Chapter Four
1.
By the time Godfrey finishes regaling the story of how they ended up so far south of Riegan's territory, Leonie is honestly surprised they're alive. Several bandit attacks, a young necromantic practitioner startled in a graveyard, three sperate cases of monsters appearing from nowhere, and a couple nighttime assassination attempts. According to him, they used to have a larger force when they began the journey, but no one expected this much resistance on their trek to the capital of Country Gloucester.
"I'm guessing all these troubles started just after you made it past the Great Bridge of Myrddin," Leonie winces, remembering the rumors. "The Lord of the area, Acheron, stirs up enough trouble for merchants going to Riegan. Flashing your country's symbol everywhere would have motivated up his people. Word gets around, and then…"
"We've got people hunting us down," Mickael sighs. "That was the only direct route between Duke Gloucester and the-"
"From my home," Godfrey cuts in. Leonie's been entertained by the stories and very fancy arrows the apparent-noble cleans. The arrows more so than the stories. Some have his country's symbol engraved on them. If one got lost in this territory, it could easily be a catalyst for conflict. "If all this has been going on under Duke Riegan's nose, it does not bode well for the other minor plots surely afoot." He sighs, running a hand through chestnut hair. "He spends so much attention keeping peace between the roundtable, Church, and Almyrans that he forgets about the people sometimes."
"At least your home wasn't taken off the map when all outgoing trade died," Leonie drawls, smoothing her fingers over the training spear's shaft. There are a few chuckles thrown her way. "What?"
"No, no you're correct," Godfrey grins again. "I suppose I could have it worse. Let's talk about something lighter. You said you were going to apply to Garreg Mach Monastery? Are you thinking about becoming a knight?"
"I mean, it's a possibility," Leonie shrugs. "The goal right now is to get the mercenary church-approved certification. I'd like to see the world, get out of the village."
"You could stick with us," the leader proposes. Leonie snorts, amused and surprised. "What? It's a good plan. I take you back to Riegan with me, tell everyone you're training to be part of my guard, so you learn from the best. You go to the Monastery and if you decide you still want to be a mercenary, you go free."
"It sounds like a great plan," and oh, does she ever want to go along with it. Leonie tilts her head, shaking it and looking down at the weapon she supposedly has a strength in. "Too good to be true."
"Leonie." She looks up. He's frowning a bit, serious. A commander who looks old from facing too many mistakes. "You saved our lives; saved the Alliance a lot of grief if we had died here in Gloucester territory. I owe you a great debt."
"You owe me nothing," her mouth sets as anger flares. Don't be brash, swallow the cold words. He's just trying to be nice. "I was in the area and did what any decent person would have done. The monsters are a problem for everyone. Whatever debt is being paid now by this ride to Mavi Village." If my village had known I saved you, they would have berated me at best.
He obviously doesn't think a simple ride is enough. She's too used to getting the minimum for her efforts. If anyone in Gloucester found out she was owed something by a noble from Riegan, she'd be crucified at worst. Godfrey looks out the front of the cart, catching sight of the village appearing as the stars begin to shine. She watches him carefully, as he's one of the few around to look and see her as a person.
Leonie cannot deviate from the plan now, no matter how tempting the offer. Two more years.
"If you don't like this place," he begins carefully, giving her a side-eye, "why do you stay?"
"No one will take me seriously without some certification," Leonie looks over to the merchants. Luci is keeping an eye out the back, completely turned away from Leonie. She has to be listening, but the Crest deems the teenager unimportant. Mickael is watching the orange haired teen closely. "The licence means squat outside of Gloucester territory. If I don't get into the top eight for classes when I'm nineteen, I can hang around for supplementary classes and take the mercenary class exam when I turn twenty."
Frustrated, his green eyes latch onto her orange ones, "Why not take my offer then?"
"You ever heard of the saying, 'the demon you know'?" Leonie's grin hurts. She likes this respectable idiot; not more than Jeralt and is very suspicious about why he's even asking to take her along, but the fact he doesn't belittle her or throw accusatory remarks around helps. She's so used to her village forcing opinions on her, of a deer stalking her through the forest, that having a normal conversation is currently the highlight of her year. "We haven't even known each other a day. I don't know why you'd offer to train me, I'm not that good so..."
Godfrey jerks back, eyes widening in realization. At what, she isn't sure.
