Flynn

RL60 - 29 VIG - 14 MND - 23 END - 25 STR - 14 DEX - 17 INT - 10 FTH - 7 ARC

Resa

RL60 - 17 VIG - 17 MND - 12 END - 12 STR - 29 DEX - 9 INT - 34 FTH - 9 ARC

Flynn

"Resa, on my call, run."

"What?"

"I'm not killing this thing…it doesn't deserve that. So let's try to get past it while keeping it alive."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I can assure you it's far from a good idea, but that isn't going to stop me. Are you on board?"

She let out a sigh. "Fine…let's see how far we make it."

On the other side of the room the beast still eyed us up, skulking back and forth. I kept my shield raised, ready to defend…a stalemate. I started walking forwards, step after step, one foot after the other. My blade was not raised - I was doing everything I could to not look aggressive. Did I believe that that would help us pass? No…but I had to give it a try.

The wolf lunged to the side - and in its wake, three glimmering blue blades formed, hovering in the air. Another lunge, three more blades. The first three all started flying towards me - it was similar to what we'd seen Loretta do, except that the swords didn't stay with her, but rather hovered in place. I blocked the first three with my shield, and then the second - and at that moment, the wolf leaped into the air, higher than I even thought possible. As it did, a blade formed in its maw, a curved blade of pure orange energy. It started to descend, still towards me. I raised my shield to the sky, hoping that it would be enough to weather most of the blow.

"Run!" I called out to Resa - I was buying us time, whether I wanted to or not. The wolf pounced on me, blade slamming into my shield with enough force to knock me off balance. In a flash of movement my sister broke out into a sprint, darting to my left and dashing along the length of the hall. The wolf spun about, blade still in its mouth, quickly whirling around to tag Resa on the back as she ran, as well as continue to pummel my defenses. My sister nearly tripped but caught herself, still running down the hallway.

The wolf started to chase after her…and so I chased the wolf. I wasn't nearly as fast as it or my sister and quickly lost ground, but my sister was nimble - she could do this. The beast leaped into the air as a blast of glintstone magic erupted from it, my sister nearly being blasted by it if she hadn't leaped to the side with moments to spare. From there she managed to swing to the left, into an open doorway and down a hallway where I momentarily lost sight of her.

The wolf continued to give chase, more and more distance building up between it and myself. It turned down the hallway as I soon followed, its large bulk blocking any chance of me seeing Resa in front of it. I could only hope that she was still okay - the hallway wasn't high enough for the wolf's incredible leaping to come into play, meaning that all Resa had to do was avoid its paws and mouth and she'd make it…I knew she could.

Soon I emerged out the other end of the hallway, a large iron gate on the other side. I caught a glimpse of Resa swinging around behind half of the gate's doors, trying to push it closed to block off the wolf's advance. Unfortunately…we were back outside. In another incredible leap it scaled the entire gate, three glintstone blades forming in the air as it arced over, landing just behind Resa.

I scanned what was in front of us - some sort of fountain directly ahead, a large exposed stairway to the right - but there was some building to the left…we could try and lose it there. "Run left!"

Resa nodded, her eyes wide with a terror that rarely graced her features as she scrambled, trying to avoid the wolf's maw as she did so. Still, we were back outside…and here, there was no escaping this beast. More glintstone blades formed as it leaped around, trying to cut my sister off from the staircase she was so desperately running towards. She was starting to lose stamina - blades that she previously avoided were starting to graze her, and soon were outright striking her. Blood was starting to pour…if I couldn't step in and intercept this thing, she wasn't going to make it.

As I ran, I raised my staff, firing a few meager sorceries at it…it was all I had. As I'd come to expect, they nearly bounced off of its fur - like everything else here, magical attacks were barely an inconvenience, but the point was to get its attention…not to wound it. To that extent, I did my job - the wolf spun around, eyes narrowing in on me as the golden blade once again formed in its mouth. As it leaped at me, Resa escaped - running up the dirt-covered staircase and towards the building.

Now, I just had to get there…and there was no chance I was going to out run this thing. As it pounced at me I continued my slow but steady advance, using my shield to avoid as much of the incoming assault as I could…but against magic of this caliber, it couldn't defend me from everything. Residual wounds were starting to build up, and if I didn't rush for safety then Resa wouldn't be the only one in danger. We wouldn't have another shot at this…the wolf would know that we were coming, and it would make sure we couldn't slip past it again.

