ã€ŠI&#x27;m In Love With My Possessed Demon Swordã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Mighty Hero

    ¡°That was a nice fight back there,¡± said the dispossessed voice of my demon sword. ¡°I especially liked when that idiot charged at you and you sliced off his pants instead of his legs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the part you liked?¡± I said to myself. After eight long years, I still felt a bit weird talking out loud to no one. But despite the sword having no ears, somehow it, or rather, she, was still able to hear my voice. ¡°You were screaming for me to run him through. And you burned my hand when I didn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, Mati. Sometimes in the moment you don¡¯t appreciate the humor in things. I am, after all, an 18-year old girl trapped inside of a life force-draining blade cast in the fires of the Hellfire Forge by your great-great-great-great-great grandfather. I usually-¡±

    I sheathed the sword into the leather scabbard attached to my belt buckle before she could continue with her long diatribe, and continued down the hill to the small town that intersected the river. In my wake were a dozen bodies of bandits from the nearby Choras Mountains, who had troubled the peaceful village for many years.

    But no longer. I had seen to that.

    Or, more accurately, Lyra and I had ruthlessly dispatched the grizzled, bearded, horseback-riding raiders in the span of a few minutes. Such was the power that I channeled from Hauteclere, the simple-looking blade that I had found so many years ago in a long-forgotten cave at the edge of my town.

    However, it was anything but simple.

    The sun had nearly set when I reached the gates of Alget, and the silence had been sufficient, so I drew the blade free once more.

    ¡°Rude,¡± said Lyra¡¯s voice in my ears. ¡°You should be thanking me, not silencing me.¡±

    ¡°I thank you after every battle,¡± I whispered, spotting the ¡°captain¡± of the town guard approaching, ¡°by not chucking you into the nearest body of water.¡±

    The hilt of the sword again lit up like a small match, and I uttered a quick ¡°sorry¡± before my partner went quiet again.

    ¡°It is done,¡± I said to the man, who looked pretty embarrassed to have his town saved by someone who had only drank two ales in his life.

    ¡°Thank you, Mati the Hairless,¡± said the captain, using the derogative that had spread through this valley over the past few years. Evidently the rough-and-tumble men here did not like being upstaged by a Heckran like me. I couldn¡¯t blame them. If a scrawny kid showed up in my town after vanquishing the local goblin clan, my dad would have been pissed too.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Captain Ozzlop,¡± I said, resisting the urge to chide him for his rudeness. ¡°Now that the matter of the bandits is settled, I believe you have a piece of parchment for me.¡±

    ¡°See, here¡¯s the thing,¡± said the man, scratching the back of his head with one hand, while moving the other to his belt. ¡°The village elder told us under no circumstance should we ever hand that over to anyone. Not even if Mephizesque himself showed up to kill us all. ¡®We should all perish by the flames than surrender the Pergamon,¡¯ he always says. Me, I¡¯m not as idealistic.¡±

    He withdrew a small dagger that was clipped to his side and pointed it somewhat menacingly at me.

    ¡°No one asked for your help,¡± he said. ¡°Me and the boys, we had a good deal going with the bandits. We let them pillage a bit, maybe abscond with a few of the more striking but annoying women for a fortnight. In exchange, we get a cut of their loot, we get to play the hero now and again, and more importantly, we get a purpose.¡±

    ¡°Wow, this guy is an asshole,¡± said Lyra.

    ¡°And then you came along. Decided you had to be the hero. And to boot, you want the Pergamon fragment. That¡¯s a bargain I never agreed to. So, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. You¡¯re going to come into the village, battered and bruised, and tell everyone that you failed. That the bandits are still out there and now they¡¯re pissed.¡±

    ¡°Do I look battered and bruised?¡± I said. ¡°And that¡¯s a ridiculous plan. You¡¯re just going to pretend the bandits are still out there? You want to fight ghosts?¡±

    ¡°Plenty of my men would gladly leave this dump of a village to become the new bandits. Hell, I would join them if I could. But, you know, appearances to maintain, etc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I know all about the importance of a reputation. Maybe mine has not preceded me. So let me tell you. I¡¯ve cleared the Sunken Forest of the elder spider yokai, slain the frost giants of the Jurten Pass, exorcised more spirts than I can count, and on top of that, saved an entire city from the demigod Drakon in an afternoon. Do you think I¡¯m scared of a low-born brute such as yourself? Please.¡±

    ¡°Bluster on top of bluster,¡± said the captain. ¡°Your arms are barely big enough to lift your precious sword. Which I¡¯ll be taking after I¡¯m done with you, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to stop me? That¡¯s a good one! Now that I can¡¯t spar with Marco, I guess I¡¯ll have some fun with you.¡±

    Ozzlop whipped the dagger at me in a sidearm motion, but Lyra was faster, pulling my sword arm up in a flash to easily deflect the attack. The captain tried to hide his shock, but I could see the desperation creeping into his face. Like so many before him who had underestimated me, he was about to get a cold dose of reality.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Shut your mouth, whelp,¡± he replied, unhooking the rather large axe from his back. ¡°I was just gonna bloody you a bit, but now you¡¯ve pissed me off. I think I¡¯ll take one of your ears as a trophy.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± I said.

    The man charged at me with a scream, spittle flying from his mouth.

    ¡°Deflect or dodge?¡± I whispered.

    Lyra¡¯s energy flowed out of the sword again, and time slowed. I waited for what seemed like an eternity for the captain to arrive a few feet in front of me, before stepping aside. The world returned to its normal state when I did, and Ozzlop was surprised to find only air when he brought his axe down on what should have been my head. Instead, the head of his weapon plunged into the damp soil, where it became stuck. As the captain tried in vain to pull the axe free, I took the liberty of knocking his legs out from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

    ¡°Are you quite done?¡± I asked, holding Hauteclere to Ozzlop¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Fark you!¡± he said, before spitting in my face.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said. ¡°Now, who in the village can I see about the Pergamon fragment? You mentioned the elder?¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s giving you anything, as long as I¡¯m around,¡± the captain replied.