Mickael is frowning, "Heir-"
Godfrey quickly raises a hand to halt him. Even Luci turns around, seeing their leader shaking his head quickly.
Leonie leans back, rotating her spear between fingers on her lap. "So, you're an heir? Can't say I've ever met someone so high up the food chain before."
"Duke Gloucester hasn't stopped by your village?"
"Just. Put back on. The map. He hasn't shown since before I was born, from what I've been told. All the adults still love him, though."
"It happens," Heir Godfrey frowns. "But my father's still looking for someone with the family Crest, so I'm not going to be heir forever. We're almost at Mavi…" he smiles sheepishly. "Is there where we part or…"
"Or?"
"Do you want to come to Duke Gloucester's home with us?"
Leonie twitches, guard slowly coming up. He seems to be honest still. This group… probably couldn't survive another attack without some help. If Lord Acheron passed on their descriptions, then not even taking down the banner will help them escapes the fights to come. It's also really nice for her to be treated as a person with her own mind and opinions. While she doesn't want to be near, to possibly cave into the hopeful feelings and agree to follow him back to Riegan…
"I'll go with you to Capital Gloucester and that's it. You have to deal with the Duke by yourselves."
Godfrey grins and it's contagious enough that she slips back a real smile. At least she isn't bored anymore. Weirdly enough, she hasn't thought about stabbing anyone around her in a while. Maybe peeking at the hunter's board will fix that.
Maybe she's finally growing up.
Is this what being wanted feels like? She's forgotten after all these years.
2.
It will take four days to travel to Capital Gloucester. Leonie already knows she won't be able leave without making sure Godfrey and his people make it out of the Duke's house, and so writes a letter for her father. A brief summary about how she'll be out longer, escorting a merchant who promises lots of gold. It will be a good chunk of her school supplies funds that she'll have to give up. Unfortunate, but two years to make it up. Leonie tries to convince herself that this is a vacation.
She'd rather a warm beach, sipping sugary drinks, but whatever. At least there are a lot of different weapons she can ooh and awe over.
"Why not take it?" Godfrey asks cheekily, watching her run fingers over a silver bow.
"No way," Leonie denies, not looking up. The string appears to be made of silk, who even has money for that? "I don't have any of the materials to fix it if it breaks. Or the skill to use it. This is better in your company's capable hands."
"Leonie," he whines. Luci snorts at the front of the cart, steering the horses from beside her husband. "I have lots of bows back home. Let me give you one. Or! How about I buy you one at the next market. I believe you're at a good enough height for a longbow-"
He cuts off when her head snaps to the back of the carriage. Not even three hours out of Mavi and Danger Sense is already ringing warning bells in her head.
"What's wrong?" he asks softer.
"We're being watched." She can't turn to Crest vision with two of Godfrey's cavaliers at their backs. "They're just keeping up with us for now. What do you want to do?"
He comes over to her bench, looking towards the thinning forestry. "Where can you see them?"
She can't see them, but points towards where she senses them. "There's at least two. One on either side. I'm not sure how they're keeping pace, but they're on the ground."
He makes an annoyed sound, moving back to his bench. "Nothing we can do until they act first." He whistles a sharp signal, but all Leonie can see happen is Luci tightening the reins. "Just keep an eye out, but don't stress too much about it, Leonie. We're all rested from the inn last night. By the way, where did you sleep?"
A cave not too far away from the village. "Somewhere safe."
He hums, chuckling. Shakes his head. "Okay, so, take the bow?"
Leonie raises her eyebrows and pointedly, achingly, releases the beautiful tool. Pushes it away with her boot, internally clawing away at herself for getting dirt on the precious.
"You're stubborn," he sighs fondly. "Well, if you won't take my lances, swords, or bows, what about tomes?"
Leonie doesn't outwardly react, but her attention is solely on him. Danger sense can ping all it wants, a chance to see written magic would make her day. "As much as I would love new reading material," the only books in their village are Fódlan's bibles. Leonie takes the words of Seiros with a shaker of salt, "I can't accept you trying to push tomes on me. Believe me, I know how much books cost." Blank notebooks are at most an eighth of the price of anything written.
"Yikes, so paranoid," he mockingly holds a hand to his chest. The other pulls out a fair-sized book. "No harm in taking a look, right?" Waves it in her face.