I reached the base of the staircase, an orange blade slicing into my back. A mound of dirt covered it, making gaining traction to scale quickly a troublesome matter. I did what I could, but the wolf was, as it always had been, two steps ahead of me. As I reached the top I saw its shadow crest over me as it leaped onto the small landing directly in front of me…there was no chance that I was going to get around it from here. Not enough room to maneuver, no chance to -

"Look this way!" I heard Resa's voice call out as I saw a bolt of lightning arc through the air, striking the beast from behind. It snarled before turning around…she'd bought me time, and I'd be a fool to waste it. I gathered the rest of my flagging energy and ran forward along the right-hand railing, trying to slip by it. By the time I was halfway past it, the wolf realized that it was being tricked and turned to glare straight at me again…but by that point, it was too little, too late. My shield absorbed one final swing from that blade as I ran by it, my arm, shoulder, and torso crying out in pain from the reverberation of that blow as it shook my system. It was worth it though - I managed to slip through a small doorway just beyond, into a tiny chamber where Resa was hiding. A recently-slain sorcerer was in here too, wearing a mask depicting not one face, but two…if I had the mental bandwidth to think I would have registered it as the fourth and final painting on the wall in the prior room, but I had far more pressing matters on my mind.

As I slipped into the chamber the wolf tried to follow, but only its mouth could get in, the door too small for its shoulder. It howled, barked, and gnashed its teeth for what felt like minutes…but for the moment, we were safe. I stood there, heart thumping loudly in my chest as my mind raced, thinking and waiting on any of the possible ways this could go wrong.

After a couple minutes, the wolf retracted…but not far. It sat just outside the doorway, lying on all fours. Its eyes burned with anger as it stared at us, safe within our brief refuge…knowing that if we dared to exit, it would happily rip us to shreds.

"Flynn…you're a lunatic." Resa tended to her wounds, dabbing the blood with a cloth while drinking from her flask to seal the wounds. I did the same, taking a long gulp from the rejuvenating liquid as I let it course through me.

"Yeah…I don't have a rebuttal to that."

"So, what's your plan now? There's a balcony here we can jump out of, but that wolf's going to know. Whatever we do, we need a plan."

I stood up, stepping onto the balcony. As I did I heard a growl and looked to my right, seeing the wolf leering around the corner of the building, still watching us… we weren't going anywhere safely. Directly in front of us was a large open courtyard…spend too long there, and we'd surely be torn apart by that wolf. I craned my head to the left, looking down at the far end of the courtyard…no doors, tunnels, or anything of the sort. The only thing I saw of note was a strange sort of machine. Two axes hung from chains at each side, connected to a large bell-like shape on wheels. It patrolled the area, maneuvering around a cluster of tarnished that were seemingly digging through the dirt. I could have sworn I saw a feminine-like head at the top of the machine, but it was hard to tell from this distance.

That left only one promising escape. "That staircase seems like our only bet. I saw from before that the base of it just sort of…crumbles. If we want to get on it, we'll have to run along those supports. Maybe the wolf can follow us up one of those, I'm not sure…but if it can't, we might be safe."

"And if we can't?"

"Well, then we die…and we leave. I…killing those sorcerers was one thing. It's going to take some time until I figure out how I feel about doing that. But that wolf…it's just doing its job, keeping people like us out. It doesn't deserve to be killed for that.

"I'm…well, I'm surprised you're thinking like that, if I'm honest. It was bothering me too, but…I know how much this means to you. If we run up that staircase, then what? Surely there's more people up there. We can't try to evade everyone."

"Yes we…no…I don't know. I don't want to turn around yet…I'm not sure what I want, if I'm being honest. I'd at least like to see Rennala, if I'm being honest…I don't know how realistic that is, though. I'd like to learn more, find more, see more…but from here on out, I know it's putting both of us in danger."

"We can try, Flynn…all we can do is try. I'll be honest with you…I don't think we'll make it, but I'm willing to take that chance. Also, I found this while I was fighting for my life in here…think you might appreciate it." Resa extended her hand - in it was a whetblade, the telltale signs of glintstone embedded within it. I took it, tossing it over in my palm.

"Well…at least running past that wolf wasn't for nothing, I guess. You've asked about what I want to do…but what do you want to do, Resa? I don't want to drag you through here."

She put a hand on my shoulder, and then another. She couldn't quite hold eye contact, her vision frequently flitting down to my chest. "I…I want to help you. You're willing to help me help Ranni, so I'm willing to help you do this. We're both making sacrifices, and don't try to deny it. I'm following your lead here. What you say goes."

I wanted to protest…but she was right. "Okay. Then we sprint for the stairs. Whatever happens after that…we make it up as we go." I put the whetblade into a pouch where I kept the one we found in Stormveil…the start of a hopefully growing collection.

"Alright…but you're leading this time. That wolf is fast, and you need all the headstart you can get." That tender expression turned to her usual smirk. I threw her hands off my shoulders as they came to rest at her waist. "Don't try and tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not…but I still hold the right to be mad about it. Alright…I think we've spent enough time cooped up here. Let's go."

I took a deep breath, taking a step back from the balcony - didn't want the wolf to see me preparing to jump ahead of time…that half second might make a difference.

