Chapter 52: MESSAGE


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    If I was going to send a message to Overlord Edric, it needed to count.


    The ships burned through the night, casting an orange glow across the beach. Hidden in the shadows, I waited for the inevitable. As dawn broke, eight rowboats emerged from the two smaller, burning vessels, carrying about twenty dark elf pirates.


    A burly captain with a scar carved across his face stomped onto the shore, his eyes blazing with fury.


    “What in the seven hells happened here?” he roared, spittle flying from his mouth.


    The crew shuffled nervously, exchanging panicked glances. The captain grabbed the nearest purple elf, cocking his arm for a backhanded slap.


    “Please, Captain Bloodsail, we was on the ship with you!” the pirate stammered.


    Bloodsail. How original.


    I blinked into the Jingozi arena, focusing on the captain’s mind.


    “Bloodsail,” I whispered. “Your time has come.”


    “Who’s there?” he growled, his voice low and wary.


    “My name is Ember,” I continued, my voice echoing in his head. “Tell Overlord Edric to stop his schemes and leave the children, or I’ll come for him next.”


    “Nice try, ghost,” Bloodsail barked, laughing harshly even within his mind. “You don’t scare me.”


    I blinked back to the beach, activating my invisibility. A flick of my wrist sent a razor-sharp Jingozi card whistling, severing the captain’s hand—the one clutching the pirate—at the wrist.


    Bloodsail’s guttural scream echoed across the shore as he clutched the bloody stump, his face twisted in agony and disbelief. Crimson droplets spattered the sand. The other pirates froze, their eyes wide and jaws slack as they stared at their mutilated leader.


    I invaded their minds one by one, my sinister whispers slithering through their thoughts. Promises of doom and whispered threats planted seeds of terror. Blinking rapidly around the beach, I unleashed a flurry of Jingozi cards. The edges gleamed before slicing into their targets, drawing blood and eliciting cries of pain. Panic spread like wildfire among the pirates, their eyes darting as they tried to locate the invisible attacker.


    “Ghosts!” one screamed. “There be ghosts!”


    I hurled a fiery card at their last remaining ship. The card embedded itself in the hull, flames hungrily climbing the wooden planks. More incendiary missiles followed, turning the vessel into a blazing inferno.


    Bloodsail growled, realizing the gravity of their predicament.


    “To the ship, you dogs!” he bellowed. “Before we lose our only way out!”


    The pirates scrambled to drag their comrades toward the rowboats, their movements frantic and disorganized. I continued my psychological assault, filling their minds with ghostly wails and phantom threats. Some fell to their knees, sobbing, confessing every heinous act they’d ever committed.


    * * *


    As I approached Katorro’s estate, high-pitched giggles and squeals caught me off guard. Rounding the corner, I stumbled upon a scene I hadn’t expected.


    A swarm of Amazon children surrounded Jon, all trying to tackle him to the ground. He was laughing—genuinely laughing—as he dodged their tiny hands and feet. Kitty darted between them, playfully nipping at their heels.


    For a moment, I stood there, watching. These were the same children we’d rescued, now playing without a care in the world. It was… beautiful.


    Jon noticed me and froze, his face flushing as though I’d caught him doing something embarrassing.


    “So,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Having fun?”


    “And the pirates?” he asked, clearing his throat and straightening his jacket.


    I recounted the night’s events, emphasizing the terror I’d inflicted, the destruction of the ships, and the message I’d sent to Edric through Bloodsail.


    He motioned to Seyri, who peeked out from behind him.


    “Tell Auntie Ember what you told me,” he said.


    Seyri stepped forward, her eyes bright.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Our mothers come every fortnight to check on us.”


    “Every two weeks?” I muttered. “Model parenting.”


    “By my calculations," he said, pinching Seryi''s cheek, "they’ll return in five days.”


    I nodded, processing the information.


    "So, we''ve got time to kill."


    "Looks like it," Jon replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Might as well make the best of it."


    As I watched Jon return to playing with the children, I felt something… different from him.


    Maybe there was more to Jon Deerfoot than I''d given him credit for.


    * * *


    By the time Jon and I finished setting up camp for our new tenants, the girls were already scattered across the island, foraging for food like they''d lived here all their lives. They gathered everything from fruit to edible roots and mushrooms.


    I realized they were miles ahead of us in the survival department. One minute, spearing fish with sticks they’d sharpened with sharp stones, and the next, one killed a snake with a quick twist of her wrist. They moved effortlessly, gathering enough for everyone without a word of complaint.


    Jon looked at me, impressed.


    "Think they even need us?"


    "I''m not sure," I laughed, shaking my head. "They’re little Amazon warriors, that''s for sure.”


    It was hard not to compare it to Lord of the Flies, a book I’d read back in high school, only with all girls and none of the dysfunction. How they shared tasks and cared for each other was remarkable.