Leonie huffs and gently grasps it. There's no magic or power running through it, the title is Crests of Fódlan. She flips open the first page and hungrily memorizes the image. It looks like a peacock feather or crying eye. The Crest of Seiros. Of course.
"Do you mind if I read this?" Leonie looks up, gentle wonder turning sharply to anger at his smug face. "Look, I'm not going to take anything-"
"No, no," he's quick to assure. "You just looked happy. Read it and give it back, it's fine. But if you want to keep it-"
"No thanks," Leonie settles back, one last glance out the open area where Danger Sense is warning her. "I don't want anything," she lies. "It's just nice to see what's out there."
He has so much that he's just willing to give her. Her paranoia is at an all-time high trying to figure out his motive. Is it kidnapping? Does he only want to train her, tie her to his house in someway? Nothing in this life has been given to her without a price. A bow for her to be a hunter. Her freedom if she brings back food. Education in the form of learning the church's scripture.
Magic for energy.
"Thanks Godfrey," she says, eyes back on the open page. 'Also known as the Sky Dragon sign, people with the Crest of Seiros have a tendency to be open and kind to strangers in need.'
Leonie lets out a harsh breath, hiding her snort. The later sentences about their protectiveness seem more inline with what she vaguely remembers of Jeralt, Edelgard, and Rhea. She resists the urge to flip until she finds the Crest of Riegan. A book should be read one page at a time, no spoilers.
3.
It takes five minutes after her Danger Sense alarms increased to find and deal with the threats.
The company paid for Leonie to have her own room in the inn. It's rather touching, but this means she needs to find someone to help her clean up.
"What do I do with assassins?" Leonie asks.
Mickael sobers up from sleep fast, appraising the dark spots on her fingers. "Are they dead?"
"Yes."
He sighs. "Did you get any information out of them before you killed them?"
No, but she did loot and store everything but the clothing they wear. It's going to be awful trying to sort through the things later. She pulls out a scroll, handing it over.
Mickael reads it and swears. Leonie's vaguely wondering what's on it.
"We'll sort this out," he promises. "Where are the bodies?"
"In my room."
"Why?"
"Because it was better than leaving them on the roof…?"
The man groans, "Okay, just, don't, uh. Wait here." He pauses. "Were they the ones tailing us?"
"Yes."
"Good." Shuts the door in her face. Leonie blinks back the indignation, the urge to stab off the handle and push it open. She's mostly satisfied that the headache Danger Sense was threatening is gone, but the interruption to her sleep cycle has brought forth again how little she cares about others. If Godfrey wasn't someone she respected, wasn't her current charge, she'd have let the intruders continue with their sneaking. Leonie didn't even go for them until they were closing in on his room, so it may be possible more people were killed.
She should probably get better at protecting more than her charge. Oh well, this whole vacation is about learning lessons.
4.
"How old were you," Godfrey sits across from her, magical tome in his lap left unread as he's been openly staring at Leonie's engrossed form the whole time. She's rereading the Crests of Fódlan again, not that anyone knows she's finished it, "when you first killed someone?"
"Six," she answers, turning the page. Not seeing the words but the vague memories of the time. "Bandits planned to loot my village. I dealt with it."
"You have me beat," he sighs, arms crossing behind his head. "Eight. First time an assassin made it to my room. Do you sleep with a knife, too?"
"Yah," she looks up at that, blinking until the world comes into focus. "Is that normal?"
"For people who know they're in danger, it usually is." He looks more confused than concerned. "When was the last time someone hugged you?"
"I was eight, won the archery competition in the village," turns back to her book, easier to hide her bitterness. "My father was so impressed he hugged me and told me he was proud."
"Does he not tell you now?"
"We've never really been close," Crest of Gloucester, the Craft Dragon sign. "Most I see of him is a dinner every few nights. His hunts are more of a guard patrol nowadays, and I'm out of the village whenever I can get away with it."
"…Leonie, do you realize how special you are?"
She sticks her fingers between the pages, lolling her head back against a crate to raise her eyebrows. Her smile is of a person trying to be funny, "You mean in an annoying way?"
"Not at all," he leans forward, closing the tome. "People like you only come along once or twice in a lifetime." She freezes, but before she can wonder if he knows, Godfrey continues. "Brave, smart, educated. Strong, talented. Creative. Loyal."