I ran forward - one foot caught the railing as I launched myself into the air. My arms and legs started to flail wildly as I began to fall…this wasn't going to be graceful. The landing was more of an impact than anything else - my shoulder slammed into the ground followed by my forehead a moment later. With a slight ringing in my ears I scrambled to my feet, well aware that every second spent recovering was a second the wolf was gaining ground. Already it had caught my movements and was standing up, meaning that I needed to gain as much ground as I could. Resa was throwing herself off of the balcony at this point, reaching the ground in a far more practiced and fluid motion. She tucked into a roll upon landing, expertly springing back to her feet. The wolf landed between the two of us, cutting her off - or so it wanted. Whereas I was unstoppable, Resa was uncatchable - she simply kept her momentum as she slid underneath its legs, kicking up on the far side as we both continued to sprint. The wolf started to chase, letting glintstone blades fly through the air towards us, striking my back as I ran. I was nearing the edge of the cliff at this point…just a little bit further.

Another blade struck me as I threw myself off the cliff, Resa not far behind me. The struts were about as wide as I was, and I extended all four limbs to ensure that I caught myself on it - falling led to an endless expanse below. Once again, I landed face-first, but that was alright…what mattered was that I was here. As I started to stand up I saw Resa arcing overhead, once again showing her acrobatic prowess as she landed squarely on her feet, continuing to run up the strut. I followed behind her, not wanting to turn around and look at the wolf - walking forwards up this was perilous enough, let alone backwards.

Once we reached the staircase, I turned around…the wolf stood there, prowling. Did it not want to pursue? Could it? The struts were possibly wide enough for it to follow, if it couldn't just outright leap over them…and yet, it didn't. It should have filled me with a sense of safety…but after what we'd been going through, it was anything but.

I looked up at the top of the staircase…and then my eyes went slightly higher, to a strange portal-like shape embedded in the ceiling on the floor above it. Emerging from that portal was a ball - a metal ball…and if I had to guess, it was about staircase-width wide.

"Resa, dive to the corners, now!" Resa looked up just in time to see the ball thud onto the top of the staircase, beginning its inevitable descent down. It was gaining speed - we both needed to act fast. I threw myself to one corner, dropping on all fours as I compressed myself into as small of a space as I could go. Resa went to the other side, doing the same…I could only hope we'd be able to evade it from here.

The ball ran by us - and as it did, my right arm was crushed, just barely getting run over. The pain was excruciating…some of the worst that I'd felt. Still, I was alive, and that meant we had to keep moving. As soon as the ball passed us I got up, breaking into a mad dash. I could see that another was coming…if we moved fast, perhaps this would be the last one before we were free.

We made it nearly to the top the second time before having to drop to the floor again - this time, Resa was the one to be on the unlucky side of the stairs. I heard her grunt in pain as it rolled by, how much of her it managed to catch I didn't know. Once it passed I saw her get to her feet, continuing the climb. I matched her…we reached the top of the stairs just as the third ball hit the stairs behind us. Had we been a second slower, it would have caught both of us…but for the moment, we were safe. We both drank from our flasks - Resa helped me with mine, my arm still a bit too tender to hold even the small flask.

"Like I said…you're a lunatic."

"And I didn't disagree last time…I certainly can't now."

I looked inside - another small hallway, this time actually void of any sorcerers, at least for now. As we stepped in, I saw an open doorway on the right, at the end of which was a waygate. Not now…it made no sense. If we hadn't run past all of that, with no real way to return, then possibly…but we'd be giving up too much to step through it now. There was another set of doors on the left, but they were locked. I looked straight ahead, through a doorway and into another chamber beyond. A figure was approaching, clad in well-maintained armor, wielding a sword and shield. They pointed that sword forwards towards the both of us, speaking with a deep, authoritative voice.

"In the name of Rennala of the Full Moon, halt where you stand trespassers. Take one step further, and I will strike you down where you stand."

I did so, freezing in place. Resa did as well. Both of our hands went up into the air instinctively.

"Drop your weapons."

I removed my cleaver from its resting point at my waist, dropping it onto the floor. My halberd was the next to go as I unhinged it from my back. Finally I took my staff off as well, placing all three in a pile. Beside me, Resa unloaded her armory - dagger, scimitar, katana, rapier, and seal, all sitting in a pile.

"Advance."

We both took several steps forward until we were told to stop.

"How did you enter the Academy?"

This time, the figure was waiting for an answer…I was the reason we were in this mess, so I took the lead. "Someone told us about the keys to the Academy. We found one being guarded by a dragon out in the lakes, and got in."

"What are your goals here?"

I had to word this carefully…one misplaced word would give the wrong impression. "I'm learning to be a sorcerer…I wanted to find what the Academy knew for my own studies."

"What business do you have with Lunar Queen Rennala?"

This time Resa cut in, the figure's attention sharply switching to look at her. "None, we swear. We…please do not attack me until I finish speaking."