    ¡°Well, then, I guess we have our solution.¡±

    I raised the sword up with two hands, ready to plunge it into the man¡¯s underbelly, but he finally relented.

    ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯ll give you what you want.¡±

    I paused for a moment, trying to pierce through his words to see if he was being genuine. But it only took a second for me to realize that he was full of crap, as I spotted the remainder of the town guard reflected in my blade, creeping up behind me.

    I turned around and was met with a dozen grizzled men, weapons drawn, looking to their captain in disbelief that he had been bested by the young, scrawny boy.

    ¡°You¡¯re done,¡± said Ozzlop. ¡°Even with a mystical sword, you can¡¯t beat all of us. For we are the Raiders of Choras!¡±

    ¡°Hooo-ah!¡± the men yelled in response, and the captain smiled as I backed away from him. The group quickly formed a circle around me, bloodlust in their eyes, as if they couldn¡¯t wait to tear me limb from limb.

    ¡°Show them who you are,¡± said Lyra, quietly. ¡°My power is yours, Mati.¡±

    I nodded and felt a surge of Lyra¡¯s energy flow into my body. So many times over the years, I had let her guide me as I fought off the evils of the Nine Dominions. True, it was my body that swung the sword, that had killed an innumerable number of demons, creatures, and horrible men and women, but it was her will that had directed all of it. I was a conduit for the trapped girl in the sword who needed me to free her. In this moment, though, it would be up to me, to use all that I had learned watching Lyra.

    And I liked those odds.

    In the end, I was surprised at how easy it was. The men were strong, but mostly untrained, and incredibly undisciplined. They had no tactics other than rushing me all at once. Half of them fell to their compatriot¡¯s blades as I deftly maneuvered around the now-bloodied clearing. Those that challenged me one-on-one had slightly more success, but compared to the power of Lyra and Hauteclere that I wielded, they were like flies against a swatter.

    Finally, it was down to just me and Ozzlop. You would have thought that seeing all of his men die in quick succession would have humbled him. But he remained arrogant until the very end.

    ¡°You ¡­ you¡¯re a monster,¡± he said, as he tried one last desperate charge against me. But that too was in vain, and I ended his life with a clean slice through his abdomen.

    Exhausted, I dropped Hauteclere to the ground, the strain of two huge battles in one day finally catching up to me. But then I felt one last bit of energy from Lyra emanate from the sword, and it made it all worth it.

    ¡°My hero,¡± she said sweetly in my ears, and I felt my face go red, before passing out.

    <hr>

    The elder village librarian was only too happy to part with the Pergamon fragment after I showed him the copious ledgers and correspondence between the captain and the bandits that had been neatly organized in a dusty chest in the corner of the armory.

    ¡°You have freed us from a great evil,¡± the man said, as I set out from the town gate. The stench of the dead bodies of what had been the town guard filled the air, and I didn¡¯t envy whoever would be tasked with cleaning up this mess.

    ¡°Two great evils,¡± I corrected. ¡°I wish I could stay and help protect you, but I have a greater mission calling me. Find the good that dwells among you, and teach them to be strong.¡±

    ¡°That is a tall order,¡± said the man. ¡°There are few left here who can wield a weapon. What will we do when someone new comes along to harm us?¡±

    I reached into my satchel, pulled out a bundle of herbs, and handed it to him.

    ¡°Should that happen, burn these in the town square. And I will return here within the day to help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the elder said. ¡°I hope it never comes to that, but we are counting on you if it does.¡±

    Two gatherings of villagers were clustered near the gate as I approached. Several small children came up to give me hugs. The wives of the corrupt guardsmen stood opposite and spat at my feet as I passed. I knew better than to be baited to action, but some in the other group had no such qualms.

    ¡°Your husbands helped terrorize our town, you stupid bitches!¡± one young woman said as she hurled a rock across the thoroughfare.

    I tapped some of Lyra¡¯s blessing and sliced the projectile in half before it could hit its target, causing the rock thrower to yell out in anguish.

    ¡°This town has seen enough violence,¡± I said to the woman. ¡°You must learn to forgive if you are to truly heal. Can you do that for me?¡±

    She nodded, and I wiped away the stream of tears on her cheek before walking through the gate. Just before I reached the top of the hill overlooking the town, I looked back down and wondered whether she would keep her word. I was but one boy with a magic sword standing against a land filled with evil and monsters.

    ¡°Where to next, my heart?¡± said Lyra, breaking the silence, a note of honey and cinnamon in her bodiless voice.

    I stopped dead in my tracks.

    Sensing my hesitancy, she continued.

    ¡°Do you not like it when I call you that?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ it¡¯s no secret how I feel about you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve felt that way for a long time. Maybe since the first time you spoke to me from the depths of Anidem Cave where I found you. I didn¡¯t ask for your love in return. Just that maybe-¡±

    ¡°Mati,¡± said Lyra, and it was as if she was somehow reaching her arms around me in a warm embrace. ¡°We have journeyed together for so long. You have sacrificed so much for me. You have shown a depth of caring I thought was lost in this world. Even after doing so much for that town, you still tried to help on your way out. How could I not love you? Never doubt it for a second.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, as I choked up. ¡°I love you, too.¡±

    ¡°Then we are in agreement!¡± she said with a laugh that made the sword reverberate. ¡°Come on now, it is time we unite the fragments and find the last Crystal. And then, when I am finally free, I will show you just how much I love you.¡±

 Chapter 2: Gear up

    The land of the Nine Dominions was vast, treacherous, and overall a very unpleasant place for those who lived outside of the auspices and protections of the Great Cities. During the first few years of my quest, I had the misfortune of traversing the neglected paths of the Via Emperato, a series of interconnected carriageways built by one of the long-gone empires that had once ruled over everyone. There was some safety there, as the Via was used by merchants for overland travel where the water did not go. But most would rather mind their own business than help someone in peril, a fact I had learned the hard way. Now, though, I had a shortcut, thanks to Lyra and my sword.