"Now you're pushing it," she keeps her grin firmly in place, hiding how cold she feels inside. "What have I done to demonstrate loyalty? And smart and educated? Aren't those the same thing? And I'm definitely not strong-"
"Leonie."
"Godfrey," she mocks back. "Look, I know I'm weird. And I'm definitely not strong," weakweakweak, "just… well, creative. Like you said."
"Can other people in your village do what you do?"
"As far as I know? I mean, I do have the best shot and sort of taught myself some magic, but I can barely scrape together enough Faith for a heal and my reserves are low."
"Did you know most people will spend their lives studying magic and never learn a spell?" he raps on the cover. Leonie freezes at the information. "You're self taught. You can hit a monster's eye from fifty feet away on an incline while it's moving. You knew we were being followed before we did, and you have enough skill with a lance that you were confident facing us with a training weapon."
She averts her eyes. Shrugs when he keeps staring. "I had to become a hunter for my village. I had to be good at it to eat."
"…Why were you on the roof last night?"
"I like watching the stars," she half lies. A part of her will forever wonder where her first home is, if it's even been made or destroyed in the vast universe. "I enjoy finding the constellations. Had to learn them in case I ever got lost."
Godfrey cracks a ghost of a smile. "You do realize that's the second time you've saved my life this week."
"I'm sure you would have woken up and got them without me."
"Doesn't matter now," he flips open the tome, finally beginning his study. "What does matter is that this makes us friends. And as your friend, I'm free to give you gifts."
"Not if I can't reciprocate the price tag," Leonie drawls, trying not to smile. The idea of an older man – he's at least thirty – offering her his friendship gifts sounds creepy enough. She does have confidence that she can kill him if he tries anything, but a little part of her – the part that's an adult who yearns for decent conversation and a cup of coffee – hopes Godfrey is actually just a really nice person.
"Don't worry," he grins down at the pages. "It will be priceless."
Leonie bites down on her panicked noise. "Please don't give-up anything important."
5.
"There you are."
Leonie arches back just enough to see who'd come from behind her without pinging Danger Sense. She rolls her eyes at Godfrey, hugging the warm brown cloak tighter. "Shouldn't you be asleep."
"I always have trouble when it's a full moon." He lies down next to her on the roof. "Have you ever heard the myth about the Moons?"
She knows the scientific application behind it. "You mean how they used to start and end of days where the moon disappeared?"
Once upon a time, the golden-white moon must have been closer to the world. Leonie remembers all about shadows and a tidal-locked moon hanging over Earth. Fódlan's moon rotates, far enough and moving at speeds which mean the full and new moons last three days, taking forty-eight days to view the lunar cycle.
"Yes," he chuckles quietly. "My family's always been researching the night sky. I was hoping my gift to you could be a few stories."
"That's sounds fine," Leonie smiles gently, small and real towards the sky, "as long as I get to share a few."
"Of course. Have you made it to the Riegan Crest in the book?"
"Yes," a crescent moon, or a compass missing west. "Is there a reason it looks like a moon phase?"
"Only someone with the Riegan Crest could tell you that," Godfrey sounds tired admitting it, but soon jumps back to his excitable self. "Though, it got its name the Star Dragon sign because people with the Crest have been known to forewarn calamities. Since their predictions only ever happened at night, they assume it is the stars telling them of what's to come. Not everyone with this Crest can sense dangers, so it isn't a documented trait."
"Just dangers?" Will you know anything that's to come, Claude?
"No one knows for sure," Godfrey smiles up to the stars, "but everyone with the Crest faces at least one calamity in their life. That's well documented."
Leonie hums and points to a cluster of three bright stars. "Do you see the three different coloured ones making a triangle? They're known out here as the New Beginning stars, mostly because they shine brightest around the time the Monastery begins classes. The white star over the by the yellow one is known as the Clover Star, because it moves between the three stars in the shape of a clover. The legend says that whichever house colour has the Clover star closest to it will do better in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."
Will anyone know, or will I be alone in this too?
6.
Three hours after their departure, Leonie cuts off Heavyweight and throws herself in the back of the moving caravan.
Mickael looks up from appraising rare stones. "You have a lot of stamina."
She flashes a smile, panting and hurrying to pull out a water pouch. Magic is great, but such a hard toll on the body. Same with increased gravity. "Not much else to do between hunts but train."