"That depends on what is spoken."

"We seek access to the capital…we need Great Runes to do so." The knight began to raise his blade in fury and Resa accelerated her words. "But we realized this is wrong." My sister winced, the blade, perilously close to striking her unguarded chest.

"You have one sentence to explain your motivation here."

"We entered with that intention, yes, but that's not why we're still here…it's like my brother said, he's just trying to learn. We're not looking to harm anyone anymore. Please…we're telling the truth."

"Your story bears weight. I observed your movements through the Academy. You were reckless fools to keep the Red Wolf alive, and yet you did. Why then do you still press on? Is plundering the Academy's secrets worth your lives? His head turned back to me as he said it.

"I thought so, yes."

"And what would you do now, should you meet Queen Rennala herself?"

"We were told by her daughter that a hex was placed upon her to defend her. She - "

I was interrupted by a sword slicing across my chest, the cool burn of glintstone following it. The knight retracted, wiping the blade clean. "Now you speak falsehoods. Princess Ranni was slain long ago. The Queen mourns her death to this day."

Resa was the one to respond. "N - no, we spoke with her, not far from here. There must be a misunderstanding."

"Why would Ranni hide from her mother?"

"I don't know…we spoke with Ranni only briefly."

"And what did she tell you about the Queen?"

"That there was a hex on her, to protect her in the event that she was in danger. That if we were dead set on acquiring her Great Rune, which we're not." My sister paused to emphasize that thoroughly before continuing. "That if we overcame the hex, we could extricate it without mortally wounding Rennala."

"I know of no such hex, and I have no intention of allowing such a hypothesis to be tested against my Queen. However." The figure paused for a moment, clearly thinking about how to proceed. "You will see the Queen. If your news of Princess Ranni's safety is true, it may free her from her grief."

"We're…seeing the Queen?"

"To disclose information, and nothing more…lest she wills it. Consider yourselves prisoners until otherwise notified. Fetch your gear…should the worst happen to you, even I would not deprive a traveler of their arms. Then, follow me."

I…this was certainly an unexpected turn of events. I took a few steps backward, hastily picking up my weapons and putting them back in their place. I looked at Resa, her eyes meeting mine - eyes wide with panic, fear, and uncertainty.

"Quickly now. No conspiring now that you aren't defenseless." I hastily walked forward, arms folded in front of me, as nonthreatening of a look as I could manage.

We were led forward, into a small chamber that only housed a large stone lift. We were led on, the two of us on before the knight pressed the button in the center, leading us up.

"What sorceries are you studying, knight?"

I faltered, not expecting such a…conversational question. "Just the basics right now…but I'm hoping to learn Carian sorceries soon."

"Hmph."

I paused, waiting for more of a response…but none came. "You?"

"I am a knight of Caria."

My breathing skipped a beat…a knight of Caria? I knew that they had been integrated into the Academy, but to think that I was speaking to one was…if it weren't for our current predicament, I'd have been slightly awestruck. As it was, it only served to worry me…the one dedicated practitioner of Carian magic we'd ever met, and we'd managed to thoroughly piss them off. Learning from him was out of the question most certainly…such was our luck.

The lift came to a stop at an undecorated platform surrounded by walls on all sides. In front of us was presumably Rennala's abode within the Academy - at least, I could only assume it was. Two large doors were in front of us, set within a grand peak of the Academy's towering architecture. We were led forward, the Carian Knight stepping forward to open the doors.

"You will exhibit the highest of respects when communicating with our Queen."

I nodded my understanding. "Of course."

"Good. Now enter."

As the doors opened, we were led into a library teeming from floor to ceiling with books. They lined the walls in bookshelves two, three, four stories high, they sat on the floors in piles higher than my head…and in the center of it all was Rennala. The Carian Queen looked exactly like the painting had depicted her - large, blue robes, and a curved, pointed crown atop her head. All around her along the floor were…students? They crawled with their arms across the ground, craning their heads to look at us as we were led closer.

What I noticed most of all was what Rennala clutched - the amber egg. It was about as large as my torso, dwarfing Rennala's long, lithe arms that tenderly clutched it. I could see a faint glow to it - the power of a Great Rune. At one point, we were here for that…but no more. Rennala scarcely looked up from the egg, cradling it gently in her lap as she sat upon a throne, her eyes staring longingly into it.

This was what she'd been reduced to…sorry, longing, and want. I'd heard that Rennala carried a gift from Radagon in the form of the egg…but also that Radagon was Marika's second husband. I was starting to piece it together now, seeing Rennala like this…she'd been left…and after that, she'd been led to believe that her daughter Ranni had died. She must have been so stricken by grief at this point that it was a wonder that she kept herself together even this well. Far behind her, against the back wall of the library, was a statue, bearing the likeness of those we saw in the various churches. I could only assume it was of Radagon…she'd never even removed it.

