The Greyfield Chronicles

[ReverseRaven]

The dark tunnel reminded Venza of those old myths where you could enter the land of the dead through a passage in the earth.

"Gonna be tricky holding torches and our gear," Aiela commented.

"Don't worry," Venza said. "My great grandfather should have installed magelight sconces on the walls. We can use those."

Aiela gave her a look. "Your great grandfather? So the lights are what? A hundred years old?"

Venza offered a sheepish grin. "More or less. There should be a switch over there."

Her hand found the outline of an oval-shaped crystal attached to the wall. With a gentle touch, she pushed the crystal in, hearing a soft click.

A trail of blue lights on the ceiling flared to life at her touch, leading further and further down, with each magelight sconce roughly a meter apart.

"See? Still works," Venza said.

As if on cue, the fifth light down from the one she touched seemed to sputter, flicker, and then promptly died, leaving a part of the passage in partial darkness.

"I feel so reassured," Aiela deadpanned. "I was about to ask why he put these here but didn't put lights around the town, but if they're this flimsy-"

"It's because they were expensive," Venza said. "Oil lanterns are a lot cheaper if we're talking about putting them all over an entire town. Your moss lanterns are better than either, but those weren't around a hundred years ago."

Aiela looked to be in thought as she looked at the cavern walls. "Hey, this tunnel is rather large, isn't it?"

"It's a bit big for people, yes," Venza answered. "You could stand on my shoulders and you still wouldn't reach the ceiling."

"Rude," Aiela said. "It's wide, too. Your carriage could fit in here. Wait. I just realized."

"What?"

"Your ancestors didn't make this tunnel," Aiela stated. "I'm Earth Three and it would take me years to make a tunnel this size."

"Earth Three?" Venza echoed, knowing Aiela was referring to her affinity with Earth magic. "Why is your Earth affinity so high again? I understand Nature because you're always working with plants, but how did you get so good at Earth?"

Aiela gave her a blank stare. "You do realize that when gardening, there's one very important step before you actually plant the seeds?"

Ah, right. Of course. Aiela needed to dig holes in the soil, and like almost every other mundane task, she probably did it with magic.

"Right," Venza answered, looking away. "But to answer, no, my ancestors didn't dig these tunnels. These old passages are called the Serpent's Path, because people believed a giant snake formed these pathways in the past."

"I didn't know that," Aiela said. "Did anyone ever find evidence of this giant snake?"

"No, Miss Aiela," Roeder said. "It's just a story everyone from Astamarr knows."

"How did I live here for six years without hearing about this?" Aiela asked.

"Probably because no one really calls them that anymore," Carver answered. "It's just the river for most folk."

"Well, I'm not willing to fight any giant snakes," Aiela said, gesturing to the high ceiling and wide tunnel walls. "At least nothing that could make a tunnel this size."

"I don't think any of us are," Venza answered. "Hell, I'm not sure the entire Imperial Army would be willing to take on a challenge like that. Luckily, we're just here to check why the river's been poisoned."

Aiela gave her a look that seemed to ask if Venza was picking up what she was putting down, but Venza had no clue what she was trying to say.

"Really?" Aiela asked, glancing at the two boys. "No one? The town's water suddenly got poisoned, the underground river is called the Serpent's Path, and it was supposedly created when a giant snake went through?"

"If there really was a giant snake that could make a network of tunnels this big, don't you think we would have felt the earth move if it had come back?" Venza pointed out.

Aiela sighed. "Fine. Let's just go do what we came to do."

The swollen scorpions took up the front and rear, with Venza and Aiela walking side by side in the center, flanked by Roeder and Carver. If anything lay in wait behind the stalagmites, better for the scorpions that would die anyway to take the brunt of it.

Just as Venza was about to move forward, Aiela stopped her with a hand and said, "Steelskin." A surge of power flowed into her, followed by a sensation of numbness all over her skin.

It hadn't been the first time Aiela had tried the spell on her. She knew it would make her skin harder than iron for about an hour, though she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the numbing sensation. Aiela then repeated the spell on herself before ushering Venza onward.

"What about them?" Venza asked.

"I need to conserve my casting," Aiela answered. "Besides, they have the Entanglers. We don't."

The wear and tear of time was both better and worse than she'd expected. Entire sections of the tunnel were bathed in such low light they might as well have been completely dark. And yet somehow the path which was older than the magelight sconces managed to remain intact.

A short distance ahead, she spotted another of the lizards rushing in their direction. As she prepared herself to disable it with Reach, Aiela waved her hand, and the creature suddenly went limp and fell to the ground, where the front scorpion made short work of it with its pincers and stinger.

"Look out!" Venza said instinctively as she heard a sound from directly above. Two lizards suddenly dropped down from where they'd clearly been perched on the ceiling. Roeder managed to react in time, intercepting one lizard with his shield, binding it with thick vines. The other found Venza's staff lodged into its throat, repulsing it. It clattered to the ground, swiftly moving to right itself, only to have Carver smack it with his shield.

To their surprise, the vines barely reacted to the contact. The lizard stood itself up, rearing back to lunge at Aiela, only to suddenly go limp in place, much like the first one had. Spears, pincers, and stingers swiftly put them out of their misery.

Seemingly unfazed by the deaths of their kin, more of the lizards came rushing out of the darkness with surprising speed. Venza used Reach to grab one by the leg, causing it to trip right into the front scorpion.

The rear scorpion moved forward and engaged a pair, holding them in place with its pincers. Aiela waved her hand again and the two last lizards suddenly stopped in place, eyes wide, their tongues lolling out of their mouths. Venza closed the gap and smashed them hard in the head, rendering them either dead or unconscious.

Their group remained on guard, watching for signs of more, but it seemed there were either none or they'd decided the four of them were too much trouble to fight.

"Good work," Venza said, inspecting the fallen monsters.

"Of course," Aiela responded, brushing off imaginary dust.

"Is anyone injured?" Venza asked.

"No, ma'am," Roeder said.

"I'm fine, too," Carver added, though he seemed embarrassed. "Sorry for almost letting one get past."

"Remember," Aiela began, not seeming upset at all. "The vines react to physical trauma. The stronger the impact, the more vines will activate. A tap won't do. That's why I wanted two men used to smashing things with heavy weapons."

"I won't forget again," Carver assured her.

"Good," Aiela said, offering him a small smile. "Shall we continue? These scorpions aren't long for this world."

"A moment," Venza spoke. "What did you do to them back there? They just stopped moving."

"Ah, that was an Air spell called Heat Sink," Aiela explained.

Venza quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you use to keep the room cool during summer?"

Aiela nodded. "It lowers the temperature in a target space. I assumed these things were cold-blooded, so chilling the space around their hearts puts them in shock."

Venza grimaced. "Can you do that to people?"

"Sure, but it'd just feel uncomfortable," Aiela said. "It's not like I'm freezing them or anything. Just dropping the temperature a little for a short time. Anyway, what do you make of these creatures?"

Venza gave her a long, hard stare, not sure if she believed Aiela's explanation. She knew lizards didn't take well to the cold but that seemed a bit much.

"They're kind of weak," she finally said.

Aiela snorted. "I meant their presence here. I thought this was something engineered by those men selling medicine, but these things, assuming they're what's blocking the river, make that seem unlikely."

"I'm not sure, but I see only one way to get to the bottom of this," Venza said.

"I suppose you're right."

 

[ReverseRaven]

They continued without incident until the tunnel opened up into a wider one through which the underground river normally ran. With the river blocked, however, the party found that the way was flooded with muddy water. Venza frowned. She'd rather avoid wading through mud, if possible.

"I don't suppose you have a spell for walking on water?" Venza asked.

Aiela shook her head. "Currently beyond me. I haven't been a Water Mage for long, you know."

Fortunately, the river ran only in the center, leaving thin banks on either side that could be traversed. Despite the blockage, the water only made it halfway up the shin if one stayed at the sides.

"Interesting," Aiela said, which caught Venza's attention.

"What is?" Venza asked.

"The river isn't completely stopped," Aiela said. "I suspected as much or this whole tunnel would be completely flooded."

"So it's just mostly clogged?" Venza asked.

Aiela nodded.

"If we're lucky," Aiela said, "the damn lizards built a nest or something in here and that's all we have to deal with."

She closed her eyes for a moment, then added, "A bit over half an hour left on the scorpions. We should keep moving."

The four of them headed downriver, once again keeping one scorpion in front with the other taking up the rear. This time, they minded the walls and ceiling for signs of the lizards. Fortunately, it seemed the group at the entrance had been the only lookouts.

"This terrain is not ideal," Venza pointed out.

"Obviously," Aiela drawled. "But there's nothing I can realistically do about it. I'm not wasting all my magic on making solid ground when we don't know what else is waiting for us."

Venza's eyes scanned both walls, the ceiling, and even the river. "You don't suppose they move better in water than-"

Suddenly, Aiela motioned for them to stop, prompting Venza to ask, "What's wrong?"

A frown creased Aiela's lips. "There's something up ahead!"

Several somethings raced up the water towards them, at a speed Venza could hardly believe, but Aiela had already raised her hands up in a blocking movement. She must have cast a spell, as a great wind suddenly blew into existence, buffeting the river upwards into a sort of watery wall.

The speeding objects crashed into the curtains of wind and water, their velocity hampered by the collision, but not halted. Venza focused her mind and grabbed the closest one using Reach, altering its course to slam into the tunnel wall. It was only when it crashed down to the flooded bank that she realized it for what it was: Another one of the lizard creatures.

Roeder and Carver each caught one of the creatures with their shields, the impacts still causing the boys to reel despite Aiela's water wall having slowed them down. Vines detached and coiled, constricting the reptiles like swarms of snakes.

Venza had never seen a creature propel itself with water like that. As weak as these things seemed earlier, they seemed far more deadly in water.

Her thoughts were cut short by a massive object suddenly speeding towards their party.

"Fuck me, is that-" Venza began, but couldn't finish.

The speeding object sailed through the sky like a green comet. Its body landed on the lead scorpion, the armored arthropod instantly crushed with a loud crunch. Towering above them was a large, bulky behemoth. Venza could now see it was a larger version of the lizards, easily four times the size of the normal ones. Where the small ones had slender, long bodies, this one had a wide, bulky frame supported by stubby legs and wide, prominent fins on the sides of its head that stretched back like ears.

She didn't think Steelskin would have saved her from getting crushed by that.

"Aiela!" she shouted, but the mage was already on it.

"Scald!" Aiela invoked, sending a jet of boiling hot water to shoot from the river onto the creature's face, causing it to rear back.

Venza focused her own magic. Reach, she thought at the same time she punched her right fist forward, twisting her body to put more force in the blow. The impact reached across space to stab the monster in the left eye. As the monster roared in pain, a bloody trail leaked from its eye socket.

Seemingly spurred by its cry, several of the smaller lizards appeared from the shadows to aid the large one. The remaining scorpion charged forward to engage, but the lizards largely ignored it, going straight for Aiela.

"Cover her!" Venza commanded, and the boys followed without argument, using their shields to hold the reptiles in place.

"Venza!" Aiela called out as she stopped two of the lizards in place with Heat Sink. Venza nodded, bringing her fists down hard, bashing the two lizards in the head through Reach. Their heads slammed into the ground hard and their bodies went limp.

Suddenly, another one dropped down from the ceiling, giving her just enough time to bring an arm up to block it. Sharp fangs tried to sink into her arm, but due to the odd angle and her hardened skin, it slid off, only mildly scratching her brigandine.

She tossed it aside and brought her other fist down on its neck, which rewarded her with a loud crack. Finding no more lizards attacking, she took a second to survey the battle. Roeder and Carver were occupied with the smaller lizards, but the giant remained focused on Aiela, its scales burnt by boiling hot water and missing an eye.

"Scald!" Aiela invoked again, using the same attack spell from earlier. Venza wondered why she insisted on using such a roundabout spell when she had- Oh, of course.

Aiela was probably trying to see if she could get access to the Fire Sphere if she burned enemies in combat. She had, after all, gained her affinity for Water spells by using Nature Magic to purify water. Still, Venza wished Aiela had picked an easier opponent to make the attempt against.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aiela

As if annoyed by Aiela's insolence for not taking it seriously, the beast suddenly stood on its hind legs, its forelegs up in the air like arms. With a heavy swing of its right foreleg, the creature made a punching motion, and a piece of the tunnel wall the size of a boulder ejected itself, straight at Aiela. She countered by bringing her fist up, conjuring a pillar of stone to block the flying rock.

"Foolish creature," she said. "You can't beat me in Earth or any other magic."

Still. She supposed she should stop trying to cheat her way into Fire Magic against such a formidable opponent.

The creature growled, bringing its left foreleg down, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling. She shifted the water to push her away from the impact area. With a grin, she brought both arms forward, sending two pillars of earth down from the ceiling to hit the monster square in the face. The monster raised one claw up to block a pillar, rotating its massive body with surprising agility to dodge the other. It then smoothly brought its other claw up as if grabbing something Aiela couldn't see.

Aiela felt the vibration before she saw it. A claw made of mud rose out of the ground, mirroring the creature's and poised to grab her. With a muttered curse, she conjured a gust of wind that propelled her upwards and out of its reach. She then landed on the muddy ground intact thanks to its softness.

The creature advanced towards her, but she was ready. With a powerful punch, she conjured a prodigiously large spear of rock, aimed straight at her enemy's throat. There was no way it could dodge or block that with its magic.

The creature brought its claws inward and clasped them together. To Aiela's shock and horror, the massive creature slammed its joined claws against the spear, breaking it and sending shards of stone flying towards her. She reacted too late, stunned by the display of raw physical power. Scrambling, she tried to get a wall of earth in front of her to intercept but knew she wouldn't make in time.

It wasn't fair. She was a better mage in every aspect! But her human body couldn't match the sheer muscle and bulk of the monster in front of her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Venza

After helping the boys dispatch more of the smaller lizards, Venza turned to Aiela just in time to see the big lizard send a rock straight towards her friend. Exhausted but unrelenting, she channeled Reach once more, jerking Aiela towards her.

Aiela managed to land on her feet, nodding thanks to Venza. The mage brought her right hand up as if reaching for something then spoke the words 'Necrotic Lance.' A long, beam of crackling green-black energy appeared in her outstretched hand for barely a second before Aiela hurled it at the monster like a bolt of death.

Venza watched in real time as Aiela got serious. Despite her strong affinity for multiple types of magic, Aiela relied on Death and Nature most when things actually got difficult.

However, the creature was prepared. It swiped its right claw upwards, and a thick wave of mud erupted from the ground, blocking Aiela's attack.

It launched forward once more, riding the wave of mud towards Aiela. Venza readied herself to cast Reach again, but at the last moment, the creature somehow hopped its bulky body off the wave of mud, its four legs finding purchase on the tunnel wall despite its immense weight. As Venza pulled Aiela out of the mud wave's path, the giant lizard scampered along the wall at an improbable speed, straight for Venza.

Time seemed to slow as her mind processed her options. The creature was simply too large and too fast for her to dodge safely. Knocking it off-course wasn't an option, either. She might have been strong for her age but she was nowhere near strong enough to budge an enemy of that size, let alone stop its momentum. It was moving too fast to punch out its other eye, too.

As the split seconds passed, it became clear her only option was to brace herself and try to dodge to the side.

Her body moved to follow her plan, throwing her weight to the right in a desperate maneuver to evade. Then suddenly, she felt an impact on her left shoulder. She turned to face its owner, and found Roeder there, using the full force of his body to push her to safety.