    We approached the unremarkable jagged rock set haphazardly on the side of the road just as the sun set over the Gythnian Plains. Itbetrayed no sign of its real purpose: fast travel. Because this was no ordinary stone, but one of the legendary Yurnish Waystones. According to ancient records, the Waystones were used in ages past by the great mages to traverse the continent in an instant, providing counsel, protection, and an exchange of ideas. But as the centuries went by, the Arts faded, and the number of people who knew about the Waystones, let alone could use them, dwindled to a handful.

    Thankfully, Lyra lived in a time where such travel was well-known. She had guided me to a long-forgotten scroll hidden in the depths of the Guardial Library, which contained the words needed to open the magical gateway. There was, of course, one catch. You could only use a Waystone to travel to another Waystone that you had previously unlocked. As our journey progressed, the number of Waystones we encountered rose dramatically, so much so that if I had wanted to, I could have made an appearance in every Great City in a single day.

    ¡°Open the Way to Guardial,¡± I said in a language that was old when the world was born, before placing the blade of Hauteclere through the rock. A blinding flash of light erupted and when I opened my eyes, the familiar glowing circle was there.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± I asked, and Lyra hummed with approval as I stepped through.

    I emerged on the other side into a thankfully empty meadow. The towering city loomed in the distance. Built into the ocean cliffs, Guardial was unique among its peers for its size, for its wealth, and most importantly for its knowledge. The Grand Library was the most well-known of course, but each level of the city had its own stores and fonts of wisdom.

    We had traveled a continent away in an instant, and so the sun was beginning to set by the time we reached one of the ancillary gates, which was abnormally bustling at this time of day.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked a weathered looking man pulling a wagon filled with cartons.

    ¡°Everyone getting ready for the Moon Fair,¡± he said.

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    I realized it was a dumb question the moment it left my lips, but thankfully the man didn¡¯t seem to care that I was a relative stranger to these parts.

    ¡°Brightest moon in a century, or so the scribes say. The king decided to throw a big spectacle. Everyone from Zankarland to Bevellar coming to celebrate in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. That festival. I forgot it was coming up. Should be a grand time!¡±

    I scurried away before I could make a bigger fool of myself and quickly found a serviceable inn nearby. Presumably because of the Fair, the nightly rate was exorbitant, but I paid it nonetheless and passed out on the lumpy mattress within a few seconds.

    Strange visions haunted my dreams. I was no stranger to this; after all, Hauteclere was a demon sword, and despite Lyra¡¯s mitigating presence inside, there was no denying its nature. I understood why my ancestor had decided to imbue the blade with demonic properties. My homeland had been under relentless assault by the foul creatures for years. The legendary Knights of Dendarian had done their best to push hold them at bay, but it wasn¡¯t until their leader Glenn the Valiant had wielded the sword for the first time that the tide had begun to turn.

    Still, it had not been without cost. For the demons had ripped a young girl from her home earlier that day and when Glenn unleashed the sword¡¯s full power, poor Lyra was caught in its wake. Hauteclere had devoured the demons¡¯ souls, but Lyra¡¯s had remained trapped inside, her pure aura repelling the demonic core as a counterbalance.

    Like most of my dreams, these faded a few seconds after I stepped out of bed, but this morning I was left with the striking image of a smile of sharp-pointed teeth. I shrugged, as I often did during these occasions, gathered my things, and wandered out into the street.

    My destination was visible above, a small library perched on the third level of the cliffs, and after a light breakfast at one of the many stalls near the inn, I climbed up the rickety ladder ready to complete the task at hand.

    The small library paled in comparison to its larger sibling, but there were gems here if you knew where to look. Its relative obscurity had served me well over the years, as the elder librarian had been more than willing to let me store the fruits of my travels in a room hidden behind one of the bookcases, in exchange for coin and fantastical tales.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    This morning he was noticeable absent, but the other bookminders knew me well enough to let me come and go as I pleased, and so I made my way to a corner shelf in the rear that featured treatises on trade routes, botany, and pottery. I pulled on a set of three books in a particular order and the shelf inched inward, squeaking wildly as it did.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never not hate that sound,¡± Lyra chimed in.

    ¡°Well, hopefully this is the last time we will have to be here,¡± I replied as I stepped in the darkness.

    The alcove beyond must have been carved into the face of the cliff by the sea winds ages ago when the city was young, and it served as a refuge for many others before my coming. I lit one of the candles near the front and was greeted by the collection of trinkets, books, weapons, and mementos of my journey. Most importantly, though, were the seven other Pergamon fragments, that were stored in a locked chest in the center of the room.

    ¡°Open,¡± I said, tapping the sword against the top of the weathered box. The blade¡¯s utilitarian magic did its thing again, and the lid complied, creaking open.

    ¡°I still think you should have just found a key,¡± said Lyra. ¡°What a waste of mana.¡±

    ¡°Keys can be lost,¡± I replied. ¡°I would never lose you.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    I pushed aside the rest of the chests¡¯ contents and pulled out a pile of rolled-up scrolls. It had taken the better part of the year hunting down each of the fragments, and I cursed the crotchety wizard who had torn up the Pergamon in the first place. But that was all in the past.

    I slotted the newly acquired piece in the gap left by the other fragments. It lined up perfectly, completing the meandering trail through the Melinian Forest. Melina had the dubious distinction of being the absolute worst place in the entire eastern half of the Continent. The Great Cities had at several points in the past century launched expeditions to burn the entire forest down, but had been dissuaded when the scouting parties were devoured within hours of venturing inside.

    ¡°Are you going to need my services to fix the map?¡± Lyra asked, sounding bored. ¡°Or were you going to use that glue you found in the Shukart last month?¡±

    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± I said. ¡°That glue is incredibly smelly. And I suspect that the unification requires a bit of magical intervention.¡±

    ¡°For you, I¡¯ll do it. Have you mastered the pronunciation?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing my Nidian. I think I¡¯ve got it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard you muttering to yourself, when you think I am meditating,¡± she said. ¡°Please make sure you don¡¯t roll your r¡¯s. We do not want to open a Riftway here.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that only happened one time and-¡±

    ¡°Mati,¡± said Lyra firmly.

