by Thomas Green
“It all went fine. But Zerae got scared and shouted a retreat. It confused everyone and got us caught!”
I’m the one to blame, as always. Zerae wished this surprised her.
Astril stepped between Zerae and the matron. “Oh, really? We were pinned down in a trap because you made a plan that didn’t work.” She turned toward Alicia. “Yet I must congratulate you on the record, for you lost two hundred and sixty-four warriors in a single mission. Never in the history of our race had that many Sil Haen died within one day. That’s truly an achievement worthy of your name, Alicia.”
Zerae’s heart leapt into her throat. “Astril, don’t do this.”
She ignored her and walked to approach Alicia.
Barria, one of Alicia’s closest, blocked her path, shouting. “It’s all true! Everything would have been fine if it wasn’t for the sister killer, who panicked.”
Astril smirked. “So, Alicia, is this what you will tell the relatives of your friends who died there? That your plan was perfect, everything was under control, and it was only because you couldn’t keep command of the warriors around you that we lost over half of our force? Look in the mirror, you trash. This is your fault and nobody else’s.”
How do I stop Astril? They will execute her for this. Think, Zerae, think! No idea came, only the flame within her coiled, scorching her insides.
Barria stepped before Astril. “Say that to my face.”
Astril smiled in the way that made Zerae’s blood freeze. “How about a bet, Barria? I will punch you once, and if you stay conscious, you can punch me as many times as you desire.”
Zerae stomped, hurting her bare feet as she forgot she didn’t have her boots. “Both of you stop this. Enough of us have died today.”
“You don’t order me around anymore, sister killer!” Barria sneered before she turned to Astril. “Alright, you sniveling bitch. Hit me once, and then I will fucking murder you.”
Astril threw a smile at Alicia. “War Leader, I would like you to ask you to bear witness to our agreement. Under our law, we have agreed upon a challenge. I throw one free strike at Barria, and if she stays conscious, she can punch me as many times as she desires.”
“Astril, don’t do this,” Zerae said, her voice faltering as despair clawed up her throat. The mere thought of losing Astril paralyzed her. She couldn’t move nor speak, sentenced to merely watching and praying her lover makes it out alive.
Alicia formed a victorious smile. “I approve. Commence the challenge.”
The Matron stepped back to sit down on her makeshift throne, wearing a satisfied smirk. Astril and Barria faced each other. Barria lowered her stance, raising her arms in a guard around her head.
The air stiffened, feeling as if the entire room darkened. Zerae stared as her dread turned into terror. Every single of her senses screamed run. Yet she could not avert her gaze, for she did not miss how Astril’s face changed. The carefree, stupid look she usually wore was gone, replaced by a cold mask of a woman who had long forgotten what happiness felt like, who had given up all hope for the future.
Astril stretched her neck. “You are unworthy of mercy.” In a move so fast Zerae’s eyes failed to follow, Astril whirled and punched Barria in the face, her fist slipping through the guard. Barria’s head exploded upon the impact, sending a blast of blood, bones, and brain across the entire hall, reaching all the way to Mathilde’s throne. The headless body collapsed, releasing but a fountain of blood.
Astril stepped over the corpse while she spoke in a voice three octaves lower than her usual merry pitch. “Two hundred and sixty-five of our warriors have died within a day of your command. I salute you, Alicia, for you truly are an example to us all.”
Alicia’s eyes widened. “Seize her!”
Six warriors from Alicia’s personal guard drew their weapons and charged Astril. The first one soulstepped to her side, but Astril jabbed her throat, crushing the spine. The warrior collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Frozen in terror, the other five warriors stopped in their tracks and dropped their weapons.
Astril scoffed. “Did you think I would let you capture me?” She walked to Alicia while the hall stayed silent. “You sorely need to learn your place.”
“Stop her!” Alicia snapped.