In an instant, he'd managed to push her out of harm's way as the lizard came crashing down, angling itself midair to crush whoever was beneath with its belly. It missed her, but a sharp cry from Roeder told her it hadn't completely missed him.

Venza's fists curled tighter as she kicked herself up from the floor. A far-reaching punch with all her fury behind it struck at the lizard's throat, causing it to stagger. Then came another punch, and another, each focused on the sensitive throat. Nearly half her Reach punches whiffed, distracted as she was with fury, but enough landed to keep it unbalanced.

"Venza!" Aiela yelled. "Your pouch!"

Suddenly remembering the pouch Aiela had handed her, Venza reached into it and grabbed every single Tanglefruit inside, chucking them at the monster will all the might she could muster. The green tomato-like fruits exploded as they made contact with the giant lizard, covering it in a thick, green goo that hardened before their very eyes.

Aiela had said it would be very difficult for humans to escape, but apparently if you tossed half a dozen, even a giant lizard would have trouble. Even as they watched, however, Venza could see the monster gaining ground as it struggled out of its bonds.

As the slime barely bound the creature to the ground, she spotted Aiela's lithe form seemingly step on thin air, jumping up and landing on the creature's back. Aiela's mouth moved but Venza couldn't make out what she said. The mage's hands glowed a sickly green as she reached for the back of its head.

Suddenly, a sound like a whistle echoed through the tunnel. The monster stiffened in response just before Aiela's fingers made contact. As her green-glowing digits touched it, the lizard's scales suddenly turned pale, and it froze in place, as if its muscles had turned as hard and immovable as stone.

The creature let out a sound as if choking, its body suddenly ceasing almost all movement. Venza wasn't sure what Aiela was doing, but it was clearly working.

"Stop! Stop!" a male voice cried out from upstream, bearing a small lantern. "Please stop! Don't kill her!"

Aiela and Venza shared a look. "Serpent's Slumber," Aiela spoke, touching her hand to the monster once more. Its eyes fluttered once, twice, then the creature fell down, eyes no longer open. It was the same spell she'd used to cure Milly of poisoning.

As the monster slowly lost consciousness, Aiela turned to face the new voice. Venza did the same, taking up a fighting stance. Her body felt like it was on fire. She wasn't sure how many more Reaches she had in her.

The dim light revealed a boy roughly Aiela's height, with pale skin and a mess of black hair. He was wearing only a pair of brown undergarments, which earned him scathing looks from both girls.

"Who are you?" Venza asked.

"Tom. Tom Lowrey," he answered as he stopped a few meters away from them. He was panting for breath as if he'd run quite the distance. "I- I'm so sorry, but could you please spare Sally?"

"Sally?" Venza asked.

"The lizard?" Aiela questioned.

"Yeah, Sally," Tom said. "She's our circus' Mu'drakker."

The two of them shared a look. "This had better be good," Venza muttered.

 

[ReverseRaven]

"Stay there," Venza warned the boy. "Where we can see you."

"Y-yes."

"Aiela, can you see to Roeder's injuries?" Venza asked. "The big one got him bad."

Aiela nodded, and stepped off the sleeping lizard to check on Roeder.

"I'm so sorry," Tom said again. "I was taking a bath upstream, I would have stopped her sooner if I'd known-"

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Venza said, her tone serious.

"I- I guess I do," Tom said. "Where do I start?"

"First, are you alone down here?" Venza asked.

"Just me, Sally the Mu'drakker, and her Mu'drakk brood," Tom answered.

"Are these things responsible for poisoning the river?"

Tom hesitated, but nodded. "Mu'drakk eggs have a toxic coating. It makes them undesirable prey for most predators."

Venza's temper flared. "Are you stupid, then, or are you poisoning our town on purpose? Actually, nevermind. The latter would automatically also make you the former."

"I- I'm sorry! It wasn't my idea! I didn't want to do it!"

"Save your apologies," Venza said. "Are you in league with the group peddling fake healing water in town?"

A spark of hope seemed to shine in the boy's eyes. "Were they led by a big man?" Tom asked. "Was there a girl with them?"

Venza's eyes narrowed to slits. "So you are with them."

"Wait! No, well yes, but not exactly!"

Venza focused on her staff. She'd dropped it during the battle to strike at the lizard better with Reach. She grabbed it through space with her left hand using the one spell she could manage and pulled it towards her, catching it with her right hand. For effect, she spun it once before slamming one end into the ground. "You have twenty seconds to explain yourself before your brain becomes a splatter on the cavern wall."

Naturally, she didn't mean it, but this boy named Tom seemed like the type to cave to threats.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Lauren and I were members of the circus. That's where Sally is from, too. Bandits attacked our caravan and most of them got away but I couldn't leave Sally behind, so Chad and his group managed to capture us and-"

"Stop," Venza said. "Twenty seconds are up."

Tom looked at her with wide eyes and slowly started backing away.

"I won't kill you," Venza assured him. "But I am going to need you to explain a bit more."

"Oh," Tom said, dumbfounded. He clearly hadn't expected her to believe him. "Thank you. Uh, sorry, I didn't catch your names."

"I'm Venza," she said. "Of House Greyfield. My family rules over this region."

"Aiela," the other girl supplied, returning from the other side of the lizard. "Venza rules over me."

Venza rolled her eyes. "How is Roeder?"

"I put him to sleep," she answered. "His dominant arm is broken. I think I can fix it but it'll take weeks, if not months."

Venza nodded, swearing internally. This was her fault. She'd let him get hurt. Frustrated, she focused her attention back to the cowering boy. "Go! Get changed first."

"Oh, yes," Tom said, snapping himself back to the conversation. He left them for a minute, leaving the girls to discuss.

"How's Carver?" Venza asked.

"Watching his partner," Aiela answered. "We're not sure the tunnel is safe yet, but I have Hidden looking around."

"Do you have eyes on-" Venza began, but Aiela cut her off.

"Tom?" Aiela finished for her. "Of course."

Venza nodded her thanks and walked past the slumbering giant lizard. Looking at it closer now, it wasn't as large as she'd initially thought, though that might have been because it was curled up.

She found Carver kneeling over a sleeping Roeder. Aiela had raised a portion of the earth so his head wouldn't be submerged in water. His right arm was bent at an unnatural angle. Looking at it, she could only imagine how much it must have hurt without Aiela's sleep spell keeping him under.

"What do you make of what happened?" Venza asked.

"Unfortunate," Aiela said with no hesitation. "If only we'd encountered him sooner, we could have avoided a battle."

Venza heaved a sigh. "Yeah. We had no reason to go upstream, but to think we must have just barely missed him. I guess it is what it is. Please take care of Roeder."

"Of course," Aiela said, putting a reassuring hand on Venza's shoulder.

"Miss Venza," Carver said, eyes focused on the sleeping monster. If looks could kill, it would have been dead from Carver's gaze. "Why have we not finished this monster off?"

"We need information from the boy," Venza answered. "And he seems to care for her."

"And then?" Carver asked. "What about after?"

"We'll see," Venza stated.

Carver clenched his teeth, but saluted her. "Understood, ma'am."

Venza walked away from the two boys, returning to the other side of the slumbering lizard. Her boots were covered in mud and the tunnel was damp and cold and she hoped they would get out of there soon, but she had a duty to fulfill.

"Should we be concerned?" Aiela asked.

"About Carver?" Venza asked. "He's the son of a military man. I'm sure he'll listen to orders."

Aiela nodded. "You're probably right."

A moment later, Tom Lowrey returned, dressed in a simple shirt and breeches.

"Now," Venza began. "Tell me what happened."

"We were on our way to your town for a show, but we were robbed on the way. Those bastards took everything, but luckily most of us got away."

"You stayed for this creature?" Aiela asked. She'd barely looked at him as he spoke, instead seemingly studying the sleeping beast known as Sally.

"I was her handler," Tom explained. "She's practically family. I knew if I left her there, the bandits would have killed her, or at least left her in the cage to die."

"What is she, exactly?" Aiela asked.

"She's a Mu'drakker," Tom answered. "One in every thousand or so Mu'drakk grow up to be Mu'drakker instead. You know how insects are ruled by a queen? It's like that. I'm really sorry I didn't stop her sooner. Still, I can't believe you four took down a Mu'drakker by yourse-."

Aiela held a hand up to shush him. This was clearly a topic he enjoyed talking about. "So she rules over all the others? Based purely on chance?" Aiela clarified.

"To my knowledge, yeah," Tom said. "Why?"

"How tragically human," Aiela deadpanned. "Strange. I've never encountered the creature in my studies."

"They're not native to Odolenia," he said. "Here I supposed you'd call them Mud Drakes, or something. I guess Sally would be a Greater or Dire Mud Drake? Depends on your pref-"

"Setting aside how fascinating this conversation is," Venza interjected. "How did you wind up working for these bandits with Sally here? I imagine she could hold her own quite well against your average brigands."

"Well, that would be my fault," Tom said, sighing. "There's a girl from the circus, you see. Her name's Lauren. She's like a big sister to me. She didn't want to leave me behind while I was helping Sally escape."

"Tall girl, bronze skin, eyes green as fresh grass in spring?" Aiela asked.

"That's her, yes," Tom said, looking relieved. "So they haven't hurt her?"

"She's alive," Aiela offered. "But she did look rather miserable. She wasn't eating well, if I had to guess."

"She is- was one of our acrobats," Tom explained. "She can normally take care of herself, but they're using us to keep each other hostage. Plus, there are about twenty men in Chad's gang. No way she could slip away from that many. They managed to capture us on our way out with Sally, and Chad showed interested in the Mu'drakker when he found out she listens to me. Thought he could make a small fortune using her."

"So he came up with the idea to poison the town?" Venza asked. "And then sell it medicine?"

"This Chad fancies himself an intellectual, I take it?" Aiela asked acidly.

"It isn't the smartest scheme I've ever heard, yes," Tom said, sounding exasperated. "But I'm the one who can't make a move on him, or he'll kill Lauren, so I can't say he's completely stupid."

"We could take them," Venza suggested.

"Obviously," Aiela agreed. "Unless these bandits somehow have a mage in their employ? Actually no, even if they did, I can't imagine any trouble from a mage so inept they decided to work with bandits."

"They had one who used fire," Tom said. "Normally I'd warn you against taking on a group of armed bandits, but seeing as how you managed to beat Sally…" he trailed off.

Venza considered that. Aiela was right. A lone Fire Mage wasn't much of a problem, especially if they were willing to work for bandits. It implied they either had little or no actual training. Mages were in demand all over the empire, after all. Why stoop to banditry?

"They didn't leave any men to keep an eye on you?" Venza asked.

Tom shook his head. "Chad wanted to, but uh, his men weren't really keen on the idea of spending time alone in a Mu'drakker den. They'll listen to him most of the time, but they're not gonna bet their lives on it."

"Hang on, how did you block the river?" Venza asked.

"Sally probably used Earth Magic," Aiela answered. "She has two Earth spheres and one Water. Pretty good for a monster, actually."

"That's right," Tom said. "She used her magic to raise the earth up ahead. We'll be happy to undo it, of course. As soon as she wakes up."

Aiela opened her mouth, then closed it. "I was about to say I can do it myself, but I would be curious to see it."

Venza guessed Aiela was nearing her limit, too, and needed the time to rest her magic. Of course, Tom didn't need to know that.

Aiela turned to Sally, who was still asleep and in a state of muscle paralysis. "Dispel. Regeneration."

Tom suddenly gasped. "Ah! S-Sally's eye!"

He apparently hadn't gotten a good look before. Venza hadn't either. Where the large lizard had once had a yellow eye, there was now only a blood-stained hole.

Venza grimaced. "Sorry. That was me."

"It should grow back if she can keep casting healing spells on herself for a week or two," Aiela offered.

"Isn't Regeneration a Nature spell?" Venza asked. "How is she supposed to manage that? And that's not even thinking about where she'll stay. Obviously not here, but-"

"Most biological monsters can cast low level Nature spells," Aiela explained. "You can more or less consider them to be at about half a level of Nature, I guess? It's enough for them to cast Regeneration on themselves, but not on others. Water has a few healing spells, too. I'm sure she'll manage on her own." Aiela paused, seemed to consider something. "Well, unless…" Aiela trailed off.

Biological. Biological. What did that word mean again? Venza was sure Aiela had explained it before. Flesh and blood, perhaps?

"Unless what?" Venza and Tom asked at the same time.

"Well, even if he was coerced into it, Tom and his pets did commit a crime," Aiela said, giving Venza a look that the heir to the Greyfield name couldn't quite understand.

"I think we can let this one slide," Venza said. "They've lost their home and were working under duress. I'd rather not throw them in prison."

Aiela looked annoyed, but managed to contain it to a soft sigh.

"But what if we were to make him work for his transgressions?" Aiela suggested.

"I'm not following."

Aiela heaved another sigh, louder than the first.

"Neither am I," Tom said. "What kind of work?"

"Wouldn't a Greater Mud Drake be a rather useful asset in keeping your family's lands safe?" Aiela hinted.

"I still don't follow," Venza said.

"You must be joking!" Carver interjected storming over from where he'd been watching Roeder, his tone clearly angry. "That thing nearly killed Marcus and you want us to work with it? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised how willing you are to toss good men away whe-"

Carver suddenly staggered in place as if slapped by an invisible hand.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aiela

Her Projection entered Carver's mind with no issue, his mind's guard as down as it was.

"Choose your next words very carefully," she'd projected into his mind with such malice that it made him physically flinch.

Carver stood dazed for a moment but then his eyes focused on her, narrowing to slits. "I'm not scared of you," he warned her.

Aiela crossed folder her arms across her chest, unimpressed. She sent another Projection into his mind. "You should be."

"You may have cowed my father back in the day, but I won't let you do the same to me!" he said.

Aiela nearly screamed. Six years! Six years she'd managed not to let Venza know about her deal with William and now his idiot son was bringing it up out of nowhere. Perhaps Venza had been right. Perhaps she should have objected to having Wilson Carver join their party on this little outing.

"Aiela?" Venza asked, voice tinged with concern. "What is he talking about?"

"He's talking about things he doesn't know," Aiela answered in a low growl. "And he's wrong."

"Wrong?" Carver spat. "You think I don't know? You forced my father into retirement! You were afraid he'd hold his saving Venza's life over you forever so you forced him to become a farmer! The healer told me you did something to him."

Aiela sighed. So that's what this was about: William hadn't told his son the particulars of their arrangement, and Wilson assumed the worst. She knew she'd told William not to let word of his injury spread but this was ridiculous. And if Carver meant Healer Jones, well- Aiela would need to have words with her later.

"That's not what happened," Aiela said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Oh, yeah, then tell me what-" Carver didn't finish his sentence, because she used that moment to quietly shift the earth beneath his feet, causing him to fall on his ass.

Aiela was not particularly tall, but with him on the ground, she towered over him. She glanced down as he scrambled backwards. Good. Perhaps now he knew his place.

"Aiela!" Venza yelled in a warning tone.

Aiela glared at her friend of many years. Was she really siding with him in this situation?

"That's no way to treat the son of the man who saved my life," Venza told her.

She held Venza's gaze coolly for a moment before breaking eye contact with a sigh. She glanced at Carver, who was slowly getting back on his feet.