"Queen Rennala. I come with intruders of the Academy. They come bearing news about Ranni."

At the mention of her daughter's name her eyes flitted up, filled with a hunger and a craving for information the likes of which I'd never seen. Even still when she spoke her voice was…somber. It was the voice of a woman who had lost everything. It was as if her body knew how to react, but her mind was unable to move at that speed anymore. "Wilst thou tell me?"

The knight turned to the side, looking at both Resa and myself. "You may speak."

Resa looked at me, her eyes still alight with panic…this entire ordeal felt like a fever dream gone wrong. I took the lead…it was still my fault we were here. "Queen Rennala, we have reason to believe that Ranni is alive."

Rennala shook her head furiously, contending with a reality that conflicted with her own. "No, no, no, no, mine daughter hath been slain. You speaketh falsehoods."

"She lives…within the Three Sisters, safely behind Caria Manor. We've spoken with her."

"Is she safe?"

I paused…that was a difficult question to answer. "She…inhabits the body of a…a doll. But she has not been attacked, nor do I think she will be."

At this, the Carian knight interjected. "And just what were you doing within the grounds of Caria Manor?"

"Same thing as we were here…just trying to learn sorceries, nothing more. We didn't know we'd find Ranni there…quite frankly, we stumbled into her there."

"Very well." The knight folded his arms, clearly not convinced…I had a feeling that nothing we said would change his opinion.

"Can I seeth mine daughter?"

Resa stepped in - and it let out a mental sigh of relief…speaking with Rennala like this, dancing around a subject so delicate, was taxing. "She said that inhabiting her current form is…taxing. When we spoke with her recently she said she'd be entering a slumber for the time being…but if we speak with her after she awakens, we can ask."

"Oh…" That single word…it carried all of the longing and disappointment that Rennala had been carrying for all this time.

Resa continued. "She's…staying busy. I…I think you'd be proud to call her your daughter."

"Did she…speaketh of me?"

At this, the knight looked sternly at Resa, shaking his head. The message was clear - don't speak of the hex. My sister shakily nodded her understanding, and then responded. "Sh-she did, yes. That she cares for you and - and wishes for your safety."

"That is…nice. Doth she stay busy?"

Resa nodded. "She…yes. She has…plans. I'm…not sure if I should explain it."

The knight looked at her, arms still folded. "Answer the question."

Resa stuttered, tongue caught in her throat…I knew why. Still, there was no avoiding it…either we lie and end up caught, or we speak the truth and risk even worse.

"She said that long ago she…stole Death, and…and used it to change the world."

"NO!" This wasn't Rennala's usual, somber voice but rather an ear-piercing screech. Her arms flew to her head as she bucked continuing on. "NO! NO! NO! NOT RANNI!"

The knight looked to us, sword now drawn and advancing towards Resa. "You insinuate that Ranni was the instigator of the Night of the Black Knives?"

"I don't know what that is, it's what she said!" The knight swung and I intercepted, holding up my shield. I wasn't going to attack - but I'd be damned if I'd let this man attack my sister.

While we were having our squabble, Rennala's anguish and grief reached a fever pitch - and as it did, the amber egg fell from her lap, hitting the ground. As it did, a column of black smoke began to pour from it in greater and greater volume.

"How does one not know of the Night of the Black Knives!" The knight continued to try to get past my defenses, but I put every fiber of my being into protecting Resa.

"We came from beyond the fog, we had no way to know, we'd never been told!"

"You're lying! You sully Princess Ranni's name!"

Meanwhile the smoke continued to pour higher and higher, reaching the top of the library where it formed into a pulsing orb of shadow, quickly growing larger and larger by the second. Shortly thereafter, a familiar, ghostly voice began speaking…the voice of Ranni.

"Upon my name as Ranni the Witch, thou hast disturbed Mother's deep slumber."

At this, The knight stopped attacking us, all three of us turning to look at what had been occurring behind us. Trails of smoke began to pour from the ball of shadow as a snowy blue vortex appeared on the floor. From it, a silvery blue figure appeared, much like what Resa summoned with her bell - the figure of Rennala. This wasn't the broken, distraught Rennala that we'd been speaking with, however…this was Rennala, Queen of the Academy. Clutched in one hand was the staff we'd seen under her painting, alight and thrumming with magic. Around the three of us the shadows continued to descend, now blanketing the walls and the floor.

"Foul trespassers, send word far and wide…of the last Queen of Caria, Rennala of the Full Moon…and the majesty of the night she conjureth"

Rennala's silvery figure began to coalesce into the pale-skinned, blue-robed figure that we'd just seen - but all around her, the scenery had changed. The ground had been replaced by an endless expanse of water, as if we were out on the ocean - and yet, we stood safely upon the water's surface. Behind Rennala and dominating the horizon was a moon - the Full Moon. All around it was the night sky…'the night she conjureth', perhaps.