    ¡°OK fine. I will concentrate. Ahem. Here it goes.¡±

    I swirled Hauteclere over the fragments in a deliberate circle, channeling my mana reserves into the blade and inward to Lyra. A white ring appeared, matching my movement, crackling like miniature bolts of lightning.

    ¡°The transmutation circle is ready,¡± said Lyra. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±

    I swallowed hard and began.

    ¡°Things that were lost, now found. Fragments that were torn apart, now together. Knowledge that was scattered, now collected. Let that which had been sundered, be whole again. Unite!¡±

    I shouted the last word so loud the monks in the abbey down the road must have heard, and when I did, a blinding flash of light erupted above the Pergamon that forced my eyes shut. When I opened them again a few seconds later, there, sitting below me, was the completed map. Where before its hand drawn markings had been dull and faded, they now shown brilliantly against the parchment, as if the Forest depicted was alive.

    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°And kind of eerie. Have you ever seen anything like this?¡±

    I held up the map, turning it over several times in my hands, to see if any other secrets would pour forth, and a little dragon appeared out of a pit that was marked halfway along the trail.

    ¡°Never,¡± said Lyra. ¡°My grandfather had many scrolls in his personal library, but the few that he let me see looked nothing like this. This type of magic was ancient even when I was alive.¡±

    ¡°You think there is actually a dragon hiding there?¡± I asked, pointing my finger to the pit, somewhat afraid that the pictorial creature was going to emerge from the parchment and bite me.

    ¡°If there is, I will relish the challenge of exterminating it from the face of this earth!¡± said Lyra with aplomb.

    ¡°Umm, OK?¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t normally get so charged up about-¡±

    ¡°You know how I feel about dragons,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I do. We haven¡¯t talked about them in a few months. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The memories of a particular late-night talk when we were traveling down from the Jurten Pass surfaced, during which Lyra had revealed that the great dragon demon had menaced her village for her entire childhood, killing many of her friends, destroying the village¡¯s crops, and other things she wasn¡¯t willing to reveal.

    ¡°If it¡¯s still there, I¡¯ll kill it,¡± I whispered. ¡°So it can never frighten another helpless girl again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m far from helpless,¡± said Lyra. ¡°But thank you. I know your heart is with me. Now, let¡¯s head down to the market to get some supplies for the journey.¡±

    I nodded and stuffed the rolled-up Pergamon into a small pocket sewn into the inner lining of my vest, before taking one last look around the haven that had served us well for so long. There were too many things in here to bring with us on the final journey, but there was one item in particular that I knew I needed to take.

    I left Hauteclere (and Lyra) near the chest, walked over to the bookshelf in the corner (that I had once spent the better of an afternoon hauling up the Twisting Stairs), and withdrew a small tome with a faded red leather cover. Inside, where there had once been pages, was a cut-out rectangle, large enough to hold only a few trinkets. I grabbed the silver locket that rested inside and stuffed it into one of my pockets. This would be my first gift to the soon-to-be corporeal Lyra, that I had purchased years ago at one of the Floating Markets.

    Underneath was my most-treasured possession, other than the sword. It was a black-and-white sketch of a young woman, with a faint smile. This I had found in the ruins of an old village, somehow it had miraculously survived the destruction all those years ago. I wasn¡¯t 100% sure it was Lyra, and I had never told her that I had found it, one of the few secrets I kept. This too I brought with me, for when the moment finally arrived.

    I restored the book to its place on the shelf, grabbed my sword, and walked out of the alcove, ready to complete my destiny.

 Chapter 3: Dragons are the worst

    ¡°Die, you stupid giant scorpion!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs, as I plunged Hauteclere into the chest of yet another foul beast. It shrieked and finally stopped moving, but when I withdrew my blade, a spray of disgusting green blood splattered me in the face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said to Lyra, preempting another laugh at my expense, as I wiped off the putrid liquid and tried (but failed) to stop it from going up my nose.

    ¡°Sorry ¡­ it¡¯s just ¡­ you should see the way you look in the heat of battle, it¡¯s very cute,¡± she said.

    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, I am not even so sure how much of me you can even see when you¡¯re halfway into a scorpion abdomen.¡±

    ¡°I can see a great deal,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Whether you want me to or not.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to unpack that,¡± I said. ¡°Let me see how much farther we have to go until the cave.¡±

    I pulled out the map and traced my finger along the ¡°safe¡± route that was supposed to lead me to the Dragon Chrysalis Cave. It was unclear to me what the heck the name meant, because as far as I knew, dragons hatched from eggs, not chrysalises, but after all I had seen during my travels, I¡¯m sure it made sense to someone in some twisted way.

    If my past progress was any indicator, we were only an hour or so away from the end of the road. It had been a week straight of insanity, even with the map¡¯s help. I couldn¡¯t imagine what else this stupid forest contained if I somehow strayed off of the path. Giant scorpions, demon foxes, swarms of slime spiders, and one very angry ghost bear were all very nonplussed that I had invaded their home. I didn¡¯t want to be there anymore more than they wanted me there, but try convincing a feral goblin hawk of anything before it gouges out your eyes.

    Somehow we made it the rest of the way without encountering anything noteworthy. Sure, there was a fire badger that was particularly feisty, but a simple stone incantation turned him into a nice decoration for the next poor adventurer who came this way. Finally, the cave appeared in the distance, and I nearly sprinted the rest of the way there.