One of the five warriors leapt at Astril’s back. Without as much as looking, Astril’s left hand darted to grab the warrior’s throat. Astril lifted her into the air while the warrior kicked around her legs while clawing at Astril’s arm. She didn’t budge, holding her high in the air. In stunned silence, everyone watched the warrior’s struggle cease as her squeezed larynx forced the air from her head.
Zerae dug her nails into her thighs to snap out of the moment. “Astril, stop!”
Astril dropped the unconscious warrior to Alicia’s feet. “Almost two hundred sixty-seven.”
“That’s enough!” Mathilde roared.
Astril ignored her, towering above Alicia. “Now listen, you little shit. The only reason you are alive is that Zerae doesn’t let me kill you. The day she stops will be the day you die. Remember it the next time you go lying about your own fuck-ups.”
Alicia gawked at her, speechless.
Astril spun on her heel. “All these titles, stars, and trophies are meaningless bullshit you give to each other. Do not mistake them for strength.” She walked out of the hall. Nobody dared to stop her.
Zerae gulped. What have I done to you, Astril?
***
After the warriors were released to rest, Mathilde, Alicia, Zerae, Chloe Voidwalker, and Hilmeria Darkscream were the only ones who remained in the vast hall. Mathilde called Zerae to step before her. “So, what do you have to say for yourself?”
And so my trial begins, for despite Astril’s stunt, Alicia’s accusations still stand. Zerae cleared her throat. “Matron, I—”
“I am sorry, but what is this about?” Hilmeria interrupted her as she approached the matron. “We have a grave emergency at our hands, and you want to question a rank-and-file warrior for shouting something mid-battle? You are joking, right?”
Mathilde glowered at her. “This is none of your concern.”
“I lost sixty-two warriors on this mission, so the way I see it, Alicia is to be beheaded for incompetence, and you should be removed from the mission’s leadership.”
Mathilde’s eyes flared at the defiance. “Zerae is not a common warrior.”
“What is she then?” Chloe flanked Hilmeria’s side. “By our law, neither former positions nor family ties are acknowledged when the military is concerned, and you ensured everyone knows of her being stripped to the lowest rank, a zero-star warrior. Your attempt to use her as a scapegoat is pathetic.”
“I drop the accusations,” Alicia whispered.
Zerae couldn’t help herself but smile. This solved itself. Now, she needed to figure out how to get Astril out of a trial for murder. Mathilde looked like she wanted to kill them all on the spot.
Hilmeria took the word before the others could speak. “Onto more pressing issues since a failure of this scale must not be repeated. I hereby officially demand to be present at every single strategy meeting even loosely related to anyone from my clan. If there is a meeting which I do not attend, not a single Sil Haen of the Darkscream clan, be her a warrior or not, will follow its results.”
Mathilde glowered at her. “That is not how the high council settled the leadership of this campaign.”
Hilmeria clicked her tongue. “I don’t care. I will not discuss this demand, so meet it or not, but I will not negotiate on this. Feel free to bring my insubordination to the high council. I am sure our Matron would be understanding of your cause.”
Mathilde’s expression became stone-cold. “This is treason!”
Chloe laughed in a way that made Zerae’s blood freeze. “That is not for you to decide, Matron of the Hellwind clan. As far as the Voidwalker clan is concerned, all the members of our clan will leave this campa
ign tomorrow. The only conditions under which I will consider staying are the following. First, I will be granted a position at the war council with full veto rights. If I don’t like the plan, not a single Voidwalker will attend the mission.
“Second, all Voidwalkers will fall under my command and mine alone. I will lead them on the battlefield, set up the units and choose the field commanders.
“Third, there will be no charges or prosecution raised against Astril Hellwind. Today’s incident will be fully and unconditionally forgiven because she pulled out sixty-eight Sil Haen out of the water after we retreated. That’s sixty-eight warriors who would have died if Astril listened to Alicia and didn’t come in her swimming suit.”
Mathilde shook her head. “Astril publicly murdered two of our warriors today. I cannot let that slide. But I will consider the rest.”