And beside us…was the Carian Knight, somehow swept into all of this with us. "What…is this?"

"The hex." I said it matter-of-factly…there was no denying it now. All of this - the shadows, the conjured Rennala, the phantasmal voice - it all pointed to Ranni's hex.

"So you spoke the truth?"

"That's what we were trying to tell you."

"I did not believe you…but my eyes do not deceive me. Princess Ranni lives…very well." He paused for a moment, looking at the visage of his Queen in her prime, her staff in hand. "And you say escaping from this hex will not harm my Lady?"

"That is what we were told."

The knight let out a sigh. "Then…then we must work together to escape this. I swore an oath to defend my Queen until my last breath…but this is an illusion. The real Rennala is in grief…if I must strike this imitation to rescue her, then it shall be done."

"I, uh…thank you."

Our words were cut short by Rennala holding up her staff, a pulsing blue and green orb of magic swelling at its tip. She extended the staff straight for the group of us just as a burst of magic erupted from it. This wasn't glintstone magic - it was something far more primal, far more powerful…and I dove to the side mere moments before it would have chewed a hole through my torso.

The beam lasted several seconds as a flood of magical power cascaded from Rennala, the Queen seemingly nonplussed by the fact that she was aiming at one of her knights - if this version of her even had the ability to think of such a thing.

After evading the beam, all three of us advanced on Rennala. I could tell the knight was hesitant - when his blade swung, it was shaky, and I knew why. An oath was an oath - and even if this person wasn't who he was sworn to protect, it looked just like her. Had this been Quelaan, rather than Rennala, I wasn't sure if I'd have the strength to strike at an imitation of who I served.

Still, we did…and Rennala retaliated in kind. She floated into the air briefly, multiple fragments of magic spouting from her staff to blanket her area of retreat. Upon landing she swung her staff forward, the armament transforming into a blue boomerang-like projectile as it made a wide arc in front of her, further keeping us at bay. As it returned to her it reformed into a staff as Rennala held it up. This time, a sphere of crystals formed in front of her, erupting into a cone of sharp fragments. Some struck all three of us - it was impossible to dodge all of them. Rennala continued to back up, a seemingly endless supply of spells flying from her staff.

This was…the pinnacle of sorcery. It was hard not to be impressed by the display I was seeing. She was letting loose sorceries that must have been the pinnacle of the craft as if they were nothing, chaining them together into a frighteningly powerful display. I could see that the Carian knight had a similar reverence for what he was witnessing - but that didn't change the fact that we needed to survive, and as much as we admired Rennala…right now, she was the enemy.

Just as I caught up to her, Rennala curled up into a ball, floating into the air. As she did, a sphere started to form around her - not just any sphere, but a moon…the full moon. It shone an almost brilliant white, brighter than even the illusory moon on the horizon.

"Rennala's Full Moon…I'd heard tales of this sorcery, but never seen it with my own eyes. You will want to…avoid it." The knight looked up at the orb, but still backed off out of respect for the sheer power that it possessed. It started to float towards my sister - she backed up more and more, doing her best to evade it. Soon, the moon erupted into a powerful explosion of magic. Thankfully, my sister was out of the blast radius - I didn't want to think of the alternative.

The knight and I closed in, seeing an opening and taking it. We struck in tandem - him, his sword, and me, my cleaver. Despite her clear magical superiority, Rennala was, still, a sorcerer - each successful blow made her knees buckle and a gasp flee her lips.

The fight continued on as Rennala continued to mount a nearly unbreachable defense. Any time one of us closed in she had a spell just for the occasion - and there were oh so many. Shards of magic cascading to the ground, shards of magic in a line, shards of crystal in a cone…it was impossible to predict what would come next, or how to avoid it. Our sole advantage was numbers - few of her sorceries could target all around her, and frequently that left one of us room to duck in and strike at her once or twice, slowly chipping away at her vitality.

After one particularly vicious blow she slammed her staff down. As she did, a symbol appeared on the water's surface - white runes in the shape of a compass. "Come, oathsworn giant!"

As she spoke, smoke began to coalesce behind her - into a massive, towering figure. In seconds a troll appeared, in much the same fashion as Resa summoned her spirits. The giant leaped into the air, slamming a massive sword down with enough force to send both me and the knight flying backwards from the impact.

"I will defend against this creature! Stay the course." As the knight recovered he charged at the troll, nimbly rolling to the side as it stomped its foot, sending ripples across the water's surface.

Well…if he was buying us time, I wasn't going to squander it. I rushed towards Rennala, leaving the sounds of conflict behind me. Resa was holding her own against the queen, throwing herself to the ground as a row of glintstone shards fired towards her, only to leap back to her feet once the coast was clear.

"She can perform spirit summons?"