    As I approached the entrance, I realized that the mouth of the cave was actually a mouth and that the cave was no cave at all. Instead, it was the body of a giant dragon demon that seemed to stretch onward into the depths of the forest farther than I could see. Its eyes were the size of castle drawbridges and its teeth looked sharp enough to slice through steel. But what was most frightening was the hot air that kept blowing out in semi-regular intervals, almost as if this insane beast was still alive.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Turn around, we are not going in there!¡±

    ¡°So you just want to stay in the sword forever?¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just a behemoth dragon corpse holding a powerful crystal, what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±

    ¡°I can think of lots of things,¡± she said. ¡°You being trapped and slowly devoured by dragon venom while I am forced to watch for a hundred years, for starters.¡±

    ¡°That almost happened only that one time,¡± I replied. ¡°And that was when I was first starting out, when I didn¡¯t know a third of the magic I know now. We¡¯ve come too far to turn back now. And if worse comes to worse, I am ready to cast Arutema.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± whispered Lyra. ¡°You¡¯re ¡­ you won¡¯t survive the summoning. And even if you do, you won¡¯t survive the after effects.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that!¡± I said, trying to strike a cheerful note. ¡°Think of how the more satisfying this will be when we retrieve the Crystal of Light from the belly of your most-hated thing.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Lyra. ¡°You and your insane optimism win again. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I walked defiantly into the mouth of the dragon, only to be nearly knocked over by a giant gust of disgustingly warm air that emerged from somewhere deep in the dragon¡¯s body.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Almost tripped on that tree root!¡± I said, trying to shake it off. ¡°Good thing I saw it.¡±

    Carefully sliding between the gap in the dragon teeth, I stepped over the threshold and made my way into the mouth.

    ¡°Ohros,¡± I said, and the sword began to softly glow, illuminating our surroundings like a lantern. If there was any lingering doubt that we were inside a giant dragon, the disgusting innards I could now see erased it. Each step forward felt like I was going to plunge into a bottomless pit of muck, and the sounds, the smells, and the colors all combined to make my stomach churn. But if this was to be the last part of my journey to free Lyra, I supposed it was fitting that it would not be a walk in the park.

    Until it was. Because as we ventured onward into the dragon, not a single creature or bi-pedal sentient talking individual stood in our way. Instead, we simply trekked onward, getting used to our grotesque surroundings, until finally, after perhaps two or three hours, we reached the end.

    And there, sitting in an ornate chair on a raised dais, was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her skin was soft and smooth, her hair was golden, and the tight weave she wore around her figure left nothing to the imagination. As we approached, I could see that she was playing a small wooden flute, its notes so muted that I couldn¡¯t hear them at all, and her brow furrowed in deep concentration. If she registered my presence, she didn¡¯t make it known, and instead continued on with her noteless song. After a few more minutes of awkwardness, I shattered the silence.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± I said, drawing Hauteclere for added effect.

    The mysterious woman opened her eyes and I immediately froze. In response, she let out a slight laugh, before rising from the chair and stepping off of the platform.

    ¡°Mati, what is the matter with you? There is no magic here, you can-¡±

    ¡°Silence, please,¡± said the woman, and Lyra¡¯s voice went still. As the woman approached me, I quickly realized the source of my predicament. The music from the flute wasn¡¯t just a tune, it was a binding spell, its notes rewriting reality around me to freeze me in place.

    ¡°Now, what is it that brings you to my home? Wait, don¡¯t answer.¡±

    The woman stared at me deadpan, before breaking into a laugh.

    ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist. I get so few visitors down here that I need to have a little fun, you know?¡±

    She quickly brought the flute back up to her mouth and danced her fingers across its openings.

    ¡°You can speak, boy.¡±

    ¡°The Hikari no Kessh¨­, I am here to take it,¡± I said. Before I could continue, again the woman pressed the flute to her lips, and I froze again.

    ¡°I see,¡± said the woman. She stepped closer, until she was inches away from my face, and began to run her fingers through my hair. ¡°You are not who I expected would be the next to try to ¡®take¡¯ me. Yes, that¡¯s right, I am the Crystal you seek.¡±

    I felt Lyra trying to call out to me, but the magic in this place had erected a barrier between us that could not be breached.

    ¡°You have taken the other Crystals, have you? And they did not appear like I do, you are probably saying to yourself. My brothers and sisters were unfortunately not as lucky as I was. Although, to be trapped down here in the belly of this monstrosity could hardly be considered lucky.¡±

    She pressed her fingers against my lips, and when she withdrew, I felt her bonds around my mouth gone.

    ¡°You ¡­ how could you be the Crystal of Light? You¡¯re-¡±

    ¡°A goddess, some have called me. Some worshipped me as one, long ago. And oh, how I indulged them. I let them prostrate themselves in my presence. I enjoyed their bodies as I saw fit, until they were no longer useful. Only then did I tell them the truth. You should consider yourself lucky that I have revealed myself to you so willingly.¡±

    I stood there, unable to respond. Each of the other Crystals were as their name implied. Glowing stones of power, but stones just the same. But this woman, she-

    ¡°Say thank you,¡± the Crystal said, and I felt my vocal cords vibrate, followed by the words emerging from my mouth.

    ¡°Thank ¡­ you,¡± I said.

    ¡°Thank you, Hikari,¡± she corrected.

    ¡°Thank you, Hikari,¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Mati,¡± said the Crystal named Hikari. ¡°Yes, I know your name. In this place, there is nothing that can be kept from me. Save for one thing.¡±

    Hikari stepped behind me and withdrew Hauteclere from my back. I saw the blade flash red as she held it, Lyra¡¯s desperate but silent cries trying to reach me.

    ¡°This is a profane thing you have brought here. Why?¡±

    I tried to think of a lie that could withstand the power of Hikari, but instead let my helplessness get the best of me.

    ¡°I am trying to destroy the demon sword, to free the girl trapped inside.¡±

    Hikari flicked the metal with her fingers, causing a different sort of music to reverberate out into the chasm.