    By the evening, after they’d built their fire and cooked the fish, we decided to show them a few new tricks. Jon started with basic self-defense moves—throwing a punch and shifting their weight. I taught them how to keep their balance and how to block attacks. They soaked it all in as enthusiastic pupils eager to learn.


    That night, as we settled around the fire, Kitty curled up between them, and the girls took turns petting her.


    * * *


    The sun barely had time to rise before the girls were off gathering fruit, hunting, and fishing. They moved like a part of the island, as natural as the breeze. Jon and I mostly watched, letting them do their thing, but we kept a close eye.


    One of the girls climbed a tree to get a better vantage point, but as she leaped down, she landed awkwardly, twisting her ankle. I moved to help, but the other girls were on it. They worked quickly, tearing strips from their tunics to wrap her ankle. Not a single tear, not a single word of complaint. They bound her foot, supported her weight, and moved on like it was no big deal.


    “Did you see that?” I turned to Jon, incredulous.


    He shrugged, unsurprised.


    “They’re most resilient," he smiled. "Dare I say, Emperor children should be ashamed of themselves. Our faction coddles them far too much.”


    I recalled Kyra being so different from her brother and sister—Aric''s children. Jon was absolutely right.


    By the afternoon, Jon introduced something new. He showed them how to create simple traps—snares for catching small game. I taught them how to be stealthy in combat and use their small size to their advantage. They picked it up so fast that it was like they’d been training their whole lives.


    Kitty, of course, was the real star of the day. When the girls weren’t busy hunting or learning, they played, chasing her through the jungle and tumbling in the sand.


    * * *


    We were settling into a rhythm. I introduced meditation as part of their routine. In the morning, we sat together in a circle, teaching them to focus their breathing and to quiet their minds. The girls were a little restless at first, but they were starting to get it by the end.


    In between meditations and combat training, the girls were back to their usual duties—tracking prey and fishing while communicating through whistles and clicks. I joined them this time to understand how they worked seamlessly together. I was learning from them just as much as they were learning from us.


    In the evening, we worked on combat drills again. This time, Jon and I showed them how to handle multiple attackers at once and how to use the environment—trees, rocks, sand—to gain an advantage. They were naturals, and by the end of the session, they were moving like a unit, perfectly in sync.


    As the sun set, the girls once again gathered around Kitty. She was as much a part of their tribe as any of them. I watched them from a distance, smiling at how much they’d bonded.


    * * *


    I sat at the table at the courtyard''s edge, rolling the large chunk of octranite crystal in my hand, the size of a football. The cold surface hummed faintly beneath my fingers like it had a life of its own. The Amazon girls played in the distance while Jon snoozed against a stone across from me. But I focused on the octranite, its presence pulling at something deep inside me.


    I knew there was more to it—more than just the explosions. I held it up to the fading sunlight, the smooth surface catching the light, refracting tiny rainbows. I broke off a small piece.


    Closing my eyes, focusing on the warmth of Zii flooding into my fingertips, I produced a Zii coin and combined it with the crystal. It pulsed, responding to me, reminding me of the whispers back in the caves. The nexus powered the crystals there, so my Zii should have the same effect.


    I flaked off another piece. Once infused with my Zii, it became more malleable in my fingertips, almost like hard plasticine.


    "Hey Jon," I woke him. "Here."


    "Why, Ember, you shouldn''t have," he said, catching the crystal lump and examining it.


    "Use your Zii," I instructed, following a hunch.


    He snapped his fingers to create a purple Zii coin and pressed it to melt into the crystal.


    "Now hold it and say something I can''t hear," I said.


    He cupped his hands over the crystal piece and covered his mouth.


    His voice came through the larger piece in my hand, faint but unmistakable, as if he whispered directly into my ear. He said, "I regret betraying you to the Samurai in Raishoto. Will you forgive me?"


    “It works,” I grinned.


    "Do you then?"


    "Do I what?"


    "Forgive me?"


    I pretended to get distracted by the crystal again. After a few moments of staring, he stood up and walked away. I hid my face in my palms.


    Ember Lynn, you are such an idiot.


    * * *


    I watched the isle become familiar territory as time flowed seamlessly from one moment to the next. Seeing how the girls flourished swelled my heart, their bodies and minds thriving with every sunrise.


    I set up a challenge for them—an obstacle course like the one at the Ninja guild in Raishoto. They had to navigate through the trees, avoid traps, and finish without being caught by Jon or me.


    They loved it, sprinting through the trees like shadows, their movements silent and deadly. By the end, they laughed in triumph.


    That night, as the fire crackled and Kitty stretched lazily between us, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time—a sense of peace.


    Unfortunately, I knew it wouldn''t last much longer, and it would be all my fault.