"Your father is crippled," Aiela finally said. She did her best not to look at Venza's questioning eyes as she said it. "He suffered an injury that could not be healed defending Venza from a Bloodbeak. He can function, but he can no longer be an effective soldier. I assume he didn't tell you this?"

"That's a lie!" Carver answered. "His arms and legs are fine."

"His right arm, I assure you, is not," Aiela told him matter-of-factually. "I tried to fix it as a child, but I wasn't powerful enough back then and it's too late to repair now without extreme risk. On the surface he looks fine but that arm can never hold a weapon again."

"You're saying my father lied to me?" Carver demanded.

"I'm saying your father kept his condition a secret from you and many others at my request," Aiela said calmly. "And you assumed the worst about what he was hiding. I thought he would at least tell his family but I guess he was ashamed he was letting his son join the soldiery when he himself was no longer fit to do so."

"Then what about the farm and the house?" he asked.

"That was a gift from House Greyfield," Aiela said. "A reward for saving their heir's life." She turned to Venza for the first time, trying not to stare into her eyes. She knew she'd find a lot of questions and hurt in them.

Fortunately Venza seemed to understand her intention.

"It's true," Venza said. "It was Vosmer's idea. If not for your father, House Greyfield would have no heir today so we rewarded him as best we could. Father can't grant a peerage without facing heavy scrutiny from his opponents at court, so this was the next best thing."

The idea had actually been Aiela's, but the two of them didn't need to know that. Aiela continued. "William had to retire due to his injuries anyway so he was given a plot of land to manage for as long as House Greyfield saw fit, which off the record, is indefinitely. Not quite his to own, but it's a big step up from being a soldier to almost a landowner, no?"

"But you came to the farm often," Carver said. "Almost once a month, to ensure he stayed quiet!"

"I gave William seeds every so often and helped him figure out farming," Aiela explained, both to Carver and Venza. "For your information, that farm wouldn't be half as successful as it is without me. Your father was a good soldier, but a terrible farmer."

"But- but you're a witch!" Carver said.

Aiela rolled her eyes, allowing an amused grin to spread on her face. "What of it?"

"I'm sorry, Wilson," Venza said gently. "But you're mistaken. Aiela may act and dress the way she does, but deep down she's a good person. The townspeople respect her not out of fear, but respect and gratitude. She's done a lot for Verdeholm."

In truth, it was a bit of both, but it didn't help Aiela to say that now. She didn't dare look at Venza. It might trigger an emotional response. Instead, she focused on Carver.

Carver looked shaken, but not fully convinced. "I'll be having a long talk with my father."

"Had I known this would be such a headache, I would have told you sooner," Aiela said. "And chosen my words with William more carefully. I suppose I was too young at the time to think things through."

"Don't think you're in the clear yet," Venza reminded her, but then smiled. "You and I will discuss this later, after we've finished today's agenda."

"Of course," Aiela answered. That was about as tempered a response as she could have hoped for. "Anyway, worry not, Carver, we'll clear the decision about Sally with Vosmer and Lord Greyfield first. You need not worry yourself over this."

"What exactly are we suggesting?" Venza asked.

Aiela cast a knowing glance at her friend of six years. She knew that Venza's decision to support her scheme or not today would likely alter the course of House Greyfield's future. Fortunately, Aiela knew exactly what would catch the the heir's interest.

 

[ReverseRaven]

"A Mu'drakker commands the swarms of Mu'drakk, you said?" Aiela clarified, turning towards Tom, who'd been awkwardly silent at the side as they'd spoken. "And Sally over here is loyal to you?"

"That's right," Tom said. "They would die for their Mu'drakker if she ordered it. She produces more and healthier eggs than the regular Mu'drakk. Most Mu'drakk are sterile, actually. And I don't know if I'd say Sally is loyal to me, exactly, but she does listen to me and consider me a friend."

"Do they only eat meat?" Aiela asked.

"No, they eat fruits and vegetables fine, though live prey is preferred."

Aiela smirked, turning back to Venza. "We could have dozens of these things adding to House Greyfield's fighting strength, all loyal to a Mu'drakker."

"This seems like a lot of hassle for what are essentially war hounds," Venza protested.

"A hundred war hounds wouldn't have put up as much a fight as Sally and a handful of her brood did against us," Aiela answered with a scoff. "Besides, you're looking at this wrong."

"Then help me look at it right," Venza said.

"I hate to admit this but monsters are superior to human mages in quite a few ways," Aiela began. "As you saw in our battle, most of them have greater physical ability or durability than we do. Most mages are also untrained in close quarters combat, but if a foot soldier tried to engage one of these-" Aiela trailed off, letting Venza imagine it.

"Right," Venza said. "Individually, these would fare better than a human mage of the same magical caliber. No need for weapons or armor, either."

"Aye," Carver said reluctantly. "I'm not sure Roeder and I would've managed these without the Entanglers.

Aiela nodded. "Also, that's only looking at it based on what they can do now. Remember, I will be there to oversee this little project. With Earth and Water spheres and some training, they could prove very handy for supporting our soldiers in combat. At the minimum they could supply water to our forces, but if things work out the way I imagine, these mud drakes could provide physical protection, covering fire, maybe even cobble together defensive structures on the front lines."

She could see Venza starting to lose the internal debate with herself. Over the many years she'd known Venza, she'd learned some of the redhead's quirks. One of them stood out whenever Venza would discuss military strategy and history: Venza had a fascination with sieges. Whether it was attacking or defending a fortified position, the subject always made her eyes light up.

Venza's hand cupped her own chin in thought. "True. If they could be taught to erect walls or dig and fill moats in a hurry they would be a great war asset."

"And they could easily be fed by Astamarr's overabundant crop yield," Aiela pointed out.

"The abundant crop fields that were your doing," Venza pointed out.

Aiela shot her a look. Venza always did this when someone was willing to listen. "Can we not?"

"Er, sorry. What's going on?" Tom asked.

Aiela glared at him and he nearly jumped on the spot.

"Oh, it's this old story," Venza began, prompting Aiela to turn her glare towards her instead. "The Grand Cleric in Serian wanted to know why Verdeholm's farms suddenly turned so prosperous."

"They sent priests with Nature Spheres but couldn't figure it out," Aiela said reluctantly. Might as well get it over with.

"All they managed to gather was a mysterious little girl had been going around people's farms," Venza continued. "The Temple concluded the girl was actually a nature spirit of some sort, going around blessing the crops. But it was actually-"

"Yes, yes, it was me," Aiela finished for her, deadpan. "I am the mysterious Child of Fertility."

Venza started laughing, prompting Aiela to sigh.

"Will this ever get old for you?" she asked, shaking her head. "Can we get back on topic?"

Venza managed to rein herself in after a few seconds.

"I see what you're trying to go for," Venza said. "But it's too risky to put our citizens' lives at Sally's whims, no?"

"Who said we'd be putting them under Sally's command?" Aiela asked, smirking.

"I don't understand," Tom said. "Do you have a Mu'drakker? But if you did, you wouldn't ask so many questions about them."

"I don't, but I can hatch one," Aiela said. "Then I can make it my Familiar, bound to my will by magic. The rest would obey by proxy. An army of monstrous mages at my command."

"At my father's command," Venza reminded her. "To protect the territory."

Aiela smiled sheepishly. "Right. Sorry."

"You can't just hatch a Mu'drakker," Tom reminded her. "There's about a one in a thousand chance. Well, I suppose you could grab a thousand eggs and wait until one came out, but-" Tom trailed off.




Aiela's smirk didn't falter. She played these games with Venza sometimes, where she would lead a trail of metaphorical bread crumbs for her to follow. Aiela had brought up her work on the fields of Astamarr, and not just because it would help them feed the Mu'drakk.

"Modify Gene," Venza said, nearly smacking herself in the head when she realized it. The answer earned her a grin from Aiela.

"Ten points for House Greyfield," Aiela said. "That's exactly right."

"You really think that would work?" Venza asked. "I know you've used the spell to alter the plant seeds, but-"

"I'll need a couple of things," Aiela said, "But most importantly, I need eggs."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It must have been something in their genes. That had been Aiela's first thought when she heard only one in every thousand Mu'drakk grew into a Mu'drakker. If there had only ever been one Mu'drakker, it could have been chalked up to a random freak mutation. That wasn't the case, though. If it happened with recurring, if exceptionally rare, frequency within the species that meant Mu'drakk had some sort of binary switch in their bodies that determined whether they would stay Mu'drakk their whole lives or ascend into something greater. All she needed to do was find it and figure out how to flip it on.

Aiela kept these thoughts to herself as she inspected the egg clutches. They'd been submerged under the water, but her Hidden made gathering them on the riverbank a simple enough task.

She had no idea why she both knew so much and yet so little about the tiny building blocks that made up life, but she did. Oma certainly knew nothing about it, and not a single soul she'd met since leaving Rantori seemed to know either, but the knowledge was there in her memories. She just wished she knew why.

Sometimes, it felt like this life was a dream and she really belonged somewhere else. She remembered the time Lucius or Vosmer (she couldn't remember which) suggested she might have been a long lost relative of the royal line of Lilium. Their royal family seemed to pass magical talent and knowledge down the bloodline, so perhaps-

Aiela pushed those thoughts away. They weren't relevant for picking an egg.

"What are you using as a basis?" Venza asked. "For selection, I mean."

"The most important thing I can't alter," Aiela answered. "Spheres."

"I thought all monsters of one species had the same spheres," Venza said.

"A common misconception," Aiela said. "All monsters have spheres by default, determined by their species. Technically, humans have a default value as well, only the default number for humans is zero. However, sometimes humans are born with affinities for one or more spheres."

"Mages," Venza said.

Aiela nodded. "Right. Some people are born gifted. By that logic, most monsters are non-mage equivalents of humans, except they actually do have magic, if a bit basic."

"So you're saying monsters can have mages, too?"

"In that they can acquire additional spheres at birth and as they go through life, yes. That's what I'm looking for."

Sally's clutch wasn't very promising, however. Most of the unhatched eggs only had the default 'one water, one earth, half nature' affinities. Ironically, one of the live Mu'drakk had an extra fire sphere, which Aiela herself didn't have, but using Mutation on something that had already grown was courting disappointment. That was why she hadn't used the spell to cure William all those years ago: The results tended to be far too unstable. A master of Nature magic could likely do it, but that would take more than a lifetime of growing her power.

"Aiela, look here!" Venza said, inspecting a separate batch of eggs. Aiela hurried over, wondering what the fuss was about.

She'd needed to double check to ensure she wasn't seeing things, but the egg possessed not one, but two extra spheres: Fire and Death. It had a full Nature sphere, too, unlike most of its kind.

"It's a good find, no?" Venza asked.

"It is," Aiela answered, though she kept the rest of her thoughts to herself.

Fate was rarely that kind. Oma had warned her about those born with extraordinary gifts: About half were fated to die young, or suffer in other ways. Reading Fate was something as foreign to Aiela as Genetics were to her Oma, but she gave Oma the benefit of the doubt in these matters. Aiela was, after all, only a teenage witch still learning about the world whereas Oma Mala had the knowledge and wisdom of centuries.

It made her wonder what kind of fate Oma had spared her from when she'd taken her in. What was the reality she'd been pulled from, that she could live this dream in Verdeholm? The old woman had never been willing to tell her, saying some things were best left unknown.

"Gene Mapping," she muttered, and the egg's gene sequence came alive in her mind's eye as a heads-up display. As usual, Oma had been right. This particular specimen had a deformity within it. She couldn't say what it was, but she'd checked enough of them to know this egg wasn't normal.

Unless, of course, a benevolent mage who could alter creatures intervened before the creature could hatch.

"This one," she declared.

Venza beamed at her. She knew the Greyfield Heir had a small inferiority complex when it came to her. Being a mage but not being able to actually use magic would have upset anyone, but Venza managed to contain it.

She glanced at Sally, the wounded Mu'drakker. She'd stirred from her slumber but remained in a resting position to begin healing her wounds. Anyone who could injure such a creature with her bare hands from several meters away had little to feel inferior about, in Aiela's opinion, but she could sympathize with Venza's plight. No. Venza's problem was that the people who mattered in her life didn't acknowledge her.

Mustering as much enthusiasm as she could, she said "Thank you," to her friend of six years. "Now, I suppose I have to clear the dam."

There was a soft hiss from the giant reptile. Sally turned and made her way downriver, towards where the earth had been propped up to stem the water's flow. Aiela followed. Who was she to refuse if Sally wanted to make things easier for her?

Monster magic was a fascinating subject. Like human mages, they all had the inner workings needed to convert Mana in the air into a desired effect, but lacking speech and the sophistication that came with language, their brand of magic was both quicker and more limited in scope.

Well, perhaps not much quicker than Aiela's, but for other humans who needed to chant their spells? Certainly. It did come at the cost of not being able to weave more complex spells together, but truthfully, most humans couldn't manage that, either.

Aiela watched as Sally stopped in front of the earthen wall. Similar to how she had in their battle, the giant reptile sat back on her hind legs, raising her two forelegs into the air before clapping them together. As the sound resonated through the passage, the wall of earth started to crumble.

It was almost like watching a mix of her and Venza's talents. Casting with no words, but instead using one's body to shape the spell. It was not a technique she was unfamiliar with, being able to cast basic spells without speech herself, but it still fascinated her.

Not willing to be outdone by Sally, Aiela focused her mind on the weakening wall. She raised her right hand forward and channeled Mana. As she brought her hand down as if flattening dough, the wall slowly sank until it no longer blocked the river.

Sally turned around, and while a huge lizard towering over her made her a little nervous, Aiela saw Sally nod her head in approval before going back on all fours. Maybe Tom had been right on the money. Sally seemed a gentle giant, only lashing out to protect her eggs.

 

[ReverseRaven]

Author's Note: I apologize for the late upload. It was bad timing. I had some hardware issues and needed to migrate all my stuff to a different machine and I had a lot of family things going on this week so I just didn't have the time to do that. Thank you for your patience.

Venza


"So, where are they keeping the girl you were with?" Venza asked. They'd moved back into the tunnel to get their feet dry. She had a feeling her boots were going to be ruined and need replacing, but staved the thought off for later.

"Her name is Lauren," Tom offered. "She's over at their camp. Are you really going to help us?"

Venza ignored Aiela's judgmental gaze that practically said 'Did you really forget her name already?' and instead focused on the boy in front of her. "Of course. It sounds like this happened on Greyfield lands, so this falls under our jurisdiction."

"Your father's jurisdiction," Aiela reminded her.

"My father who isn't here," Venza said. "And when he's not here-"

"Vosmer and your mother are in charge," Aiela said.

Venza groaned. "Look, do you wanna save her or not? Weren't you the one who wanted to knock them out in town because you had an inkling they'd kidnapped someone?"

Aiela looked away sheepishly. "Fine, fine. I was just teasing. Roeder and Carver should sit this one out, though."

"I can still fight," Carver insisted. "I know I made a mistake, but-"

"No," Venza said, shaking her head. "She's right. You should keep watch over Roeder. We can handle a few bandits ourselves."

Carver sighed, then saluted, hand over heart. "As you command. I'll keep Marcus safe."

"Sally and I are coming with you," Tom said.

"No," Venza and Aiela said in unison.

Tom looked about to protest but Venza cut him off.

"If they know you're with us, they can threaten us with Lauren's life," Venza explained. "Without knowing that, they don't know they possess an effective hostage. After all, what would we care about a random girl?"

"You can come with us to point out the general area of their camp," Aiela added. "But you absolutely cannot be seen."