    ¡°You are wise not to conceal the truth from me,¡± she said. ¡°And I hear her, indeed I do. She is crying out for you to save her. But although you¡¯ve come so far and so close, you will not succeed in your quest. And we will all be better for it, I think.¡±

    Hikari plunged Hauteclere into the ground, and a wild burst of light erupted from the sword, sending a wave of blood and muck and guts outward, drenching me from head to toe.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Now that she is dealt with, let¡¯s see what we can do with you.¡±

 Chapter 4: Heart of darkness

    At some point, perhaps a week later, or maybe it was only hours, I gave in. I felt the red shame of my defeat in my face as Hikari played her song again, and I collapsed to the ground, my muscles unable to support my body after being still for so long. Another note from her flute and she pulled me up with invisible strings like a puppet, to stand before her. Even after all the time spent looking upon her while frozen, to behold her beauty inches away was an entirely different experience. For the many years of my journey, I had only my imagination of what Lyra looked like, made real by my imitation sketches of the drawing I had found. But this woman, if she could be called that, threatened to wipe all of that from my mind.

    She did not immediately bring my lust to the forefront, but instead cultivated it like a vigneron tending crops of precious grapes. This began in earnest as soon as she freed me. She led me along to the back of the disgusting cavern, Hauteclere still imprisoned where she had thrown it, and as I wiped the muck from my eyes when we passed through the threshold, I gasped at the startling new wonder that lay just beyond.

    Somehow we were standing on a gorgeous tropical island. I turned my head to see the mouth of a small cave, no trace of the enormous dragon anywhere. Ahead was a path through palm trees, the sun shining down on us. I had come across very few maps of the Southern Archipelago; they were a curiosity that one day I had hoped to visit. But it couldn¡¯t be possible that I had somehow been transported there now by Hikari.

    I followed my warden through the swaying fronds until we reached a white sand beach, turquoise water lapping at my feet. She knelt down at the beach¡¯s edge, cupped her hands as a wave crashed, and then quickly ran over to where I stood, still tethered to her strings. With no choice in the matter, my lips opened to receive the water, and rather than the harsh salt I was expecting, instead a sweet nectar flowed into my mouth. A moment later, I felt my strength and my freedom of movement return.

    ¡°Come, mighty warrior,¡± said Hikari. ¡°Let me show you your new home.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I need to-¡±

    ¡°What you need¡± she said, ¡°is to serve Hikari no Kessh¨­. Is that not why you healed the Pergamon? Is that not why you ventured through the Melinian Forest and into the bowels of that cursed dragon? To free me from my bonds with your sword? And I am so grateful for it. So now you will be rewarded.¡±

    Her words sounded wrong, but before I could protest, again the flute was at her mouth, and a moment later, what she said sounded almost perfectly in tune with everything that floating around in my head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°It has been a long journey. I am glad it is over.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± said Hikari. ¡°Now, before you get to work, let me give you a kiss.¡±

    She closed the gap between us, and put her soft hands on my cheek and the back of my head. I looked deep into her magnificent blue eyes, which were somehow even more beautiful than the translucent waters of the island. She smelled like nothing I had ever come across in the rugged regions of the Dominions, like a rare flower whose name I would never have learned. And her lips, they were luscious as the red silk gown I had seen the Dowager Princess of Porrezan wearing during her processional. Taken together, her presence, her being, overwhelmed me, and all I could do was stand there and accept her seal of approval.

    But for some reason, when she was only inches away, I tilted my head to the side.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Hikari, her eyebrows raised. ¡°Do you not wish to receive my kiss?¡±

    ¡°I do. It¡¯s just that¡­ I feel like I still haven¡¯t earned it yet. I mean, we simply walked out of the cave and onto this island, right? Doesn¡¯t seem like I did anything that extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°I told you, Mati,¡± said Hikari, slightly annoyed, ¡°you freed me from my bonds. Without you, I still would have been trapped in that wretched place. But if that is not enough valor for you, I can see to it that you sufficiently earn my love.¡±

    The weeks that followed were a confusing blur of hard labor mixed with succulent decadence. I would spend my days chopping trees, clearing land, and building what Hikari said would be our home on the island, only to be greeted at sunset with the most opulent collection of food I had ever seen. It seemed strange to me that not only had Hikari been able to craft such a meal each day, but that I never ran into the exotic animals whose meat I enjoyed each night. And after every meal, the Crystal-turned-Woman would ask if she could finally bestow her kiss on me, and each time, something held me back from accepting.

    One morning, when I was out catching our breakfast from a small pier I had built as Hikari slept blissfully, I happened to catch my reflection staring up at me from the water below, and I was shocked at what I saw.

    My boyish looks was completely gone, and in their place were the hardened lines of a man. I knew that I was no longer the kid who started this journey, but how could so much time have passed along the way and now on the island? I rushed back to a small area of the still-incomplete hut, to where I had secretly been marking off the days, only to find that the scratches were gone. Outside, I found Hikari, now awake, her hands around the clasp at the back of her chiton. She released it, and the garment fell to the ground.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°As you have offered your body to me through your labor,¡± she purred, ¡°I now offer my body to you.¡±

    I stood there, slack-jawed, staring at the now-naked Hikari. While her chiton had never left anything to the imagination, seeing what was actually underneath made my heart beat faster than I thought possible.

    ¡°Why ¡­ what do you mean ¡®offer¡¯?¡± was all I managed to say, before Hikari sauntered toward me, a rapacious smile on her face. There was something in the way she moved that shouldn¡¯t have been allowed. Her pendulous breasts swayed in concert with her wide hips, and I couldn¡¯t decide where to focus my eyes. Before I could do anything, she was mere inches away. I felt my entire body tense as she caressed my bearded face with her soft hands, before tracing her fingers down my chest to my pants.

    ¡°What I mean is that you can do with me as you please. Now kiss me.¡±

    Our eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity. She was waiting for me to make the first move, and I wasn¡¯t sure why. I thought back to all the nights I had spent sleeping beside her, and how many times I had wanted to stir her from her slumber and take her. But something had always stopped me. And now, when she was leaving no doubt about what she wanted me to do to her, still I held back.