"Well…if Ranni taught you, I guess we now know who taught Ranni."

"That…makes sense. Buy me some time…I'll try to even the playing field."

"On it." I rushed in, keeping on the defensive for now, trying to block any incoming sorceries that would fly towards us. Resa stepped back, holding up her bell. A moment later came Argyn and the other wolves…tried and true, always by our side.

Rennala countered, slamming her staff into the ocean floor once again, another white circle forming around her. No words were spoken this time - but three wolves - no, four…four wolves formed from the circle, protecting her. Behind us, the giant faded, the knight free to rejoin us.

"That's…not fair!"

Wolves fought against wolves - and frankly, it was impossible to tell which ones were on our side. I only hoped that they'd buy us time to continue pursuing Rennala herself - these spirits were doing an excellent job at giving her the space she needed to continue assailing us with sorceries. More glintstone, crystals, and beams of pure magic flew at us as we desperately fought for every swing that we could manage. All the while, my resources were running lower and lower - my flask draining after each sorcery that struck me, forcing me to keep up the tempo lest I run out before she fell.

Soon, the wolves faded - even after strengthening them through Roderika they were no match for Rennala's, though hers faded after their job was done. Rennala planted her staff on the ground a third time, uttering more words. "Come…oathsworn dragon!"

No…no, no no. A figure even more massive than the troll began to form behind her, and I immediately ran towards Resa to shield her. A full-blown dragon formed behind her, opening its maw as a blanket of fire began to pour out of it.

"I'd heard tell of the Queen's power, but to witness it with my own eyes!" The knight raised his shield near us, both him and I bracing for the dragonfire. It washed over us in a wave, heat so brutal it felt like I was being cooked alive. As it ended the dragon took to the air, spewing more fire from the safety of the air. Trying to fight it would be futile - as dangerous as these spirits were, they didn't seem to last very long. Trying to fend it off with lightning spears or sorceries would only serve to tax the resources we were running out of, to fight an enemy that we wouldn't be killing. Still…as the fire blanketed us from above, it was hard not to wish for a way to make it stop. There was only one way…to go for the source of the summons herself.

As the fire came to an end I took a long drink from my flask, nearing the end of its contents - but it gave me the vigor to continue the fight. I ran forward, Rennala temporarily focusing on the knight and giving me a chance to close in on her once more. I got two solid strikes off, Rennala's posture struggling to weather even a single blow anymore. Resa threw a lightning spear from afar, doing what she could from a distance rather than trying to rush her like the other two. The dragon closed in on us, rearing back to try and snap at Resa. My sister was

Rennala turned on me, spinning her staff in a pinwheel in front of her as my third blow bounced off of it, a jolt of magic arcing through my arm in retaliation. The knight came in from behind, striking at Rennala's exposed flank.

That was the breaking point - that one, final strike was enough to make her gasp in a mixture of pain and shock, falling to the ground and catching herself on her hands. Her staff fell onto the water's surface - and for the first time since this phantasmal Rennala appeared, she bore an expression of fear and worry.

The knight raised his blade up, ready to follow up on his successful strike - but seeing his Queen so vulnerable, he froze. The sword shook in his hands, falling to the floor as well

"Do…do what I cannot. Free us from this hex…Free my Queen. You must."

I looked over at Rennala - she was trying to recover, reaching for her staff. This was a hex, an illusion, a dream…the Rennala in front of me wasn't real…I had to convince myself of that. I couldn't bear to kill the real Rennala…but this wasn't that. For the safety of her, and of us…I had to do this.

I closed my eyes…I didn't want to watch what I was about to do. I raised my cleaver to the sky, a blade of blue forming. I let it grow, the power swelling in my hands. The blade empowered itself once more, reaching its full splendor. Power coursed through it…the power of Carian magic.

If I was to strike her down…it was as a Flynn, aspiring Carian sorcerer.

I swung, letting the blade strike against her entire body. She let out a gasp, and I felt her body slump to the ground. I didn't want to watch…I couldn't.

"Oh little Ranni, dear daughter. Weave thy night…into being."

As those words fled her lips, I could feel the illusion around us fading. When I opened my eyes, Rennala was no longer there. The moon was the next to go, followed by the night sky. Lastly, the ocean that we stood on vanished, encasing us in a black void, so dark I couldn't even see my hands, Resa, or the knight that had fought alongside us. Soon, that void began to retreat…and in its place was a familiar library.

We were standing in the same configuration as when the hex had occurred - the knight was poised to strike at my shield as I defended Resa from him. Everything had happened in a blur - but it had happened, hadn't it?

"What has - " The knight sheathed his sword promptly - I let out a brief sigh of relief that he also seemed to remember the events that had just transpired. The three of us looked towards Rennala. She was sitting in the same chair as before, but the egg was once again safely within her tender grasp.