"What about Sally?" Tom asked. "Hard to hide such a large Mu'drakker."

Venza looked at Aiela. "Can't you turn her into a frog or something temporarily?"

Aiela gazed at Sally's humongous form which barely fit through the tunnel, then shook her head. "Her kids, sure, but her? I'm a few Nature Spheres short. Ask me again in four years or so."

Venza considered. "It'll take us a few days to prepare housing for her, and I'd rather she not stay here."

"She can just dig herself a cave temporarily," Aiela suggested. "I could help."

"That could work," Venza said. "A proper stable would be better, though. For public perception."

"Oh, what? Does it send a bad message if the ruling family employs a giant lizard living in a cave outside town?" Aiela teased. "At least she wouldn't be swooping down from the sky to grab random livestock."

"True. Swooping would be bad." Venza thought for a moment as they continued walking. "Maybe we could ask House Carsten for help. They've got special stables for all sorts of creatures."

"Perhaps, but first, I think we should do something about Lauren and those bandits, no?"

"Right, sorry."

---

Herman the carriage driver ran screaming for his life at the sight of Sally the Mu'drakker. It had taken Venza an entire five minutes to get him to calm down and another five to be comfortable with the idea of a giant reptile following them home.

Aiela had very helpfully stood at the side and provided color commentary while snickering at her misfortune.

Theirs was a strange procession, to say the least. In front was the carriage, with Tom and Herman at the driver's seat while Venza and Aiela remained inside with about a dozen Mu'drakk eggs and the sleeping Roeder. Carver rode along outside, Roeder's horse trailing behind his.

Behind their carriage was a curious Mu'drakker and what remained of her brood, surprisingly tame for a band of monsters.

Perhaps Aiela's suggestion had merit. The lizard creatures would supplement House Greyfield's rather middling standing force with both numbers and magic. Her father had full authority over the Empire's armed forces during national military campaigns and crises, but Astamarr was only protected by the Grey Guard and they only had around a thousand men to protect one of the largest territories in Odolenia.

It was one of the concessions House Greyfield made to reduce the threat of a military coup, not that their House had been anything but loyal during their long history of service.

They stopped south of Verdeholm, just out of sight of the sentries. The setting sun painted the lush forest a deep orange, like it had that day they'd she'd first arrived home with Aiela. The two of them disembarked from the carriage, and Tom pointed them in the direction where the bandit camp was supposed to be.

"Will you be alright on your own?" Herman asked, looking ill at ease about being left behind with Tom and the lizards.

"Only twenty men?" Aiela said. "With one enemy mage? Hardly a challenge."

To demonstrate, Aiela recast Steelskin on both herself and Venza, giving them both the odd, numbing sensation that came with it. They could have stood still and allowed someone to stab them and most blades would simply bounce off.

"The camp is about five minutes away," Tom said. "They'll have lookouts. Maybe you should wait until night?"

"I'd like to be home for dinner," Venza answered, earning her an incredulous stare from Tom.

"She may not look it, but she's a pretty big eater," Aiela told him.

"You make me sound like a glutton," Venza complained as they started to move away from the carriage.

"Oh? What else do you call eating half a roast chicken on your own?" Aiela asked.

---

True forests were rare in Verdeholm, ironically. Most of their land was wide, open plains, though every so often enough trees managed to band together that one could generously call them a forest. It made it surprisingly easy to guess where people would attempt to set up camp in a vain attempt to hide from prying eyes.

Unfortunately for these brigands, Aiela's eyes extended beyond the two on her face. The mage's eyes were closed, her face unreadable as she concentrated on scouting the woods with her Hidden.

To her side, Venza waited patiently, idly tapping her staff against the hard soil. When Aiela opened her eyes, she had a scowl on her face.

"Almost two dozen men," Aiela reported. "They're not expecting a fight. The girl, Lauren, is tied up in one of the tents."

"So no one's armed?" Venza asked.

"Oh, they are," Aiela said. "But likely the only thing there that can actually hurt you through Steelskin is one guy with a crossbow, and only if he gets a clean shot. Doubt it'll get through both your skin and your armor, though."

Venza nodded. Her brigandine had been boiled in the blood of a Bloodbeak, conferring it the same Protection the monstrous birds had.

"Don't get shot in the head," Venza said. "Got it."

"There's another girl in the camp with her, but she doesn't seem to be captive. I assume she's the Fire Mage."

"You assume?"

Aiela shrugged. "My Hidden are too weak to read Affinities, but she definitely has a Mana core. I'd need to see her with my own eyes to know for sure."

Venza continued to tap her staff impatiently on the ground. "Right. Let's give them a chance to surrender, then."

Aiela brought her hands together, fingers entwined, and stretched. "Good. That means I can cut loose when they refuse."

"If they refuse," Venza said.

"Your optimism is cute," Aiela drawled. "Surely, they will cower in fear of a teenage girl with a giant stick."

"You could always go in, spells blazing, and help me get them to surrender," Venza suggested.

Aiela shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

Venza sighed. "What happened to that little girl I met who didn't want to fight back against her tormentors?"

"Oh, I absolutely wanted to fight back," Aiela answered, smirking. "Oma just wouldn't let me. She's not here right now, though."

Venza rolled her eyes and walked forward. At least she'd tried. It took only a minute to approach the camp. The ruffians seemed to be preparing dinner. A single guard with a club in front raised a hand to stop them. Clearly, Aiela hadn't considered him enough of a threat to mention.

"Halt! Who goes there?" he called out. The camp suddenly grew quiet as the occupants hung on every word.

Venza drew a breath, lowered her voice by a few octaves. "My name is Venza, Heir to House Greyfield. My family are the custodians of this land. We have reason to believe you are bandits intentionally poisoning the people of Astamarr in order to profit from their suffering."

The camp shifted as a particularly burly man stepped forward, dragging a girl who looked about Venza's age with him. From the description, it was Tom's friend. Another girl with brown hair hung back, clad in a deep, black tunic. She watched the intruders warily.

He spat on the ground. "Noble brats?" He grinned. "I was gonna let you off saying you had no proof, but I bet we'd make a killing ransoming you back to your families."

"Not bad looking ones, either, Chad," one of the men added.

"Yeah. Ransoming one intact should be enough," another added. "We could keep the other one for fun since you haven't let us touch that girl of yours."

Venza grimaced. Aiela gave her the same look she had when she'd told Venza her optimism was cute. Venza sighed. "You admit to being bandits, then. Come quietly or we'll use force."

Just as the lead bandit was about to respond, Venza extended her will using Reach, and thrust her arm forward, punching him in the throat. The man grasped his neck, choking on his words. Venza then used Reach again before the first one expired, holding his neck in a vice grip. She kept an eye on the bandit with the crossbow in case he tried anything funny.

"So, will you surrender or does this have to get ugly?" Venza asked. She needed them to surrender quickly. Reach only lasted a few seconds and she could only reapply them consecutively for so long.

Unfortunately, the girl, Lauren, seemed to have other plans. Freed from Chad's grip, she quickly pulled out the blade at his hip. In a flash of steel nearly too quick to notice, she'd driven the knife into the side of his neck, twisting as she yanked it back out. Chad fell to the ground, unable to form words as blood gushed out of his neck.

"Ooh, I like her," Aiela commented. Venza swore.

Chaos erupted as the bandits scrambled for weapons. Venza watched the one with a crossbow pull it up to aim, and then immediately yanked it to the side with Reach, causing him to fire into one of his comrades.

Lauren dashed out of the camp to join them. "I appreciate the rescue," she said. "Now, shall we get out of here before-"

"Steelskin," Aiela invoked, touching a hand to Lauren's shoulder.

The acrobat exclaimed, surprised by the numbness Venza knew came with the spell.

"Keep going straight and you'll be safe," Venza said quickly. "We'll be with you shortly."

"Are you crazy?" Lauren asked. "There's too many of them!"

The bandits were rushing back towards them, armed with an assortment of clubs, axes, and even a few swords.

"Aiela," Venza spoke.

"Scald!" Aiela invoked in response, and a jet of boiling water erupted from her hands, splashing the first group of bandits. They scattered under the unexpected attack, their skin blistering red. "Have fun."

Venza rolled her yes. It seemed her friend had no intention of taking this seriously.

Not that she could blame her. Twenty untrained fighters with no magic was nothing to them.

Venza held her staff in both hands and dashed forward like a woman possessed, smashing her staff into someone's nose before twisting to have the other end whack the side of another bandit's head.

A blazing bolt of fire soared through the air, aimed straight at her. Her staff came up to block it, but it proved unnecessary.

A gust of wind suddenly blew the flame off its trajectory, sending it straight into another bandit, who caught flame and screamed in panic.

"Pathetic," Aiela commented. "Leave the little mage to me."

Venza nodded and focused on the bandits. She dodged a downward swing from a club with a small, practiced step to the side, and then brought her elbow up to smack into her attacker's throat. Another bandit charged at her with his axe, but she used Reach to grab hold of his trousers and pull them down, causing him to trip, landing face down in the dirt. A quick, hard thrust with her staff broke his hand.

A second group of about five bandits, seeing she was going to be a pain in the ass to fight, instead headed towards Aiela. Venza didn't know what exactly they hoped to achieve attacking a mage. Perhaps they thought she'd be easier to deal with if they got close enough.

---

Aiela

Aiela reared her head back and expelled a thick, black smoke from her mouth. It engulfed her attackers and caused them to stop in place as they lost their ability to see.

"Thunderclap," she spoke, and a loud, resonating boom suddenly sounded from within the black smoke, causing several bandits to howl in pain.

"Scald," she invoked, sending them scattering with a blast of boiling hot water.

She turned her attention back to the Fire Mage, who was rapidly chanting another Flame Bolt.

"Flames, lend me your fury and scorch the unworthy to ash!" she chanted. "Flame Bolt!"

Aiela chuckled and sent a blast of water from her hand to meet the flaming projectile. It fizzled out almost instantly. "All those words when I can just flick my wrist."

The Fire Mage had panicked look on her face. "Impossible. How are you doing both Air and Water without chanting!?"

Aiela's lips twitched into a smirk. "You probably know how to read Affinities. Go on. Read mine. I'll wait."

"I won't fall for your trick!" the girl said. "Flames, lend me your fury and-"

She couldn't finish her sentence as Aiela reached a hand out and said, "Suffocate."

Her opponent suddenly began to choke as Aiela's magic sucked the very breath out of her lungs. With a smirk, Aiela stopped her own spell and said, "Go on. Read me. I insist."

The Fire Mage, having realized she was entirely at Aiela's mercy, gave her a questioning look, but complied. "Great Father, grant me your sight, that I may gauge the gifted! Affinity Reading!"

If the girl hadn't been worried before, she was now. She shrank back as Aiela sauntered forward, as if the latter were strolling through a park instead of a battlefield.

In the girl's eyes, Aiela's magical aura must have shined like a blazing, crimson flame.

"W-what are you!?!" the Fire Mage questioned.

"I have no idea," Aiela answered. "But to you, I guess I'm a monster."

She drew in air and expelled another cloud of Dark Breath, causing the enemy mage to fall to the ground in a coughing fit. Aiela made sure she'd lost consciousness before seeing what Venza was up to.

Such a waste that such an inept mage possessed a Fire Sphere when Aiela herself did not.

---

Venza


The remaining bandits took one look at their fallen comrades and seemed to argue between themselves about whether to run or not. Venza dropped her staff on the ground, putting her hands up in a fighting stance before beckoning them over. That seemed to sway them, as they rallied themselves and charged at her.

"Earthbinder," she heard Aiela speak.

About a meter short of reaching her, the bandit in front suddenly fell to one knee. Unable to stop themselves in time, his comrades followed suit, gritting their teeth as some unseen force seemed to pull them to the ground.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a pillar of dirt roughly a meter tall had been erected behind the group of bandits. Venza was familiar with the spell: As long as they remained close to the pillar, the bandits would be pulled both downwards and towards the pillar.

"I'm surprised you didn't use that in the cave," Venza said.

"Mud Drakes have earth magic," Aiela reminded her. "And are likely physically stronger than this lot. Wasn't reliable."

Venza nodded in understanding.

The mage made a gesture and the soil the trapped bandits were standing on suddenly turned to mud. They cried out as the mud began to hiss with heat. Venza gave her an admonishing look.

"What?" Aiela asked. "I didn't make it that hot."

"Stop it," Venza said. "They've already lost the ability to fight."

"Fine, fine," Aiela conceded, and the hissing stopped.

The crossbow bandit had his arms raised in surrender, his weapon thrown on the ground. Venza motioned for him to come forward and join his fellows. He instead turned tail and ran, but she'd been ready for that. Her hand quickly snatched air and Reach grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Aiela blasted him with some kind of green-colored beam and he stayed down.

"Sleep?" Venza asked.

"Paralysis," she answered.

"Nice."

"Who are you people?" Lauren asked, approaching her saviors from behind.

"Ah right, you probably didn't catch everything," Venza said. "Like I said, I'm-"

She hadn't gotten a good look at the girl they were rescuing during the chaos of things, but now she did. The girl was tall and slender with perfectly bronzed skin and eyes the color of green leaves in spring. Beneath a simple brown cloak she wore only a pale, pink leotard, which Venza assumed was her costume from the circus.

It left precious little to the imagination.

"I- I'm Venza," Venza managed to say, regaining some of her composure. "Lauren, right?"

"Oh, wow, you actually remembered someone's name," Aiela teased. Her smirk held more mischief than usual.

Venza ignored the comment. "Did they hurt you? Tom told us about your situation and-"

"Tom?" Lauren echoed, sounding relieved. "Where is he?"

"He's on the main road with a carriage and Cindy," Venza said.

"Sally," Aiela corrected her.

"Right, Sally."

An abrupt rumble came from Lauren, and she sheepishly placed a hand on her stomach. "I- don't suppose you have anything to eat?"

Venza glanced at Aiela, who seemed to be thinking. Without warning, Aiela flung her hand upward, sending a bright, green flare into the sky. It was the signal for requesting help within Astamarr.

"Aiela," Venza began. "Isn't that-"

Aiela smirked, then showed her hand. A small, orange flame rested in her palm.

Fire magic. Aiela's insistence on burning things with hot water had paid off.

"I just noticed after the fighting ended," she said as she shook her hand rapidly, putting out the flame. "The Guard will be here shortly to help round up these brigands. I'll find Lauren something edible while we wait."

---

Roughly five minutes later, the three of them sat around the unlit campfire the bandits had been preparing. The lot of them had been put to sleep by Aiela's magic, which would keep them in check until reinforcements arrived to take them into custody. Aside from Chad, another bandit had died from a 'stray crossbow shot' but the rest were alive. Some had broken bones and burns, particularly the poor soul who'd gotten hit by the fire mage's spell, but they would live.

"Thank you," Lauren spoke in between taking large bites off an apple Aiela had procured for her. "That bastard Chad was starving me on purpose."

"The one you stabbed?" Venza asked.

Lauren nodded. "He was a complete sicko. He was trying to break me. Said he wouldn't give me food until I begged him to- well, to do things to me."

"The bandits did mention something about not being allowed to touch you," Aiela commented.

Lauren grimaced. "Yeah, Chad wanted me to be his personal slave or something. He didn't dare touch Megan, though. She would've scarred him for life."

"The Fire Mage?" Aiela asked. They'd put her to sleep as well.

"Yeah, that's her."