    ¡°Why do you hesitate, Mati?¡± she asked, as if reading my mind. ¡°This is what you want, right? To kiss your way down, from my mouth, to my chest, and then between my thighs? To mount me and prove to me and everyone else that you have conquered the great Hikari?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­¡±

    The wind on the island suddenly shifted, and instead of the tranquil serenity of the chirping birds and swaying trees I had grown accustomed to, I heard a discordant note sound from somewhere.

    Hikari broke off from my gaze, and looked behind me, as if there was an intruder on the island.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, and Hikari looked back at me, a false smile on her face.

    ¡°Nothing, Mati. Nothing at all. Now, as I was saying, are y-¡±

    A bolt of lightning hit the tree not a dozen feet in front of me, and we were both thrown backward onto the sand. I somehow landed on top of Hikari, and she quickly took the opening to wrap her legs around my back and press me forward.

    ¡°Kiss me,¡± she said, the sweetness in her voice now completely gone.

    She pushed her lips upward toward mine, and it would have been the easiest thing in the world to close the gap, and fall into her. But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. Because in that moment, the one thing I heard through the swirling maelstrom that had descended on the island was another voice, this one sweet and tender and kind and so, so alone.

    ¡°Help me!¡± it cried.

    I looked to my right, and saw the outlines of a shimmering silhouette that was there and wasn¡¯t there. I reached out to touch it, but Hikari¡¯s legs dug into my back even harder.

    ¡°Eyes over here, boy,¡± she said, and I complied. They were so beautiful, how could I have forgotten?

    ¡°That¡¯s it, drink it all in, and then you just need to-¡±

    ¡°Mati!¡±

    Lyra¡¯s voice shattered Hikari¡¯s hold over me only for an instant, but it was enough. I shot my arm toward the silhouette and pulled Hauteclere free from the sand.

    Only there was no more sand, there was no more island, and instead I stood before Hikari back in the dank cave where I had first found her all those years ago.

    ¡°Do it, now!¡± yelled Lyra, and I didn¡¯t hesitate as I drove the blade into the Crystal¡¯s heart.

    ¡°No!¡± Hikari cried. A bright light appeared where I had stabbed her, and the woman looked up at me with venomous eyes, her rapturous beauty fading until a demon, skin as gray as cooled magma, stood in her place.

    ¡°You fool!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve doomed us all! If Hikari no Kessh¨­ is allowed to join with the others, it-¡±

    ¡°Mati,¡± said Lyra. ¡°That foul woman was no crystal at all, but a succubus who nearly devoured your soul. It¡¯s time to silence her for good!¡±

    I withdrew the blade from Hikari¡¯s chest and sliced her head clean off in one fell swoop. The rest of her body disintegrated into ash, but the sword drew her horrid essence into its core, like I had done with so many demons before her. Beneath the gray pile lay was a shining, sparkling, Crystal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, as I went to pick up the real Hikari no Kessh¨­ from the ground. It looked like the others I had found over my travels, except this one had a faint red sheen to it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it directly,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Who knows how much of the succubus is left inside.¡±

    I nodded, and withdrew a linen shroud from my pack, which had been resting only a few feet away this entire time. After slowly wrapping the glowing rock, I gingerly picked it up and placed it in one of the outer pockets of the pack.

    ¡°She joined herself with the Crystal,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Formed a new body around it, one that hid her true form. And it allowed her to acquire powers beyond that of a mere succubus. The music from her flute was an expression of that.¡±

    ¡°But the island, I-¡±

    I brought my hands up to my face to find no trace of a beard, only smooth, young skin.

    ¡°You were here the whole time,¡± said Lyra. ¡°After she froze you, she just closed her eyes and stood there, next to you. She must have trapped you in a mirage, to get you to submit to her. For that is what gives a succubus true power.¡±

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Only an hour,¡± said Lyra.

    ¡°An hour? I lived with her on that island for years!¡±

    I slumped to the ground, ignoring the disgusting rotting dragon carcass, my time in paradise starting to fade inside my head.

    ¡°I tried to reach you, but the demon silenced my voice,¡± said Lyra, quietly. ¡°You should have seen the look on her face. She thought she had you. I thought I¡¯d lost you for good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never let that happen,¡± I said. ¡°Even when I was about to give in, somehow the thought of you, buried deep within my mind, wouldn¡¯t let me.¡±

    ¡°You are truly my hero,¡± she said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be until you are finally freed,¡± I replied, holstering the sword onto my back once more. ¡°And with the final Crystal now ours, it won¡¯t be long now.¡±

    The dragon corpse suddenly shook, as if the earth wanted to reclaim it, and I scrambled back the way I had came, until the bright light of the sun hit my face. It was not a moment too soon, for just as I stepped past the last row of teeth did the entire putrid thing sink into the below, hopefully never to be seen again. My vanquishing of ¡°Hikari¡± had seemingly altered the entire forest, and it only took a few hours along a serene trail until we reached the nearest Waystone.

    Preparations for the Moon Fair were hitting their peak as we entered Guardial later that day, and when I collapsed onto a bed in an inn near the Grand Library, I felt for the first time in a while that I could finally rest easy.

 Chapter 5: Past due

    The night of blissful sleep I was hoping for did not come to pass, and for some reason I awoke feeling even more tired than when I had closed my eyes. Nothing a delicious breakfast couldn¡¯t solve, I posited. After indulging at the Luna Market, much to Lyra¡¯s chagrin, I was ready to face my penultimate trial: navigating the 31 Rings of the Grand Library to steal, err, borrow, the Scroll of Summoning needed to free Lyra from the sword.

    Unlike the library on the lower level, this one suffered no fools. There was no talking one¡¯s way into a cordoned-off section, no possibility of finding a secret nook to claim as a hideout, and they certainly weren¡¯t going to let me waltz in and take what we needed. But while we had planned for many months on how to liberate the Scroll, somehow none of them included all of the librarians running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

    ¡°What in the world?¡± I said, as I walked through the massive front gate to find the entire place in chaos. Shelves were toppled, reading carts were on their sides, and books were torn apart like they were worthless scrap.