Chloe smiled. “You misunderstand me, matron. My warriors will execute anyone who tries to seize Astril, so if you do not want to start a civil war, proceed with caution.”
“I’m with Chloe on this,” Hilmeria added and spun on her heel to leave. Chloe followed her.
“Where do you think you two are going?” Mathilda shouted.
Hilmeria glanced over her shoulder. “I see nothing more to speak of until my demands are met.”
“Likewise,” Chloe said and left.
Mathilde turned to Zerae, her eyes burning with hatred. “See what you’ve caused? Disappear from my sight, now!”
Not knowing what to think or feel, Zerae spun on her heel and left without a word.
17
Luna
Luna lay on the forecastle deck, utterly spent while the strong sea wind played with her chocolate brown hair. She heard steps approach and glimpsed Daniel walking to her side. Her attempt to spring up to her feet failed as her muscles rejected the command to move.
He threw her an awkward smile. “I am sorry.”
Luna’s jaw dropped while she raised an eyebrow. “For?”
He sat down next to her. “I have realized how naïve I have been. My decision not to kill seemed noble, yet I have realized it merely pushes the problem onto others, onto people like you.”
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
He shook his head. “I don’t get it. When I watch you taking lives as easily as cutting grass, it horrifies me, but then I also watched you fish almost two hundred Sil Haen from the sea, saving them from drowning. And you used the same strength to do both. The world is… a lot more complicated than I thought.”
Luna flipped onto her belly. “I allow you to give me an apology massage.”
He knelt above her and worked on her back, moving his thumbs in a circular motion by her spine. “You sure know how to get your muscles stuck.”
Luna bit herself not to purr as heat filled her body. Every touch of his hands brought her pleasure, leaving behind an electrifying feeling that washed away her soreness. “When I shift my fingers into claws, my arms become too heavy for my back to support them when I swing around, so I can’t make small, precise moves. I’m supposed to be able to shift my back, which is what the point of the training I’m doing with Zakuma is, but I am too devoid of talent.”
He frowned. “I don’t think that’s true. Did Zakuma say that?”
“He didn’t, which is the problem, because I see him being surprised by my inability to shift anything more than my mouth and fingers. The way it looks, I’m so talentless he feels bad about telling me.”
“Well, you have other talents.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Like?” An awkward silence filled the air as Daniel focused on his hands.
Luna used the moment to turn to her beast spirit. So, Wolfie, how long did it take my previous host to learn how to shift the upper half of his body since he recovered from the ritual?
‘A few months.’
Nice try, but I know when you lie, so tell me the truth.
‘About ten minutes.’
While I’ve been trying for months, unsuccessfully. Luna gazed at Daniel, whose face turned red. “It’s okay since I also can’t think of anything.”
He gulped. “You are… great at fighting.”
You are so sweet. A soft purr escaped Luna’s lips before she pursed them. “I have been trying to land at least a glancing hit on Zakuma for over a month without success, so I suck at fighting. I’m only good at killing people weaker and slower than me.”
Daniel forced out a laugh. “Isn’t that everyone?”
Luna shook her head. “No. If Zakuma can overpower me without effort, then others can. One day, we might fight someone like that.”
“We will manage.”
“I hope you are right.”
Alarm echoed through the ship, and Luna sprung to her feet, knocking Daniel to the side.
She blushed. “Sorry.”
He smiled and rose. “It’s all right.”
The fleet turned, heading north and soon, Luna saw why. A monster of a storm ate the eastern horizon, advancing toward them. Sailors swarmed the masts, raising out every sail at the ship’s disposal. A moment later, mighty gale hit them, propelling the vessel forward at a speed Luna had yet to see.
They stared around and noticed Admiral La Grace standing at the helm with his arms spread, aether bursting out of him in so much force the air surrounding him trembled.
Luna’s eyes widened. “He’s controlling the weather, isn’t he?”