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay now," Venza said.

"Yeah, thanks to my two heroes," Lauren answered. Despite herself, Venza felt her face turn red and had to look away.

"What will you do now?" Venza asked.

"Tom's decided to come back to town and work for us," Aiela suggested.

Lauren laughed. "Are you having him look after animals or something? That does sound like Tom."

"Or something," Aiela answered, not going into detail. "What about you?"

"I- I'd have to think about it," Lauren said. "I guess without the circus I don't really have a place to go. Megan torched the place before they left. I don't know how useful an acrobat would be to you, though."

"You can stay for a bit and think it over," Venza suggested.

"Let's table this discussion for now," Aiela said. "Your father's men are almost here."

Venza gave her a look. "You know, you could just say they're our men."

"That would imply they're following you and not just indulging their lord's daughter," Aiela sniped.

Before she could get another word in, Venza realized something. There was a giant reptile monster on the road, and the Grey Guard could quite easily mistake Sally as the reason for the flare. "Back to the carriage, now!"

"Oh, relax," Aiela said, sounding amused. "I'm sure Herman can explain the situation to them."

 

[ReverseRaven]

Author's Note: Hello, lovely people. Apologies for the delay. Like I mentioned last time I had an issue with my hard drive and I did an oopsie with my backup so I lost about a month's worth of progress. It was Christmas so rather than try to cram I decided to enjoy the holidays. Of course, when I finally got back to working on it, I realized there were some things I would have done a bit differently if I could so... I did. That did mean taking a bit more downtime, but here we are now.


The three of them ran like vampires fleeing the rising sun. Venza knew Carver and the carriage driver would have been there to explain the situation, but she wasn't sure how well whoever had answered their signal flare would take it.


Their mad dash to the carriage brought them there just as a patrol of the Grey Guard were questioning the two men about the giant lizards. To Venza's surprise, Carver stood between the patrol and the lizards, his arms spread wide as if to bar their progress.


Tom stood beside Sally's enormous frame, doing his best to calm the giant lizard while Carver tried to reason with the guards.


"You don't understand!" Carver said. "These lizards are here under Miss Venza's orders!"


"Look, lad," one of the guards said, "We know the boss's daughter and her pet witch are a bit weird, but do you really expect us to-"


He was cut off as one of his fellows elbowed him in the ribs. He'd spotted Venza, Aiela, and Lauren leaving the woods.


"In the name of Lucius Greyfield, stand down!" Venza commanded as soon as they were close enough to be heard clearly.


"Miss Venza?" the soldier at the front of the squad exclaimed as their group came upon them. "Did you send the distress signal?"


He suddenly looked very pale, indeed.


"What was that you were saying, Norton?" Aiela asked. "Something about a pet witch?"


"Bad itch!" he quickly blurted out. "I have a bad itch. I was hoping you had something to cure it with?"


The glare she leveled at him might have killed him if Aiela was a little stronger. Venza thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't.


"Er, Miss Aiela," the guard who'd elbowed his colleague suddenly spoke up. "Our apologies. Norton meant no disrespect."


"Relax, Kevin," Aiela said. "I'm sure Norton meant nothing ill. His girlfriend adores me, after all."


Venza quirked an eyebrow at that. She had no idea who Norton was dating or what relevance that had.


"How is Healer Jones?" Aiela asked.


Ah. That name Venza definitely remembered.


"Um," the man named Norton sputtered. "She's doing well, Miss. Thanks for asking."


Aiela continued to glare at him for another moment before seemingly forgetting he was there. Quickly, almost too quickly, she turned her attention back to the guard named Kevin. "I sent the distress flare. Green is for bandits, is it not?"


"I- yes, but-"


"This creature is clearly not a bandit," Aiela added. "Those, you'll find over there." She pointed in the direction of the bandits' camp.


Kevin sighed. For better or worse, he'd gotten used to Venza and Aiela's antics over the years. He'd been the guard who'd escorted them to that farm where Aiela first started altering Astamarr's crops, after all.


"Would you care to explain, milady?" Kevin asked, turning to Venza.


Venza gave him a quick rundown of the situation, including how the bandits had poisoned the water, kidnapped a girl, and essentially forced Tom to assist them. Kevin took it surprisingly well.


"Understood. We'll take these louts into custody," he said. "Will you require an escort back?" He eyed Sally and her brood nervously.


"We'll manage," Venza said. "Thank you for your hard work."


"And you for yours, milady," he answered before turning to his companions. "Come on, lads. We've got work to do."


"Oh, and Kevin?" Aiela added. "The sleeping girl is a Fire Mage. She should be asleep until you get her locked up but might want to gag her just in case. Poor thing can't cast without speaking."


"Thank you for the warning, Miss Aiela," he said. "I would hate to have found that out while we were transferring her."


Aiela shrugged her shoulders.​

---

A short while later, Venza, Aiela, Tom, Lauren, and a sleeping Roeder sat in the carriage, with the eggs clustered on the floor between them. They were on their way back to Astamarr. Lauren and Tom gazed out the window, taking in the sights of what would be Tom's new home, and possibly Lauren's, as well.


"I'd heard rumors about Astamarr's flourishing farmlands," Lauren commented. "But some of those corn stalks look downright massive."


"We have the Child of Fertility to thank for that," Venza said, turning a knowing gaze towards Aiela.


Aiela glared at her acidly. "Would you please stop bringing that up?"


Lauren's eyes widened in understanding. "I've heard that story. Are you saying Miss Aiela is-"


Aiela's hand shot up to stop her from speaking further. "I transformed the crops in Astamarr over several harvests with magic. The scholars at the magic academy and the Temple of the Four never figured out my spell, so they gathered the rumors of a child aiding farmers and twisted the story into something they could make sense of."


"They said she was a visiting forest spirit in the form of a child," Venza explained, a full-on smirk on her face.


"And they never figured out it was you?" Lauren asked.


Venza answered for her. "She threatened to blight the farmers' lands if the crops were ever traced back to her."


"And they actually kept her secret?" Lauren questioned, looking more astonished by the second.


Aiela sneered. "I can be very convincing."


Venza, however, said, "Well, she did threaten them, but the farmers look up to and feel they owe her too much to disrespect her wishes. The entire town does, really."


"A spell not even the academy and the temple could figure out," Lauren muttered. "You must be very talented, Miss Aiela."


A pang of jealousy twisted in Venza's chest as the gorgeous acrobat seemed in awe of Aiela, but she resisted the urge to say something embarrassing about her long-time friend. Instead, Venza changed the subject. "You must be pretty talented, too, Lauren. You moved really quickly for someone who's been held captive and weakened for a few days."


Lauren beamed at her, and Venza felt her face get hot. "It was harder than it looked. I usually eat plenty since my performances tire me out so much, but I guess I managed to push myself when I saw I had a chance to get away."


"Ah, you and Venza have something in common, then," Aiela sniped. "She's a big eater, herself."


Venza shrugged. "All the push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and squats every day will do that."


"It's why you managed to take a spell for grabbing books off the top shelf and turn it into a bloody weapon," Aiela said.


"So is Miss Venza a mage, too?" Tom asked.


"Technically," Venza and Aiela said at the same time. They shared a glance before turning back to their new companions.


Aiela spared her the pain of having to explain. "Venza's technically a very powerful mage. Far above average. She was stronger than me when we met, actually, but let's just say that due to certain issues, she has very few spells she can actually cast."


"And Aiela's managed to exceed me since then," Venza added. "She can do almost every kind of magic now."


"In limited quantities," Aiela said quickly. "No idea how I'd go about acquiring what's left, though."


That was right. Aiela had been 'breaking her way in' to spheres of magic she hadn't originally possessed by using other magic in similar ways, like purifying water with nature magic to learn water magic. She'd even somehow cheated her way into fire by burning people with hot water. The remaining rare spheres, however, were harder to cheat her way into, according to the talented mage.


Tom and Lauren looked at each other, which prompted Venza to say, "What's wrong? Something on your minds?"


"Well," Tom began, looking embarrassed. "We met a Nature Mage once. He said you had to be born with magic. That you could never get it. Said it was a gift from the Four."


"Tom was asking if he could learn," Lauren explained. "So he could take care of the circus animals better."


"Hang on," Venza said. "You mean Tom isn't a mage? Then how is he controlling Sally?"


"He isn't," Aiela confirmed. "A mage, I mean. It was the first thing I checked when we met."


"Sally just trusts me, I guess," Tom offered.


"Well, you kind of did go back for her when no one else would," Lauren said. "Most people wouldn't risk their lives for a monster."


"What can I say?" Tom said. "She's like family."


"Well," Aiela said, "to answer your question, the belief you have to be born with magic isn't entirely accurate."


"It's not?" Tom asked.


"It is a significant advantage, certainly, but easy enough to disprove. Every so often, a farmer or gardener picks up a Nature Sphere from working with plants so much. Fishermen and sailors can sometimes gain affinity for Water Magic over their years of work at sea. It is rare, but not impossible, though much more difficult if you don't have even a single Sphere to start with."


"Mother and I used to believe in it, too," Venza said. "But then Aiela picked up Water, and now Fire. Apparently, we just don't know as much about magic as we think we do."


She didn't volunteer why Aiela knew all these things scholars and entire nations didn't. After all, Oma Mala had never lifted the spell that stopped her from talking about it, but even if the old crone had, it was Aiela's secret to share, not hers.


"Besides, Lauren," Aiela said. "If that was true, then how come an acrobat can do Air Magic?"


Venza blinked. A moment of silence dominated their ride save for the clopping of hooves outside as the three of them processed this information.


"I don't know any Air Magic," Lauren finally said.


"I didn't say you did," Aiela said. "Only that you can."


Venza closed her eyes and focused her mind, trying to remember how to cast Affinity Reading. When she opened them, she saw Lauren surrounded by a green, tell-tale aura that she was a mage with weaker affinity than Venza. A single, blue-white Sphere rested within Lauren's bosom, which meant Aiela was right: Lauren could do Air magic.


She glanced at Tom and found he had no aura at all. Aiela, on the other hand, was cloaked in a deep, dangerous red with no Sphere on display. She imagined that was what the enemy Fire Mage had seen that terrified her earlier. Or possibly worse. Aiela was to her what she was to most mages with a single Sphere.


Such were the rules of Affinity Reading: The caster could only read the affinities of those significantly weaker than them, which meant you had to figure out someone's affinities yourself if they were close to your level or stronger.


"Most of those farmers and fishermen never learn magic, either," Aiela continued. "But the affinity still helps a little bit. Makes their crops grow a little better or helps their boat move a little faster. Nothing that stands out too much, and then they go their entire lives never learning they could do magic."


"So, Lauren," Venza said, finding a chance to get back into the conversation. "Would you be willing to work with us? Aiela can teach you how to use your gift."


Aiela sneered. "When did I agree to that?"


Venza gave her a contemptuous glare.


"Kidding, kidding," Aiela said, smirking before turning back to Lauren and reaching for her hand. "I'd love to work more closely with you."


Venza opened her mouth, then closed it. Did Aiela also find Lauren attractive or was she just messing with people like usual? Aiela glanced at her briefly, which could have been either a challenge or an attempt to annoy her. Venza huffed almost inaudibly and feigned disinterest.


"I'd have to give it some thought," Lauren said, casting a nervous glance at Tom. She likely felt bad she had magic and he didn't, when he'd wanted to be a Nature Mage. "But thank you for extending your hand to me."


They stopped near a small hill outside Verdeholm's walls. The day was getting late, but Aiela needed to prepare a hole for Sally to crawl into before they could go in.


"Leave this to me, Sally, and Tom," Aiela said. "You and Lauren can go back and start explaining this to Vosmer. After you drop Roeder off at the Healers."


"Sure thing," Venza said, smiling a little. Aiela gave her a knowing look before leaving the carriage with Tom and the lizards in tow.


The sun finally sank into the horizon as they rolled into Verdeholm, filling the town with darkness for a moment. Then, green lights flared to life along the streets, almost as if by magic.


Lauren's eyes were wide. "How did- Is this Miss Aiela's magic, too?"


"It's not magic," Venza said. "Well, technically it isn't, though I guess she did make them with magic."


"Come again?"


"The street lamps are filled with a type of cave moss that glows in the dark," Venza explained. "Aiela, uh, improved them, like she did with the crops. Now, they light up the town automatically at night. We've put some up outside, too, for the farms and some houses, but someday, Aiela and I hope all of Astamarr will have light at night."


"You two seem close, Miss Venza," Lauren said.


"Just Venza," she said. "And yes, we've been best friends for over six years."


"Just friends?"


Venza chuckled. "I'm not sure Aiela's interested in anyone, though it's not like we meet a lot of boys our age."


"What about girls?" Lauren asked.


Venza let out a nervous chuckle. "O-oh, um, we don't really meet a lot of those, either. Astamarr is pretty out of the way, you know?"


Lauren nodded, though Venza wasn't sure what she gleaned from that answer. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind working for you, but well…" she trailed off.


"Tom, right?" Venza suggested. It was nice of Lauren to spare his feelings. She was familiar with being envious of your close friend who could do magic. "You're thinking about how you'll be a mage and he won't."


"Yeah," Lauren said. "What do you think I should do?"


Venza pondered how to tell her to stay without coming off as needy. "Well, personally, I'd love to recruit you. You could be a really strong asset for Astamarr."


Lauren smiled. Venza felt her heart flutter. "I think you're overestimating me."


"Not at all," Venza said. "Aiela has a- a way with magic, I guess you could call it. I don't know how to explain it, but she wouldn't have offered you the chance if she didn't have potential plans for you. She teases me about it all the time, but in truth, she was the one who came up with the idea of turning Reach into a weapon." Venza stared at her own hand. "Once upon a time I was just a little girl playing at being a warrior, but Aiela's made me something else."


"So, when you were choking out Chad and tossing people around, that was all you? I assumed Aiela had cast some spell on you."


"All me," Venza said, smiling. It was odd. She'd never really felt like she'd accomplished much, but the way she'd felt after overcoming the day's trials had sparked something inside her.


"That's amazing."


"It's not that great," Venza said, though she silently wished Lauren would continue. "Reach only works with my own strength and body. Aiela's tried casting strength-enhancing spells on me before, but what I can carry with Reach before and after doesn't change."


"But you were tossing those thugs around," Lauren pointed out. "You mean that was purely your own strength?"


"I'm not superhuman or anything," Venza explained. "I'm just a bit stronger than you'd expect for a fifteen-year-old girl. I'm sure it must have looked more impressive than it really was. All I did was push or pull on a body part from far away. Have you ever had someone pull your leg out when you don't expect it?"


"Sometimes, during training," Lauren said. "I see. I think I get what you mean."


Venza nodded. "Not easy to defend against an attack you can't see."


"What do you think Aiela would have me do?" Lauren asked.


"Honestly, I dunno," Venza admitted. "I know little about Air Magic, except Aiela complains the army uses it wrong."


"How does the army use it?"


"Barrages of lightning bolts," Venza said. "Aiela says it's a waste of utility and Mana capacity. I've seen her use Air Magic to deflect arrows and steal the breath from people, but I'm not sure that's what she'd be teaching you."


"You mean I could choke out scum like Chad without touching them, too?" Lauren asked, grinning. "That's almost enough to make me sign up right now."


Despite her eager tone and her words, Venza could see the uncertainty on her face.


"You know, it's great you're considering Tom's feelings, but-" Venza paused, thinking her words over. "I don't think it would come between you, you know?"