"We are - we have - you have broken the hex." The knight looked at me. "And with the Grandeur of Caria, as well. I doubted when you said that you wished to study Carian magic, but your actions speak true."

"I…yes. So…what happens now?"

The knight folded his arms, assessing the situation. "I have no reason to dispute anything you've said after what has transpired. Lady Ranni lives - and was involved in the Night of the Black Knives. I fear this news will only serve to deepen Queen Rennala's grief, but perhaps the knowledge that her daughter is alive will sooth her somewhat. This will take time to smooth over, I have no doubt. But it will smooth over, soon enough. It may be wise for you to avoid returning to the Academy, at least for a little while…I fear Rennala may conflate you with the bad news, and it will only bring her more grief."

I nodded. "That…I won't argue with any of that. I - we're sorry for all of this, truly. We…didn't know."

"If you came from beyond the fog, you had no reason to. Before you leave, I will offer you one small token of the Queen's power - I am sure she would not object."

"What is that?"

"The queen has taken to the practice of…rebirth. Of remaking people in a new image. If either of you wish to be reborn, I think it would bring her a bit of peace and familiarity right now."

"If it'll help…I'll do it."

The knight nodded. "Good…step forward…place your hand upon the egg…envision what you wish to change, and it will happen."

I did so - I placed my gauntlet on the egg, closing my eyes. I didn't have much that I wanted to change…I was doing this more so in the hopes of bringing her comfort. Still, I wished for slight changes - to strengthen my bond with magic and sorceries, without sacrificing my strength or my ability to defend my sister.

I felt a slight tug within my chest…but nothing greater than that. Did anything chang? I didn't know…but if I'd done it right, then it didn't matter. I stepped away, looking at the knight and giving a nod.

"Very well…it is done. I will not forget what has transpired here today…your presence within this Academy is questionable, but I know that you meant no ill will upon the Queen. Leave - at least for now. Should the Queen see fit to admit you once more, I will send word."

"And you are?"

"Ah…yes, I suppose introductions were skipped given the situation. Moongrum, Knight of Caria. Whom did I fight alongside today?"

"Flynn and Resa…of Thorolund."

"I have not heard of this land…but much beyond the fog is unknown to me. Very well, Flynn and Resa…please, give the Queen time to recover."

Moongrum pointed us towards a grace in the back of Rennala's library, giving us an easy way out. As much as we needed to tend to our wounds, it was obvious that this wasn't the time nor the place. We headed to the only logical location…the Roundtable Hold.

We appeared within the Hold's walls…I let out a pent of groan of tension, stress, and fear. "What did we just do?"

"I…I suppose we'll figure that out in due time. Ranni wanted to remain hidden, but…I fear we had no choice besides lie to the Queen if we wanted to maintain her secrecy. We did what we had to…but I'm sure there will be consequences for what's transpired today."

"No doubt…but we'll deal with those as they come. For now, I think we distance ourselves from the situation. At a minimum, heed Moongrum's words and avoid the Academy for the time being…probably all of Liurnia, just to be safe."

Resa nodded. "I agree. Blaidd is expecting us in Limgrave…I know it's a lot to process, given what just happened, and what we learned about Ranni. Are you still alright with aiding her? I know I said we'd both make sacrifices, but…now we have more information. I won't fault you if you want to turn back."

"No…I stand by my words. I don't know what this Night of the Black Knives is…but that's something we can ask her when we next get the chance. Until then, I think we want to maintain the illusion that we don't know about that. I think we're in a situation where we need to take any allies we can get…and right now, Ranni sees us as an ally."

Resa nodded in understanding. "I'm with you on that…plus, going underground might give us a chance to let things blow over. You're long overdue for a visit to Sellen though, and you're meeting her before we convene with Blaidd no matter how much you might want to protest. After that though…off to this Siofra well."

Right, Sellen…after encountering Rennala, Queen of Caria, Sellen felt almost mundane in comparison. Still, she was my teacher…and an adept teacher at that. Still, a visit would be good…I felt like I'd been improving my skills, and a chance to measure that growth with new sorceries, or even using my old staff, would be welcome after being humbled and awestruck so wholly by Rennala.

Resa continued speaking, even as my mind wandered. "Before that, however, I demand a breather. It has been non stop running and panic since we met that Wolf, and I think we both need a chance to catch our breath.

On that…I couldn't agree more.

Wow…it's been a long, long time since I pumped out an entire chapter in a single day…it feels good. I knew I wanted to have the twin's trek through the Academy diverge from how it occurs in the game, and I'm pleased with the result, even if potentially the accepted lore would dispute what transpired.

Flynn's rebirth will be noted in the stats breakdown of the following chapter. The only modification is -1 Faith and +1 Intelligence, removing the "wasted" point back when his intent was to pursue Gurranq's bestial incantations.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions, always feel free to write a review or PM me directly. :-)