"Do you still have energy to go against my knights?" Godfrey asks, smirking on top of a box of provisions. There are no towns between here and the capital, meaning they're stocked for two days and several hardworking adults. Leonie had chosen to run some of the way, stretch her legs before riding in the cramped area.
"Of course," else she'd have run the whole way to lunch. She misses those foil lined snacks of her old life; they were so easy to carry around and pull out when needed. She can't even pull an apple from her bag without it looking suspicious. "Does it matter what weapon I use?"
"Sword or spear," he shrugs. "Though, I want to go over some archery tips with you later."
"Sure thing," her only archery teacher has been her father. There's bound to be some bad habits that need to go.
Lunch comes around and there's an achingly familiar scene that happens every time Leonie steps into a village. The several guards Godfrey has remaining for the journey all have Crests, and with the bonds going around her they don't ever focus on her. They know who she is, could probably even say where she is, but there's no attention placed on her person. No real, mental acknowledgement.
Against her targets, it's a great skill. Attacks miss a lot because people with Crests struggle to focus on her, to dedicate effort into seeing her.
She drops the ward on her bathroom break. No cheats against the armoured foes, don't drop more hints to Godfrey and Mickael about her little ability. Leonie shuts off all her buffs, until the only magic running on her is the wall of metaphysical force pushing the Crest threads away.
Now, everyone can see her.
7.
It's annoying fighting around Crests, but she's practiced before. Even hunted with the golden deer actively pressing on her. These are trained knights, with more fighting experience then she'll probably see before arriving at Garreg Mach. She wins the first round because they underestimate her. Wins the second because reason magic has done a good job of leaving her skin more durable. Wins the third because her opponent uses a weapon Leonie knows is several hits away from breaking; she know the weak spot having spent an hour in the cart trying to fix it.
Wins the fourth because that voice in her head, telling her she's weak, has long disappeared to the bloodlust. There is no emotion besides a serious thrill. A logical, calculating mind that can guess all the moves her opponent is about to take. Crisp, clear focus of the world that has nothing to do with magic or buffs.
An addicting adrenaline rush that comes with close-range combat. She never realized how bad it could get, until her opponent is on the ground and Leonie is calmly imagining all the easy ways to end it.
The teen slowly pulls the training lance away, reaching out a hand to help them up. Leonie looks like an angel, thanking them for the praise and tips and fights. She declines the next spar, claiming she's tired herself out. Walks over to the bare make-shift archery range to wrangle in the last of her fixation.
It would be so easy to- Release. First time they talked to me all trip- Release. I am a person. I am real- Release. Kill them before they have a chance to hurt me- Release.
They are people too. Release. Families, friends. A life to go back to. Release. I can't kill everyone who opposes me. Release. I am more than some kind of terminator. Release.
It sucks that killing is the only think to really make her feel true, strong emotions. Even if it is a placebo from the adrenaline.
"Can I show you something?" Godfrey asks, taking up a stance next to her. Leonie lowers her arms, bow and arrow hanging. He takes aim at the target next to her arrow littered one. "Watch this."
He releases. Perfect bullseye. Leonie blinks, "Okay, so w-"
Looks at the fresh arrow in his hand. Looks to the target. Empty target.
"How did you do that?" Leonie feels her eyes going wide.
He laughs, "First thing they teach you at Garreg Mach. Of course, nobles usually teach it to their children once their magic is developed enough. I don't think you'll have a problem with the Return charm, though."
"Does it work on lances too?"
"Javelins, boomerangs, anything. If you can throw it, you can return it."
It takes most of lunch, but Leonie coos the moment her arrows start returning to her.
Godfrey doesn't give her more than a side-eye at the odd behaviour. She wonders if he's used to that quirk of hers, or just learning to ignore it.
8.
They can't make it one day without running into trouble. Leonie's having second thoughts about letting these people return to Country of Riegan without her assistance. She easily slips around the night watch, Silence being a wonderful spell no one ever seems to use on themselves. It doesn't only silence one's voice, but every noise they make. No cracking branches or rustling leaves, no sounds of clothing rubbing, or an arrow being drawn.
Invisibility hides everything being touched, though lighting things on fire does cause attention to the random flame in midair. The man in dark robes trying to control the Giant Birds loses focus at the flaming arrow shot his way. The birds scream awful, nail-chalkboard sounds that would make the faint of heart tremble for a turn. Leonie fears nothing as she shoots them before making quick work of the dying man.