Daniel nodded. “That made him a legend. I wonder why doesn’t he do something about the storm instead of sending us toward the shore.”
Cold gripped Luna’s insides. “Because he can’t. The storm is probably created by an aether manifestation stronger than his.”
Daniel paused. “But if the storm covers the whole Sea of Serpents, it will cut off all our supply routes.”
Luna nodded.
The fleet reached the coast faster than the clouds caught up. The ships landed, forming and anchored snake weaving by the shoreline. When the thudding rain and shrieking wind arrived, they were already breaking the camp.
Chief Bull approached Luna, Daniel, and Nancy as they were helping build a tent. “We’ve got a mission, so pack all your belongings. The gathering point is at the eastern exit.”
Luna frowned, motioning toward Nancy in the way she wouldn’t see. “All three of us?”
The chief nodded. “The entire company goes.”
Luna’s heart leapt into her throat. They went to the freshly established armory to gear up. When they did, Luna approached Nancy to double check all of her equipment, tighten all the straps, and make sure her weapons were sharp enough, ignoring Nancy’s silent disapproval. This time, the process involved Nancy trying out seven different armor, four shield, and thirteen weapons.
Daniel threw her an amused look when she finished. “That was thorough.”
Luna sneered at the mocking tone she noticed in his voice. “Your turn, priest boy.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Luna stepped to him, put her hand on his shoulder and forced him to sit down. He tried to struggle, but she gave him the same check she did with Nancy. When she was confident both Nancy and Daniel had the best gear they could have chosen, equipped most efficiently, they finally left for the meeting point.
All the soldiers of their company gathered by the side of a meadow while the entire 42nd Company met on the other end. Lieutenant Redeye took the front of their unit, but it was Captain Beatrice Hellwind, standing next to him, who spoke.
“We have a mission. About twenty miles east lays the city of Tumwind and we will visit it tonight. We will march to the north of the walls where we wait for our army to begin the siege. Once it does, we use their escape tunnel to sneak inside, grab what the Dreamwalker sent us for and head further north to deliver it to him.”
Luna leaned to Daniel. “The Dreamwalker?”
He glanced at Sparks, noticing Nancy’s blank expression.
He shrugged. “Willem turned a notch paler.”
> All three of them converged on the young wizard. “Who’s the Dreamwalker?”
Willem’s face twisted into an awkward smile. “I saw him once when he was giving a special lecture about molding aether at the University. The one thing I understood from the lesson was that what I considered the absolute limits to manipulation of aether were neither absolute nor limits.”
Daniel smiled. “Things probably change as you get more experience.”
He shook his head. “I was at the seminar as a reward for being the best student in my year. The rest of the attendees were all the professors of the college and people like Count Salazar.”
They headed out. As they marched, Luna watched Daniel’s and Nancy’s every step to make sure they didn’t step wrong. They marched until midnight, diving into the forests north of Tumwind. Within the wood, a person dressed in black leathers, a cloak with a hood and wearing a featureless white mask over its face joined them to talk to the captain and the lieutenant.
Luna nudged Daniel with her elbow. “Who’s that?”
He shrugged while Nancy shook her head.
Chief Bull glanced at them over his shoulder. “That’s one of the Shadowless. They are Order’s assassins.”
Luna could not hear the conversation between the Shadowless, the captain, and the lieutenant, but the discussion wasn’t lengthy and led to Luna, Willem, Bull, Rod, and Sparks being called to the lieutenant.
As she stepped to walk forward, Nancy caught her in a hug from behind. “Be careful.” Nancy’s gentle arms wrapped around her. Luna blushed, and her heartbeat sped up so much she failed to answer.
When they gathered, Lieutenant Redeye turned to Sparks. “Can you create something to collapse a tunnel?”
“There is this concoction… aye, sir.”
“Go brew it.”
“Aye, sir.” Sparks left for a large tree where he sat down to pull vials out of his backpack.