"What makes you think that?"


"Well, what does Tom want to do most in the world, you think?"


Lauren's eyes widened a fraction as she came to a realization. "He just wants to look after animals."


"Yeah, I haven't known him long, but I think so, too," Venza said. "So Nature Magic was just a means to an end for him. He seems to have a way with beasts anyway. If anything, I'm envious of him."


She really didn't get along with horses, after all.


"Oh, why's that?"


"I'm sure Aiela will mention it at some point," Venza grumbled.


Lauren giggled. "I'll be sure to ask."


"By the gods, am I going to have to deal with both of you now?" Venza asked, shaking her head. She grinned afterward to make it clear she didn't really mind.​

 

[ReverseRaven]

"And then Aiela called in the Guard to apprehend the bandits," Venza said, finishing her selective summary of the day's events to her mother.

Nora Greyfield's mouth curled into a scowl, clearly displeased.

"I cannot believe how reckless you were," she said over dinner. If her illness hadn't been acting up, Venza was sure she would have been yelling. "We have the Grey Guard for a reason."

Seven people occupied the table that evening. Nora, Vosmer sitting across from her, then Venza next to Aiela at Vosmer's side, and finally, Tom and Lauren next to Nora. Lucius had not returned from whatever business the Emperor had him on, but Barnabas kept his seat at the head of the table warm. A feast of string-like pasta with a rich, tomato sauce and toasted loaves of garlic bread served as the main dish of their dinner.

"Now, now, Nora," Barnabas said. "Venza and Aiela saved at least two lives today, with possibly many more if they had not stopped this foul plot."

"And I am not downplaying their achievement, Barnabas," Nora answered evenly. Few would argue against the former head of House Greyfield, but her mother was one of them. "However, she has risked too much."

Nora turned her gaze back on Venza. "Do you not understand that you are the sole Heir of House Greyfield?"

Venza did her best to stand fast in the face of her mother's restrained anger, even if it was true. Nora could no longer bear children after an attempt on her and Lucius' lives while she was pregnant with Venza, and her father refused to take a mistress to sire more children.

"Mother, if I had been born a man, I would be facing those risks anyway," Venza argued. "What sort of Greyfield would I be if mere bandits gave me pause? They were untrained and more suited to scaring common folk than fighting someone with training. I was perfectly safe."

There was a moment of awkward silence as Barnabas and Nora seemingly subconsciously glanced at Vosmer, but Venza had no idea why.

"She is right, Nora," Barnabas said. "If she'd been born a man, she would be doing exactly as she is now, except you and my son would approve."

"If she'd been born a man," Nora repeated. "Venza would have gotten properly trained, with an armed escort at all times until she was ready! Hells, even Lucius has bodyguards! And so did you, Barnabas!"

"They were mostly-bored bodyguards," Barnabas argued. "And the same holds true for Lucius. They're there to back him up, but we both know an army of bodyguards cannot hope to match a Lord of Odolenia wielding a Revenant Arm, especially not the Lord Marshall."

"Did Venza get a Revenant Arm when I wasn't looking?" Nora shot back, her voice dripping venom. "No? Because she's supposed to be a mage who should be training her abilities? That's right! How could we have forgotten?"

"Venza's plenty trained," Vosmer said. "She would not have been able to take down over twenty full-grown men and a mage otherwise with just her and Aiela. Even if they were untrained brigands."

"Because you keep indulging her," Nora shot back. "How do you sleep at night, knowing you enabled your best friend's daughter to put herself in danger?"

"I sleep poorly for many things, Nora," Vosmer said. "But training Venza isn't one of them. It helps, in fact, to know I've given her a fighting chance should she ever find herself out there without us to protect her."

Nora huffed. "You say that, but I'm almost certain Aiela defeated all of the bandits by herself."

"I did not, in fact, defeat them all by myself," Aiela answered calmly. She'd stayed silent for most of the conversation, eating food. Venza surmised she was nearly tapped out after everything she'd done for the day. "Doing so would have been trivial, but Venza handled over half by herself. I was busy toying with their mage."

Nora narrowed her eyes and stared between the two of them. "Without magic items? Without access to her Spheres? With only that party trick of a spell she has? I doubt it."

"I did scout them beforehand Lady Nora," Aiela said. "Lest you forget, Venza was under protective spells and wearing armor that is as hard as steel as long as you don't hit it with magic. As I said, there was one mage and I handled her myself. The biggest threat left in that camp had been a crossbow, and between my spells and Venza's 'party trick' which can take a grown man out of combat from a range of more than twenty paces, a single crossbow wielder without the element of surprise is laughable."

Venza's mother looked unconvinced, but she'd long given up on trying to get Aiela's support in stopping her daughter's activities. Nora had, at some point, realized Aiela's loyalty was to Venza first. She only served House Greyfield as an extension of that.

"Lauren, you were there," Aiela said casually. "Tell her."

Lauren calmly wiped her mouth with a napkin before speaking. A lot of important people were suddenly staring at her, after all. "Begging your pardon, my lady, and lords, but Miss Aiela speaks the truth. Venza took down more than her fair share of bandits. I saw the whole thing. She fought with a grace and agility I would be jealous of; and I used to make a living off being graceful and agile."

A thought crossed Venza's mind about how Lauren seemed to have no trouble fitting in at a table full of House Greyfield's elite members, but now wasn't the time.

"True," Aiela added. "My defensive spells and her armor barely mattered. Venza didn't take a single hit in the encounter with the bandits. After all, why would she? Her technique with Reach has given her an offensive and defensive tool on par with low level offensive magic. And as we both know, Lady Nora, magic is the biggest factor in combat."

The four of them conveniently left out the part where Sally could have crushed Venza several times during the afternoon.

Barnabas chuckled. "That's my granddaughter! Worthy of the name of Greyfield."

"Barnabas, your granddaughter sallying out to battle is nothing to celebrate," Nora reprimanded him, though the strength had left her voice at that point and it seemed she was merely going through the motions.

"Look at it this way, Nora," Vosmer began. "She'll be going out anyway. Why not make sure she's properly equipped rather than letting her fend for herself with whatever sticks and stones she manages to pick up?"

"Madness," Nora muttered. "It's like you've all forgotten what happened sixteen years ago."

"I trained her because of what happened sixteen years ago," Vosmer said, not yielding an inch. "She yearns to follow in her father's footsteps, whether she has our help or not."

Nora sighed, but seemed to realize she was alone in this fight, so she changed the subject. "So, Lauren, I hear you and your brother will be staying on to work for my daughter."

"Oh, we're not siblings, really, my lady," Lauren answered. "Not by blood, but yes, Venza and Miss Aiela asked us to work under them."

She looked like she was about to say something more, but didn't.

"Doing what, exactly?" Nora questioned.

"Tom has a way with animals and monsters," Venza answered for them. "He'll be helping us put together a stable of sorts for creatures that can help the Guard keep the peace."

"I'm assuming this is Aiela's idea, then," Nora said.

"Hm? No, this is entirely Venza's scheme," Aiela said, smirking.

"Right," Nora said. "Venza taking on ten bandits, I can reluctantly believe, but this has your name written all over it, or did you think I would forget who was casting unknown Nature Magic on crops without notifying me first six years ago?"

Aiela let out a chuckle. "Guilty. The idea's to use the creatures from Tom and Lauren's old circus as magical support, in a sense. Think of them like magical war hounds. They'll augment House Greyfield's military capability, since we are surprisingly undermanned, considering the Lord Marshall himself is head of our house."

Venza suspected that if Tom and Lauren hadn't been present, 'surprisingly' was a word that wouldn't have been in that sentence at all. Anyone who had even a crumb of understanding about the inner workings of the Empire would have easily grasped that Emperor Harway kept their numbers down on purpose to prevent House Greyfield from becoming too strong.

"And how will you control them?" Nora asked. "These are monsters, not mutts."

"Well, those two things are not mutually exclusive," Aiela answered. "There are plenty of monsters who take the form of dogs."

Nora gave her a hard stare. "Did you think that was my question? What qualifies or doesn't qualify as a monster?"

Aiela grinned a grin full of mischief and simply said, "These mud drakes are unique and listen to a leader without question. I will be studying them in depth. Rest assured, we will not go forward until we are sure it's safe."

Nora didn't lower her gaze, her eyes seemingly trying to peer into Aiela's very soul.

"Just remember the last time you assisted House Greyfield like this," Nora said in a warning tone. "The Temple and the Academy both came knocking."

"Not to worry," Aiela said in an uncharacteristically cheerful tone. "I've learned my lesson. No one will know of this until everything is in place."

Nora nodded. "And what will Lauren be doing?"

"Training," Aiela said quickly. "Have you tried doing an Affinity Reading on her?"

Nora shook her head, and spoke, "Affinity Reading," skipping the incantation.

Nora frowned. "Aiela, did you pick up a new sphere?"

Aiela grinned. "Ah, can't you see it?"

"No, I cannot."

"It seems I've gotten past the threshold," Aiela said, sounding pleased with herself.

"What threshold?" Barnabas asked.

"When a mage does an Affinity Reading, they can only clearly see the affinities of mages significantly weaker than them," Nora explained.

"You need to have at least half as many more spheres than someone for it to work, to be exact," Aiela added. "Regardless of what the spheres actually are. So if you have two and I have three, I can read yours but you can't read mine. You'd just get a sense of the gap between us."

"Which means Aiela is now more than two-thirds my strength," Nora said, her expression unreadable. "At less than half my age."

"If it brings you any comfort, I can't maintain this pace," Aiela said wistfully. "Affinity becomes more difficult to obtain the higher it goes."

"Perhaps. I've been stuck at my Rank in Fire for over a decade, after all. Still, you're better off than I was as a girl," Nora said. "What did you pick up this time?"

In answer, with a most satisfied smirk on her face, Aiela pointed her right index finger upward and called a tiny flame to it.

"By the gods, she's done it again," Nora said, only a hint of awe and shock in her voice. She'd been much more animated the first time, when Aiela had suddenly come into her study and conjured a ball of water. Of course, the excitement might have been because Aiela had accidentally gotten Nora soaked at the time.

Nora turned back to Lauren. "I'm assuming you weren't born with Air affinity?"

Lauren nodded. "No, my lady. I wouldn't even have known if Miss Aiela hadn't told me today."

"Gods save us, Aiela is going to single-handedly disprove everything we know about magic," Nora muttered.

"Why do you call her Miss Aiela?" Barnabas asked, sounding curious. "But only call Venza by her name? Venza is the Heir, you know, not Aiela."

"Ah, well, Venza told me to call her by name, my lord," Lauren answered. "But Miss Aiela didn't, and the townspeople seem to all call her that, so…" she trailed off.

Barnabas nodded in understanding. "Also, stop it with the 'my lord' and 'my lady.' It feels weird to hear after spending years with Aiela under our roof."

"As you wish, Lord Barnabas," Lauren replied.

Barnabas simply shrugged, seeming to accept it.

"Worry not," Aiela said, speaking once again to Nora. "I shall polish my new apprentice into a most glorious jewel."

Nora heaved a sigh. "That's precisely what I'm worried about. Anyway, you need materials for this stable, yes?"

"We can gather and buy them ourselves," Aiela answered.

Venza nodded in agreement.

"I feel like I should be questioning where in the Four's names you're getting those funds and materials," Nora said with no hint of amusement.

"Selling a few odds and ends," Aiela said, shrugging her shoulders. "Things I've managed to pick off the ground."

Nora gave Venza a questioning look, but Venza could only shake her head. She wasn't entirely sure what Aiela was talking about, either. As far as she knew, they made a bit of coin betting on Venza's fights in the market and Aiela sold a few plants and seeds every now and then.

"Be that as it may, you should reach out to someone more experienced with managing such a menagerie," Barnabas suggested. "Materials are one thing, but the expertise with handling monsters is another."

"We were thinking of asking House Carsten," Venza admitted. "Aiela wanted to see if she could get a simulacrum, anyway."

"A simulacrum? To create a Familiar?" Nora asked.

Aiela nodded. "I've found excellent clay to mold."

Nora seemed to consider the words, then her eyes lit up in a mix of realization and apprehension. "You can't mean- Like the crops?"

Aiela smiled. "More or less, yes."

"You know what? Fine. I look forward to seeing what you manage to create," Nora said. "Come to me if you need anything," she said. She cupped her chin in thought. "Actually, no. Come meet me in my study before you head to bed tonight."

Aiela's grin widened, and she bowed her head slightly. "Much appreciated, Lady Nora."

 

[SwampyCat]

Yeah ! The pace is kicking up !

 

[ReverseRaven]

Uploading will resume next week. Sorry for the late notice. I got sick with what we think is a stomach infection shortly after my last post and am still recovering. The next upload is already written but I have to check it for consistency and quality and my brain just isn't working yet.

 

[Spectrum]

Slowly read through all of this recently, rather engaged by it!

My shipping goggles really weren't pinging on Aiela and Venza, which seems to have been born out by Lauren's introduction. Thankfully by the time inheritance issues crop up, I'm sure Aiela could magic up a solution? :flees:

(Do you prefer engagement here or on RR?)

 

[ReverseRaven]

Slowly read through all of this recently, rather engaged by it!

My shipping goggles really weren't pinging on Aiela and Venza, which seems to have been born out by Lauren's introduction. Thankfully by the time inheritance issues crop up, I'm sure Aiela could magic up a solution? :flees:

(Do you prefer engagement here or on RR?)

Click to shrink...

Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying your time with it. And LOL that definitely would not be outside Aiela's skillset if she chose to do so, at least by that time. I do notice with my writing I tend to bait people with a ship and then switch it out for another one down the line. It just turns out that way.

And I don't really have a preference for where to talk but I might respond slower on RR because RR either sends me email notifs late or doesn't send them at all for comments. I'd only see them when I actually go look.

 

[ReverseRaven]

Author's Note: Again, apologies for the delayed update. I left comments where I could to explain why, but it's unlikely you saw them. I got really sick with a stomach infection that left me in really bad shape for almost two weeks. Then I had to catch up on other things before I could get back to editing the chapter I was supposed to upload. To make up for it, I'll upload another chapter on Tuesday and then next week's intended update next Friday.

They parted ways after supper, with Aiela leading Lauren and Tom to guest rooms they would use until they figured out something a bit more permanent. Venza would have preferred to let them stay in the house completely, but it would have been unfair to the maids and other servants who lived in the town.

Aiela had been an exception due to her circumstances, but even Vosmer lived in his own house in Verdeholm.

Rather than go straight to her room, she loitered outside the dining room and was not disappointed when Vosmer came out half a minute later looking like he had something to tell her.

He grinned when he saw her expectant look. "Maybe your mother's right. Maybe I am enabling you too much."

"Like you said, I think today proves I'd go out on my own even without your assistance," Venza answered.

"You've got me there," Vosmer said. "Alright, I promise if any trouble in Astamarr reaches my ears and regular soldiers can't handle it, I'll let you or Aiela know. But I'm not going to send you after every single problem we have. People's taxes pay for the Grey Guard, you know."

Venza favored him with a smile. "Thank you, Vosmer."

He smiled back at her. "I'd tell you to be careful, but Aiela is cautious enough for the both of you."

"Well, if it eases your mind any," Venza began. "We'll have a third member soon."

"The girl named Lauren." Vosmer looked thoughtful. "I don't know how much help a single Air Mage will be, but knowing Aiela…" he trailed off.