There is only silence as she picks through the leftovers. A lucky drop of ore and feathers. The man has a few possessions, the fair bit of gold being overshadowed by the broken glass vials. Such a crafted item is expensive and not normally found on the streets, meaning he is working for someone with connections or he was important.
Nothing she can do about it now. The forest creatures can have him, she's got a camp to sneak back to. Hopefully Godfrey and Mickael are heavy sleepers.
9.
With her legs wrapped securely on a branch, Leonie tries to ignore the blood rushing to her head and takes aim.
Claude makes this look so easy.
Even with Accuracy, Laser Pointer, Eagle Eye, Straight Shot, and Zero Turbulence, Leonie can't hit a bullseye upside-down. It's way too much magic to be using at once, so all she has going when she attempts this is the Crest avoiding ward. She is much better than when she learned how to use the bow upright but learning to shoot with gravity sending blood to her head is like learning to walk upside-down.
"What are you humming?" Godfrey comes over just as she curses, arrow returning to her hand backwards.
A bad habit from last life, when a song's repeating in her head she just needs to get it out. "I didn't realize I was," Leonie grits out, back to aiming.
Release.
He raises an eyebrow but says nothing about the wide shot. She's about to aim again when he walks in front, "Your face is all red."
I have orange hair, what did you expect? "I know."
"Why do you want to shoot upside?"
"It's the principal of it," Leonie sighs, dropping her weapon. He steps back, she swings up and carefully lowers down. The blood rushing from her face makes everything woozy. "Is it almost time to go?"
"Yah, we're just packing up now." He hands her her things. "Should be at Capital Gloucester in the afternoon."
"Huzzah," Leonie slaps her cheeks. "Okay, I'm good. Are you prepared to meet with the Duke?"
"I'll be fine," he waves off her worry. It just makes her more paranoid for things to go wrong. He lights up with a sudden idea. "But hey, if I found someone to teach you upside-down shooting, would you think about joining my knights?"
"Not happening." Where would he even find someone specialized in it?
"Ah, still had to try. We only have a few more hours to convince you."
"Oh joy."
10.
Leonie hadn't been expecting much, which means she's grudgingly impressed at the sight of Capital Gloucester. The walls are a fair size to defend with the city, not too high to look intimidating but well staffed. The place shows it wasn't made in mind with keeping others out, but to spread business. The closer they are, the more details Leonie can spot with Eagle Eye. They pass under beautiful limestone arches on the road to the capital, rare ores glistening at the peaks with protections meant to kill all who disturb the stonework. This type of warding is an art lost to time, last seen when the ten elites were alive, if Mickael's excited observations are to be believed.
The teenager risks a few seconds, clambering to the top of the wagon and flickering to Crest sight. Violet blue and indigo strands blanket everything around, pulsing like waves. The feel of them brushing by gets stronger the closer they move, washing around her and over the travellers. Three of the knights are snapped up, bonds latching firmly around their fingers like webs, one even creeping up an arm.
Leonie blinks and looks up at the house – the castle – where the Duke of Gloucester lives. The world seems too normal with proper colour back in her vision. The banners of Gloucester wave in the same colour as their Crest, but no one can see just how claimed this land is. Generations of people bound and loyal to the area, hooks in them deeper than they realize.
Did Sothis know this would happen when her drops of blood created her children? Was her Crest the reason the people first started revering her as a Goddess?
The questions won't help her continued survival, but it's nice to feel curious every now and then. What is important are the choices Leonie will have to pick for her next day or two in Capital Gloucester. There are several plans and decisions, some more reckless than others.
The safest for Leonie would be hanging back with the knights left to guard the supplies. The safest for Godfrey would be her following him to the meeting in secret.
The best use of her time and funds would be hanging around the market and getting some big paying jobs. Buy a few nice things to give her father so he won't make much noise when she returns. Something to give Godfrey in exchange for whatever pricey thing he'll try to slip her before they separate.
The most interesting would be finding the Crest Stone and Gloucester's Hero Relic.
The most dangerous, would be trying to destroy it.
A/N: Sometimes, it's hard to feel strong knowing the protagonist will always do better. Most times, it isn't paranoia when magic's involved.
Thanks for reading! A really big thank you to ShadowWolf223, GlaresThatKill, and PhychedAnon for reviewing! The support truly means a lot!
I hope everyone has a fantastic day