone outside the village other than Henry. And I found out it's impossible to return to my homeland. Henry here told me about an abandoned cottage in the woods. I...wish to repair it and possibly live there. I already caused you and your family enough trouble with me staying at your home. I wish to repay you and your family someway." She explained.

Mustafa was silent as he stared down at her. The small woman held her ground and the man let go of a sigh.

"The boy told me what you did at the three villages you passed through." He smiled a bit, "Very well. I'll let you live in the village. But in exchange, you help my people when they are in need. Are we clear?" He said and Sophia nodded.

"You have my word!" Sophia beamed and saluted him.

"Now," he pointed to the group of soldiers, who looked like train wrecks, "Those idiots of mine overdid it again. Can you treat them?"

"Of course!"

[-]

"You treated everyone so easily. And fast also." Henry chuckled while Sophia gulped down a canteen of coconut water.

"I did not think so many soldiers would be idiots in getting themselves hurt!" Sophia snapped back after she wiped her lips.

"Well, you scolded them all like a mother. To add more salt to wounds you said it all with a blank face." Henry laughed while she just shook her head.

"By the way," Sophia sighs as they arrived at the area where Grima's skull was, "Can I break off a piece of this?" She pointed to a fang that had broken off years ago, now on the ground.

"Uhhh...sure? Why do you want a piece of a skull?" He asked as she took out the small hammer she bought.

"Souvenirs." She bluntly said and Henry burst out laughing.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three hard hits and she broke off about 4 orange size pieces and put them in her bag.

"I'm so going to enjoy researching a way to screw you over Grima." Sophia mentally thought and began laughing eerily.

Even Henry got caught off by her laugh but hey, you never know. As they chatted as they were walking, unknown to them, from one of the castle windows, Aversa was silent as she watched.

"I've never seen that girl before." The woman muttered as she took a sip of her tea, "I do wonder if she was the mage that was next to him."

She stared back down at the courtyard, seeing the woman talking to Henry despite having a blank face. Something about her made Aversa feel...strange. She sensed it. The girl has magic. Possibly a mage. Yet on her way to see her father, she overheard the soldiers speaking.

"Did you hear?"

"Someone treated the soldiers quickly!"

"No magic used at all!"

"What?!"

"That's impossible. No one can treat so many people so quickly."

Aversa then thought back to when she handed the girl the book. It was clear by how long she took she may have recognized something. It was for a moment, but Aversa saw the color of one of her eyes. A shade of rubies that faded to an emerald color.

"Heh." Aversa chuckled to herself, "I do wonder what the storm is bringing."

[-]

"By the way," Henry spoke when they arrived at the marketplace, "how do you want to build the cottage?" He asked.

"Well," Sophia thought for a moment, "I was thinking of the structure of a herbal shop."

"An herbal shop?" Henry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes." She said, "How big is the cottage?" She asked.

"Well, from what I've seen, it's about 4 rooms plus the basement." He answered.

"Perfect!" Sophia clapped her hands together, "The first room could be made for displaying shelves of medicines and herbs, the second room could be like a living room. Of course, the third one would be my room and the fourth one a bathroom. Lastly, the basement could be made into a magic workshop where I could do my studies!" She grins.

"Hmm, I like it. And I know just the person to help you with it!" Henry smiled.

"Oh? Who?" Sophia asked.

Henry's smile only grew.

"A good old friend of mine named Tharja."

- Ylisse -

Deep in the forest Ylisse, a young man looked out to the Capital of the Kingdom. He let go of a sigh as he adjusted his mask, also trying not to fall off the tree branch he was sitting at.

"This is annoying." He muttered and perked up a bit when he saw a certain someone finally arrive in the forest.

"Took you a while, Lord Marth." The young man said as Marth just let go of a sigh as he held a bag of groceries.

"I told you not to call me that when we're alone," Marth said as he adjusted his mask a bit.

The man jumped down and spoke.

"Can't do. I don't exactly have the right to call you your real name." The man said as he grabbed an apple from the bag.

"So, want me to call you Alm, then?" Marth teased a bit and Alm just rolled his eyes.

Marth blue armor clothing with a sword strapped onto their waist. And also a butterfly-shaped mask. Their hair was dark blue. As for Alm, he has long colored brown hair, tried into a high ponytail, and wore green-colored armor that was a bit similar to a swordmaster. On his waist, were strapped two chakrams. And a lance strapped onto his back.

"Fine. You win this one Lucina." Alm gave her a small smile as the girl smiled softly back to him.

"So, did you get the information we need?" She asked.

"Yeah." Alm said as he pulled out a small notebook, "Chrom and the others will be leaving for Ferox next month. Should take around 3 months to reach it. I'm not looking forward to the cold." Alm huffed as he put away the notebook.

"Nice job," Lucina said as he took a bite from his apple.

"Looking forward to sparring your dad?" He suddenly said and Lucina glared at him.

"Very funny. I also know you are looking forward to sparring with your father." She said and the man choked on his food.

"Shut it." He growled.

"Is that any way to speak to royalty?" She said back.

"Well, I inherited this bluntness from her." He snapped back a bit.

Lucina frowned.

"Let's just hope that bluntness doesn't get us killed."

Chapter 3: Exploring the Sands

[-]

This story will be updated during my free time as well as when I need to take a break from Three Houses. Chapter 55 is in the works for Shattered Songs of Fate. Also, drop by and say hi to me on the discord!

Link: discord .gg/9XG3U7a