"She likely has something in mind already," Venza finished for him.

"What worries me is what her Familiar will be like," Vosmer admitted. "House Carsten uses them as loyal, unwavering combat mounts, but that's too normal for Aiela."

"She hasn't deigned to share her plans for it with me," Venza said. "But then, that's probably because I won't understand half of it anyway."

"I swear, it's like that girl came from another world sometimes," Vosmer mused. "Will you be writing Lord Elton of House Carsten for aid?"

Venza shook her head. "Aiela and I became acquainted with his son, Morgan, during our time with House Carsten last summer. I'll try him first."

"Ah, yes. We've met. Fine young lad. He's Heir to House Carsten, if I recall."

"He also has a surprising amount of sway in its affairs," Venza said, feeling a pang of jealousy. "Lord Elton is probably grooming him to take over soon."

"Perhaps. Elton Carsten is older than your father," Vosmer said. "Very well. I'll be on my way. Best of luck, and good night."

"Good night, Vosmer."

---

She took a long, warm bath before working on her letter to Morgan. In truth, she was exhausted. Training during the morning, surviving and subsequently befriending Sally, subjugating some bandits, and finally, most tiresome of all her tasks, explaining her actions to her mother. Her bed called out to her like a siren to a sailor, but she resisted its lure.

Sally and her broods couldn't stay in a cave forever, and she wanted the letter on its way to the Carstens first thing in the morning. It wouldn't need to travel far, as the Carstens' land bordered Astamarr to the north, right between House Greyfield's lands and the imperial capital of Gran Odolen.

She sighed as she stared at the blank sheet of parchment, wondering how to frame her request. Morgan would probably be willing to give assistance with nothing in return due to their families being on good terms, but she felt she already owed too much after asking the Carstens to (unsuccessfully) teach her to ride.

A series of knocks sounded on her door, and without even looking up, she said, "Come in, Aiela."

"How were you sure it wasn't Tom or Lauren?" Aiela asked, shutting the door behind her.

Venza looked up at her and grinned. "There's a pattern to how you knock: Four rapid taps that never get louder or softer followed by a pause and then two more. You've never noticed?"

Aiela frowned. "No. I guess I've just never paid attention."

"Are they settling in alright?" Venza asked.

"They were rather pleased, yes. Lauren actually hugged me."

Despite herself, Venza felt another pang of jealousy. "Ah, you must have found that unpleasant." Aiela didn't like when people touched her, though she made an exception for Venza. They spent every day together, after all. It was only natural.

"It was strange, though I didn't dislike it," Aiela said. She leveled an inquisitive look at her. "I wasn't aware you found women attractive."

"I, uh, what makes you say that?"

"I've seen you look at boys you like," Aiela said. "But I don't think I've seen you look at any of them the way you look at Lauren."

"I'm just surprised to see another girl my age who's in such good shape," Venza said. She swore internally. Her voice was pitched higher than usual. "And I think being graceful in the air without any magic is a feat worth looking into. That's all."

Aiela rolled her eyes. "Right."

Venza closed her eyes and sunk her face into her hands. She remained like that for several seconds, imagining the smug look on Aiela's face. Had she been that obvious?

"I mean, she is gorgeous," Venza admitted, finally opening one eye to peek. Aiela did not, in fact, look smug seated on the edge of Venza's bed. Her expression, if Venza had to describe it, was blank.

"Were you hoping she'd come in here and see you dressed like that?" Aiela asked.

Venza inspected herself. She hadn't really been paying attention, but she'd just put on a short, black night dress after her bath. "Er, no, I was just too tired to really notice."

"It's only fair, I suppose," Aiela continued. "You already got a good, long look at her in that tiny leotard."

Venza blushed. "I- wait a minute. Do you like her?"

Aiela considered a moment. "I suppose she she does fit my type." She cast a glance at Venza as she answered. "Tall, athletic, willing to take down someone who's wronged her."

Venza pursed her lips. This was bad. Aiela was so smart, and pretty, and she did all sorts of amazing things Venza couldn't do. Sure, Venza was a looker, too, but all she had going for her that Aiela didn't was being of noble birth, and when it came to being interested in someone she couldn't have kids with, that was more hindrance than help.

"It's funny," Venza began. "I've never seen you like someone and it just happens to be someone I like."

Aiela shrugged. "Maybe our tastes are just similar. We did grow up together, after all."

Venza's thoughts raced even faster. "You're going to be spending a lot of time with her for her training, aren't you?"

Aiela nodded. "Wouldn't be much of a training session otherwise."

Jealousy wasn't new to Venza. How many times had she felt its prick whenever her father talked about a distant relative who was moving ahead in life? She felt its sting whenever she thought of Morgan who was being taught to replace his father. They were practically the same age, but their lives were so dissimilar!

But this time felt different. She felt like Lauren would pick Aiela, and she'd have no chance if that happened. Aiela's expression remained almost unreadable, although Venza thought she could see something like sadness in the girl's eyes. A moment of awkward silence filled the room as neither girl seemed willing to speak.

It was Aiela who finally broke it with a deep sigh. She spoke, however, with an even tone. "Have you finished writing a letter to Morgan?"

"Er, no. Not yet."

"Do you need help?' Aiela asked.

"I think I can manage," Venza said.

"Let's just get it over with," Aiela insisted. "What's giving you trouble? He's one of your noble peers, and I'm pretty sure he likes you."

Venza blinked. "He does?"

"You are painfully dense at telling when people are interested in you," Aiela deadpanned. "Why not let him pursue you? As Heir Greyfield, I imagine your parents expect you to bear a child in the future, after all. Something Lauren can't give you."

"Lauren and I could always adopt," Venza said quickly, surprised by the sudden hostility she was feeling. "I mean, there are sons and daughters of Houses too big who don't actually have plans for them-"

"Back on topic," Aiela said, annoyance audible in her voice. "What's the problem?"

"I just don't think we should be asking House Carsten for any more favors," Venza admitted. "They've already done so much for us."

Aiela looked at her like she was speaking some alien language. "Then don't. The project is my idea, and the Simulacrum is for my Familiar."

"But you're part of House Greyfield, too," Venza answered. She meant it. "Astamarr wouldn't have reached its current prosperity without Aiela Durrell."

"Precisely," Aiela said, matter-of-factually. "Offer to loan my services to House Carsten in exchange for help with our little zoo project and a Simulacrum."

Venza's mouth fell and hung open for a good three seconds. Was Aiela suggesting what she thought she was suggesting? The idea of them being separated for more than a few days made her uncomfortable. They'd had each other's backs for six years.

"No."

Aiela's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'No?'"

"We need you here," Venza said simply.

"House Greyfield was fine before I came," Aiela said. "It will survive my absence for a few weeks."

"I need you here, then."

There was a pause, a second pregnant silence as the words hung in the air. Aiela looked conflicted, which was rare for her. The mage almost never hesitated, even in combat. Finally, she said, "I don't get you sometimes."

Venza opened her mouth to speak, but Aiela cut her off.

"You want the acrobat," Aiela said. "But you also don't want me to leave your side. Do you want me to watch, then? Is that what tickles your fancy?"

"What? No, I just meant I'll go with you!" Venza yelled, sighing in frustration.

Aiela's annoyance vanished, replaced by confusion. "To the Carstens? Why? What would you do?"

"I don't know," Venza admitted. "But I'll offer in the letter. Morgan might have some task that needs doing they can't handle. I think we proved today we're pretty capable, don't you?"

"It's unnecessary," Aiela said quickly. "My services should be sufficient."

"I want to do it," Venza insisted. "It could be a good chance to prove ourselves further, and I'm sure whatever your Familiar is, it'll be a huge asset for keeping Odolenia safe."

Aiela didn't answer, looking deep in thought, so Venza continued.

"Look," Venza said. "We've stuck with each other for six years now and we both know we work best when we're together."

Aiela's lips curled into a frown. "Fine. We'll bring my apprentice, too."

"Will she be ready by then? This could be in a few days for all we know."

"It's so I can train her while we're out of town," Aiela answered. "And an extra Air Caster on our side wouldn't hurt, even if she is an amateur. Now, I should go."

As the mage turned to leave, Venza placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Wait, Aiela."

Aiela looked over her shoulder, not quite turning to face Venza. "Yes?"

Venza swallowed a lump in her throat. "Is everything alright between us?"

Aiela gave her a long, longing look. "Yeah. Of course it is. Good night, Venza."

"Good night, Aiela."

And then the mage was gone like the darkness at dawn, leaving a confused Venza alone in her room.

 

[Spectrum]

"I swear, it's like that girl came from another world sometimes," Vosmer mused.

Click to shrink...

You know, I did have that thought a couple times but didn't vocalize it since I didn't do a deep react. Is Aiela secretly an Isekai heroine? (Feel free not to answer that yet.)

"You want the acrobat," Aiela said. "But you also don't want me to leave your side. Do you want me to watch, then? Is that what tickles your fancy?"

Click to shrink...

Well, it didn't before but now she might be thinking about it? :laughs:

Aiela gave her a long, longing look. "Yeah. Of course it is. Good night, Venza."

Click to shrink...

Well, that's horrendously complicated. Now, especially because I never really saw any chemistry between them, I wonder if Aiela did want the mistress-maid romance but also never bothered doing anything to try and progress it because of assuming Venza was straight.

 

[ReverseRaven]

Well, that's horrendously complicated. Now, especially because I never really saw any chemistry between them, I wonder if Aiela did want the mistress-maid romance but also never bothered doing anything to try and progress it because of assuming Venza was straight.

Click to shrink...

Horrendously complicated is a good way to put it. Especially for me since this is the second iteration of this story and things have gone very differently from when I started drafting this a few years ago. Lauren didn't exist back then, for example. But sometimes stories change organically as we pen them.

 

[ReverseRaven]

Aiela

All this time, she'd been thinking Venza wasn't interested in other women. Or perhaps, she was thinking of her position as Heir and knew she would need to bear children to continue the line. Creating a child with Venza wouldn't have been impossible in the future. Once Aiela's powers in Nature Magic grew and she'd gotten better at applying all the genetic engineering techniques she somehow knew, it would have been doable. Perhaps easy. That had been low on her list of priorities, though. They had so many more things to think of before that.

Both assumptions had been shattered in one conversation. As Aiela made her way to see Lady Nora in her study, she glanced briefly in the direction of Lauren's room and couldn't help but feel envious. She'd given Venza six years of her life and it had taken one day for Venza to fall head over heels for someone new. Perhaps she should have said something sooner.

Tonight, she wanted nothing more than to sit in her own room and let her thoughts stew, but she'd told Lady Nora that they would meet, and not even Aiela was willing to blow off the mage who'd once been called the Eternal Pyre.

Pushing down her regrets for not trying harder to let Venza know how she felt, Aiela took a deep breath. She needed to get this over with. Her hand knocked on the door of Lady Nora's study. Four taps, then two. Aiela frowned. Venza had been right.

"Enter," she heard Lady Nora say faintly. Aiela pulled the door open, revealing a small office with wooden book shelves carrying volumes upon volumes ranging from history to magical theory. Still, the office felt oddly bare for a lady of Nora's standing, even if she had married into House Greyfield. There were no portraits of family or other memorabilia that linked to the woman she'd been before. Nora Greyfield sat behind a heavy, ornate wooden desk, her hands steeped together in a graceful manner. To Nora's left, one of the servants, Cassie, stood at attention. She was Lady Nora's personal attendant, often trailing behind her wherever she went.

"My lady," Aiela greeted her. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Would I have called for you otherwise?" Nora asked with a level of snark that matched Aiela's own. "Please, sit."

Aiela nodded, taking a comfortable throne chair across from Nora's. She didn't particularly favor this room. It was a nice enough study, but she felt Lady Nora's presence all over it, pushing down upon her. She'd much rather have met somewhere more neutral like the dining room again.

"Would you like some tea?" Nora asked, gesturing to a trolley nearby with a kettle and a pair of tea cups.

"No, I'm alright, but thank you," Aiela said. She didn't want to stay a minute longer than she had to.

"Suit yourself," Nora said. "Cassie, be a dear and pour me a cup."

"Right away, my lady," the servant answered, moving to carry out Nora's instruction.

"Tell me," Nora spoke, turning her gaze back to Aiela. "How fares Venza's spellcasting?"

Internally, Aiela groaned. This song and dance again, as if Aiela would say anything different than the last ten or so times Lady Nora had asked.

"It doesn't fare at all," Aiela answered. "Venza has not been able to cast any spells besides Reach and Affinity Reading. She cannot even enhance her own body with simple bolstering spells that would help her fighting style greatly."

Well, she hadn't really tried, anyway. Aiela's bolstering spells were far better, after all.

"So she really did defeat over a dozen brigands with only her physical abilities and that paltry Reach spell?" Nora asked before taking a sip of her tea.

Aiela resisted the urge to sigh. The two Greyfield women could be downright insufferable at times. "Yes, my lady," Aiela answered, doing her best to keep her voice even. "She has a talent for thinking on her feet, and her growing skill with the one useful spell in her arsenal has made her a force to be reckoned with."

"But she really can't cast anything else besides those two?" Nora repeated.

Aiela mentally counted down from ten before responding, lest she say something she would regret later. "No, she cannot, Lady Nora. May I ask why you keep asking?"

Nora did sigh, not seeming to care if she did it in front of her. "You know as well as I do that if she could simply be an Imperial Battlemage like me, she would be set. She could serve like I did and eventually settle down with someone from a distinguished military family."

Aiela said nothing. She knew that's what Nora had wanted for her daughter since she'd been born. However, that was not the hand Venza had been dealt. In another life, they would have both gone to the Imperial Academy to study Battle Magic. Aiela herself would have been top of her class, most likely, but that was not the reality they lived in.

And to be blunt, Aiela was happier to not be trapped in a magic school learning spells she already knew. It did not escape her notice that even in this fantasy Nora had, she didn't think Venza would become Lord Marshall herself, but Aiela did not bring it up.

"Do you think-" Nora began, then stopped herself. But eventually she continued. "Do you think she would have been happy?"

Aiela pondered the question. It was really something Nora should have been asking her daughter and not her. But if she had to give an answer... "Maybe," Aiela said. "I think she might have. After all, she would still have followed in her father's footsteps somewhat."

"You do not think my daughter's-" Nora paused, seeming to look for the word. "Disposition, would have made her unhappy?"

"Disposition?" Aiela asked, unsure of the question.

"Cassie?" Nora spoke, eyeing her servant at the side. "You understand the delicacy of this matter, yes?"

"Of course, my lady," Cassie answered. "I won't utter a word to anyone else."

"Good girl," Nora said, before focusing her attention back to Aiela. "I mean: Do you think she would have been happy with a husband? Given her very apparent interest in your new friend Lauren?"

Aiela felt the blood rushing to her head. How did Nora Greyfield, who spent so little time with her daughter, figure out that Venza was into women but Aiela could not until this evening? How did this woman who didn't even understand her own daughter's potential know something about Venza that Aiela did not?

"I am fairly certain Venza is capable of liking both men and women," Aiela answered.

There was a silence in the air, one of many that evening, as Nora seemed to wait for Aiela to say more. When she didn't, Nora spoke again.

"You really are a loyal friend to her," the Lady of House Greyfield said.

Aiela tried not to roll her eyes. A loyal friend? Really? Were both Greyfield women really this dense? "Why is that, Lady Nora?"

The Lady of the House flashed her a mischievous grin that reminded Aiela of her own. "Because I was hoping that with her newfound interest in Lauren, you would be cross enough with my daughter to slip up and tell me she's been hiding her spellcasting prowess from me," Nora admitted.

Oh. Perhaps only Venza was dense, then. "I'm not sure I follow," Aiela said. "Why would I be cross?"

"Please," Nora scoffed. "I've seen the way you look at my daughter. Whenever the two of you are in a room, your gaze is resting on her half the time."

"Well your daughter seems oblivious," Aiela said, relaxing somewhat in her seat. "I've changed my mind, Cassie. Can I have tea please?"

"Of course, Miss Aiela," the attendant answered, taking the second cup and pouring the translucent, brown liquid into it.

"How long have you known?" Aiela asked Nora. She took the cup from Cassie with a grateful nod before dumping two cubes of sugar in.

"Must be two or three years by now?" Nora answered as if asking a question herself. "I will admit: I was surprised. I can tell pretty easily when people take an interest in my daughter, but to think you, who grew up with her would as well."

Aiela took a sip of her tea to buy herself time to think. Despite the sugar, it somehow still tasted bitter. "And what do you think of this?"

"I've always wondered why you never told her," Nora said. "Surely, there have been opportunities."

Aiela took another sip of her tea to buy time to think. She pursed her lips as she asked herself the same question. In the end, she said, "I didn't think she would be interested."

"Because you're a girl or because you didn't think she'd be interested in you specifically?"

Aiela's mask slipped for a moment as the question resounded inside her. Had she really not known Venza was interested in women? Or had she just been too afraid of rejection? She often framed that her life here felt like a dream, largely because Venza was around.

"If you knew, why didn't you say anything before now?" Aiela asked.

"Because while I have nothing against it," Nora answered. "I would have preferred a male suitor. We are a noble house, after all. Less complicated that way."

"But you would have approved? You don't care that she couldn't continue the bloodline?" Aiela asked.

"Please," Nora said with a scoff as if her intelligence were being insulted. "There are many ways around that: Consorts, adoption of a cousin's unwanted children, just to name a few. And with how powerful I suspect you will be someday, it will not matter what other people think, either. Power is everything.."

"You say that with confidence," Aiela said. Internally, she swore. She didn't normally talk about this with anyone, but Nora had already seen through her, so why hold back? "Or is it experience?"

Nora gave her a long, appraising look. Then, her lips curled into a proud smirk. "The latter. How much do you know about my side of the family?"

"Nobles from a neighboring province," Aiela said. "Venza says she visited with you once when she was younger, but never again."

"House Sivaris," Nora spoke. "And you're only half right."

"Sivaris? Like Siva? The Fire Goddess?," Aiela asked, brows furrowing in concentration. "I don't know any Odolenian House by that name."

"That comes as no surprise," Nora said. "Because we're not from Odolenia. My family is originally from Serian to the Southeast."

"I suppose that would have been odd at the time," Aiela said. "Though it's hardly scandalous. As I understand it, Odolenia and Serian have been on good terms for some time. Emperor Harway himself literally married a princess from Lupa to the north and the two countries had been at war back then."

"You're right. It shouldn't be scandalous. Except I had been promised to another," Nora said, lips forming a smirk. "My dear Lucius took me from someone else."

Aiela blinked. "He did what?"

 

[Spectrum]

Wow, Nora finally not looking like the worst mother in the world...though it's with Aiela instead of Venza.

Poor Aiela anyway, guess we're into the angsty portion of the script. XD

 

[ReverseRaven]

"It all happened rather quickly," Nora said as if she were talking about the weather. "But I met Lucius while our countries were working together to clear a monster infestation in the wild lands to the south, near where Rentley stands today. We worked together for many weeks, and despite my parents' wishes, we fell in love."

Despite herself, Aiela's lips curled into a smile. "You're right. That does sound scandalous. Was the other guy important?"

"He's a prince," Nora said. "Not an important prince, mind you. Serian's monarchs do not hold much real power and they have many princes. Still, a prince nonetheless. Lucius took me with him right after one of our battles. We headed straight to Gran Odolen to be married. Shortly after, I enlisted as an Imperial Battlemage to work alongside him."

"Your family must have demanded you back," Aiela said. "Not to mention the Serian government, given your capabilities."

"They did," Nora said. "But Lucius and I were quickly growing important to the Empire. Even back then, everyone knew he would succeed his father. And I-"

Nora paused, suddenly looking pained.

"The Eternal Pyre," Aiela said for her. "Odolenia's greatest Fire Mage. People used to say you had a near-infinite capacity to channel Mana."

Nora said nothing, staring at her own hands with a look of remorse. Despite her silence, Aiela understood. Mana Sickness had brought her very low, indeed.

"But I think I get it," Aiela said. "Your power allowed you to be with the man you love, regardless of the expectations you had to meet."

A small smile formed on Nora's face. "Precisely. And you already know this, but you will be far more powerful than I some-"

Nora's speech was cut short. Her body quaked as she broke into a coughing fit, doubling over in her chair. Her tea cup fell to the wooden floor, shattering into bits of ceramic. As her coughing continued, a glowing blue liquid flew out of her mouth and onto the desk. Cassie was quickly at her side, laying a comforting hand on her lady's back.

Aiela resisted the urge to cast healing spells on her. Nora's illness was a deterioration of her body's ability to use Mana properly. Haphazard attempts to treat her with magic might only make things worse. Aiela noted the concerned but unsurprised look on Cassie's face. This was clearly not the first time this had happened.

Nora's coughing continued for several minutes, until just as abruptly as it began, it stopped. Her symptoms seemingly abated for the moment, Nora sat back in her chair as Cassie grabbed a small broom and pan to wipe away the ceramic shards.

"Allow me, Cassie," Aiela said, directing her Hidden to gather the sharp fragments. "Safer that way."

"Much obliged, Miss Aiela," Cassie said with a bow.

Aiela then used Reach to grab an empty bottle off one of the shelves. She used Manipulate Water to siphon the blue-glowing goo off the desk and into the glass container.

"Are you-" Nora began with a look of discomfort. "Are you bottling the Liquid Mana I just discharged?"

"Only to dispose of, Lady Nora," Aiela said. "Mana doesn't stay liquid for long, so it's not like I can use it."

As Nora took a moment to recover in her chair, Aiela could now see clearly the signs of her weakness. Nora had such an aura of power and control about her that Aiela had missed them the first time: The unnaturally pale complexion, the sunken eyes, the thinness of her face.

If it had been most other diseases, Aiela might have been able to do something, even as she was now. But for some reason, none of her knowledge of biology ever included anything about magic. She could spot genetic defects, get a rough idea of how an egg would look once grown, even alter a species in ways some would consider miraculous. But for all the knowledge in her memory, she knew little about Mana and Mana Sickness. All she learned, she'd learned as a child living with Oma Mala.

"As I was saying," Nora said, somewhat less graceful than she had been earlier. "You'll be stronger than I am someday."

Aiela nodded in understanding. If Nora didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't.

"Of course," Aiela said. "After all, my original teacher is stronger than even you."

"How is your dear grandma?" Nora asked. "Have you spoken lately?"

"Not often," Aiela answered. It was the truth. Oma had been visiting less and less as time passed. She would have been upset, but she knew Oma Mala's power. It was like trying to ask a god to play favorites, even if Oma was a few steps short of actual godhood.

"I see," Nora said with a look of resignation.

Aiela hadn't forgotten how Nora had suddenly started feeling better after she'd agreed to take Aiela in. She'd always had her suspicions, but-

"If she hops by," Aiela said. "I'll ask if she can do anything for you."

Nora's eyes widened, then a small smile graced her lips. "Thank you."

Aiela shrugged. "I can try, but most likely she put things back the way they were because she didn't think you were holding up your end of whatever bargain you two struck."

"I hardly think that's fair," Nora said. "I've given you a home and if we're being honest: You're less of a servant and more like a ward in this house."

Aiela craned her neck, her face construed in thought. "Are you certain that's it? She didn't inform me of what deal you two struck. Truthfully, she didn't even tell me you had one, but it was easy enough to figure out when Venza said you were looking a lot better after I arrived."

Nora's lips pursed into a frown. "I see. I'll think about it."

"While you're thinking," Aiela began. "Please reconsider trying to take advantage of my poor mental state in the future."

"I beg your pardon?" Nora said.

"I understand you've opened up to me while I am-" Aiela paused, not sure of the right word. Vulnerable didn't feel right. "Like this."

"Of course. I can imagine you must be in anguish right now," Nora said. "I figured you needed a bit of company."

"And I appreciate that. But I don't appreciate how you're hoping that by opening up to me while I'm in this state," Aiela spoke. "I will suddenly tell you Venza's actually an incredible spell-caster who rivals even me."

Nora's face looked like she was in thought, hands once again steepled together in front of her mouth. She didn't speak, seeming content to let Aiela continue.

"While I am not quite in my right mind as you have clearly surmised, I have never lied to you about her ability to use magic. Something is blocking her ability to use her Spheres. There have been many times where she would have been hurt without my magic supporting her. Believe me. She would have done it herself if she could."

Nora gave her a long, hard stare before heaving a sigh. "You're right. I apologize."

"Because you've been caught?" Aiela asked with a smug grin.

"Precisely," Nora answered with a matching grin. She looked worse for wear, but Aiela thought that the expression on Nora's face was the most genuine she'd seen all evening. "I should be presenting a better example by hiding it better."

"Unbelievable," Aiela said, feigning hurt. "To think my Oma trusted me to the care of such a foul, manipulative mage."

"Oh, come now, Aiela," Nora said. "We're both good at getting people to do what we want, unlike Venza and my husband. You can't truly be offended by something you do all the time. Or did you forget how you played on Venza's feelings so she would ask me to let you plant that behemoth of a tree of yours in the back?"

"You're right," Aiela answered mischievously. "I'm only offended about how obvious you were about it."

"Still, I need to be certain," Nora said. "Since we're both schemers. Can you prove it to me?"

Aiela frowned. "Once again, I'm afraid I don't catch your meaning."

"That what I want for Venza is truly impossible," Nora said.

Normally, Aiela would have been annoyed. But now she understood why Nora had been so insistent: She'd gotten where she was because of her powers as a Battlemage, and Nora herself didn't seem to care for tradition as much as Aiela had thought.

"You want Venza to be like you," Aiela said. "Not because you can't bear her being anything else, but because being a Battlemage like you would be the fastest way to secure her position and the safety of Astamarr."

"Exactly," Nora said, though she didn't look happy. After all, the urgency implied something Aiela had just figured out.

"Because you think you won't be around to watch her for much longer," Aiela said, feeling her own heart grow heavy as the words came out of her mouth. Aiela glanced at Cassie for confirmation, whose eyes now refused to meet hers. That was an answer in itself.

After some time, Nora said, "Now you understand.'

"I do," Aiela admitted. "But that's no reason for you to make your daughter feel so small. She's always doing her best but you never acknowledge her. You've done nothing but tear down what she's worked so hard to become."

"Are you-" Nora began. "Are you lecturing me on raising my own daughter?"

Aiela opened her mouth to speak, but paused. Something about this felt oddly familiar. After a moment, she said, "I suppose I am."

To her surprise, Nora only smiled. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Tell her that, not me," Aiela said.

"I will," Nora said. "You're defending her an awful lot considering how annoyed you are with her because of Lauren."

Aiela let out a soft sigh. "I love Venza. She changed my life. I'm sad right now but that doesn't mean I love her any less."

"If it's worth anything," Nora said. "I'd rather you than Lauren, though I might be biased. You may not be highborn, but you have the power to win the favor of those who are."

"Given all this, are you still going to ask me to show you Venza can't cast magic?" Aiela asked.

There was a pause as Nora seemed to think. Cassie handed her a glass of water which she swiftly drank before answering again. "No, but I do want you to prove something else to me."

"What?"

"I need you two to spar," Nora said. "But I need you to follow my instructions."

"Why?"

"Because I can't do it myself," Nora answered simply. "You saw what just happened. I'm not even using Mana actively and it still pools inside me like vile poison."

"I mean why do we have to spar with you telling me what to do?" Aiela clarified.

"I want to see just how far she's come," Nora said. "It won't quite be the same as fighting me, but if Venza wants my blessing, you and I both know there is only one way she can earn it."

"Power," Aiela said. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But you promise? You'll support her?"

"If she wins without you holding back on her behalf," Nora said.

"Impossible," Aiela said. "I thought you just wanted to see how she does. But we both know Venza can't beat me by herself. I'm not even sure she would survive."

"Then let her gather her allies," Nora answered. "Bring the whole town if she can convince them. Or would that be too much for you, granddaughter of Oma Mala?"

In spite of the ridiculous notion, Aiela could only laugh. "Fine. Count me in. She can bring the entire Grey Guard if she can convince them. I'll still win."

"We will see," Nora answered simply. "Now, if there is nothing else, I would like to retire to my chambers. I am quite tired, as you can likely surmise."

"Understood," Aiela said as she rose from her seat. "Good night, Lady Nora."

"Good night, Aiela."

"And thank you," Aiela said before bowing her head and taking her leave.

Unseen to her, Nora watched her retreating form with fondness and pride.

---

As she closed the door with the bottle of Liquid Mana in hand, Aiela felt an odd tug at her heart coming from Lady Nora's office. A familiar tug that reminded her of Oma. It made her smile. Perhaps, without realizing it, she'd started thinking of the Greyfields as family herself.

Catching herself, then remembering she still had to deal with the Lauren situation in the morning, Aiela shook her head. "What am I doing?"

She walked back to her room, thoughts somewhat clearer yet still turbulent.

She hated puberty.

---

Nora

She heaved a sigh as Aiela left the room. Today had drained her utterly. Overseeing paperwork while her husband was in Gran Odolen, coming up with plans for dealing with the poisoned water supply only for her own daughter to resolve it herself. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't proud of what she'd done, but the danger-

Nora frowned. Most taxing of all, arguing with said daughter, her father-in-law, and even Vosmer over dinner had taken a toll on her.

If anyone saw her like this, they would never have associated her with Nora Greyfield, the Eternal Pyre who could bathe entire battlefields with flame.

"Sorry for keeping you so late, Cassie," Nora said.

No response.

"Cassie?" she asked again.

Nora immediately looked to where her attendant had been standing near the door, finding her still standing but completely unresponsive. Nora sprang to her feet.

"Gwyn, to me!" Nora called out as she raised her right arm. A flash of light blazed out of her Amulet. The light coalesced into a shape on her raised arm, revealing a vibrant bird with red-orange plumage and the scent of fire and smoke. She came up to Cassie to find the girl snoring on her feet somehow, but otherwise she seemed unharmed.

"Pah!" a voice spat from behind her. "Don't you know it's rude to show your cock to a poor old woman?"

Nora froze for a second. She knew that voice.

High-pitched. Creaking. Like an old door opening in the middle of the night.

She'd heard it six years ago on the night Aiela had arrived. When she had appeared in this very same office, telling Nora to take in her granddaughter. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly turned in place, finding that the entire room had gone dark, save for the light of the moon and the radiance of her Phoenix Familiar, Gwyn.

But even his sun-like glow felt smothered, reduced to mere cinders in the face of such overwhelming darkness.

Still, it was enough to see a new occupant seated in her chair: A hooded figure, with sharp iron teeth that flickered in the faint light, spread into an all-knowing grin.

"Oma Mala," Nora said. "To what do I owe this visit?"