    ¡°This is horrible,¡± I whispered, as we passed three young apprentices in tears, trying to collect random pages that had been stuck to the walls with what I hoped was glue.

    ¡°As much as I agree with you,¡± said Lyra, ¡°it is to our benefit, I think.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°After we are done with the quest, we should come back together and help them.¡±

    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± said Lyra. ¡°But for now, we should make for the Mountain Pass without delay.¡±

    The Pass, as its name suggested, led straight into the heart of the mountain, where the inner Ten Rings were located. The oldest books and scrolls were kept here, and kings, high wizards, and other dignitaries were usually the only ones permitted entry.

    The rest of the rabble were kept away by two stone sentries, but these too were absent this morning, perhaps summoned to help with whatever had caused the calamity in the outer part of the library. But I couldn¡¯t focus too much on my good fortune until we were safe and clear with the Scroll in hand.

    I ran through the dizzying Rings, trying to take in the size of the collection of knowledge and magic held here. Whoever had built this section evidently had a sense of humor, as the simple concentric rings of the outer section had been replaced with a ridiculous maze of twists and turns and double-backs. But thankfully, it only took another ten minutes to reach the core, the fabled Last Ring. Its name was a bit of a misnomer, as it had no doubt been the ring built first by the greatest of the Scholar-Kings, Gaspard the Focused. And rather than an array of shelves and cases, it contained only one.

    I stopped to catch my breath in front of the Ring, which extended up into the mountain, dreading the climb up the rickety ladder to the top where the Scroll was likely stored.

    ¡°Come on, hero,¡± said Lyra. ¡°You thought this was going to be easy?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°But that was before we were able to basically walk in here unencumbered.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a few steps away from being a legend in the making,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I said. ¡°But after this, I am taking a long nap.¡±

    ¡°It will be a well-deserved herosleep,¡± said Lyra.

    Despite its outward appearance, the ladder proved incredibly sturdy and steady, and before I knew it, I had reached the ¡°S¡± level, where my prize awaited. It was a small piece of parchment, rolled up three times, and it seemed hard to believe that inside was the final piece of the puzzle to free Lyra.

    ¡°Why is it called the Scroll of Summoning? Shouldn¡¯t it be the Scroll of Unbinding or something like that?¡± I asked, as I unfurled it on a little shelf built into the bookcase. The runes were nothing like I recognized, but despite their intricacies, Lyra said they were merely the common script of her time, and that she would be able to help with the pronunciation no problem. Which was good, because I was in no mood for another book hunt.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Lyra replied. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask my local wizard before I was accidentally trapped in the sword.¡±

    ¡°Point taken,¡± I said, rolling the scroll back up. I was about to descend down to the ground, when a small red book on the next shelf down caught my eye. Its spine said, in bright silver, ¡°A Song of Swords: Mystical Swords Through the Ages.¡±

    ¡°Look at that!¡± I said, excitedly. ¡°Finally a tome that might have some information on Hauteclere!¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I nearly tore the book in two when I pulled it free, but it had been so long since I had found any record of the sword. Despite its prominence in my village, no one outside of the valley had ever heard of Hauteclere, or the girl trapped inside. People were happy to listen to the tale wherever we went, but I suspected that most of the time they thought I was some crazy kid way too far from home.

    There were chapters on various types of swords, and when I turned to the one called ¡°Binding Swords,¡± sure enough, there was an entry about Hauteclere.

    ¡°Hauteclere, Demon Binder of the East,¡± I read out loud. ¡°Forged by the Bondsmith Mattias, it is said that when wielded properly, it can bind a hundred demons to its core in a single swing. Only the Eight Elemental Crystals can free those trapped inside. But perhaps among its most remarkable properties is that it-¡±

    The words trailed off sharply, the pigment faded after years of neglect on this shelf.

    ¡°That was kind of anticlimactic,¡± said Lyra. ¡°We already knew all of that.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, with a sigh.

    ¡°You sound disappointed,¡± she said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just ¡­ the tales have been passed down for so many generations, I thought there was some dilution along the way. That the real story was even more fantastical.¡±

    ¡°Your village elders took their jobs very seriously,¡± said Lyra. ¡°You should thank them when we return for their fastidiousness!¡±

    ¡°Stop teasing,¡± I said. ¡°Still, there is the missing line. I wonder what it said.¡±

    A loud bell rang out from up above somewhere as I set foot back down on the ground, and I worried that we were about to be found out.

    ¡°I think that our time in the Last Ring is about to come to an end,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Are you ready to finally try a Bodyslide?¡±

    ¡°I guess now is as good a time as ever. But if I get sliced in half by the portal, you are going to feel really stupid.¡±

    ¡°Courage, Mati! Now and in all things.¡±

    One of the fabled stone sentries finally appeared, and it screamed out in some indecipherable language, but it was too late.

    ¡°Bodyslide by one,¡± I said, tracing a portal with the sword. It shimmered differently than the Waystone¡¯s portals, but the general principle was the same. I stepped through cleanly, and instead of appearing at a far-away spot, I landed with a thud back in the bed at the inn, the magic transporting me back to my previous resting spot.

    ¡°Well done!¡± exclaimed Lyra. ¡°But don¡¯t think of taking a nap now. We need to be off as soon as possible. No telling what kind of tracking magic we tripped by breaking into the Last Ring.¡±

    ¡°Give me a second,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like my stomach is about to turn inside out.¡±

    I sat up slowly from the bed, resisting the urge to vomit. My pulse was pounding, not just from the daring escape, but from the knowledge that my quest was actually about to be complete. And that I would be finally united with the real Lyra.

    The sickness passed as quickly as it came, and I quickly gathered my belongings from the room, including the last Crystal, which I had stored in the lone dresser in the room, guarded by a ward.

    ¡°Dispel,¡± I said, swirling the tip of Hauteclere around the dresser, and the ward¡¯s magic shimmered for a second before dissipating. I pulled open the top drawer and slowly picked up the linen-wrapped Crystal. It pulsed against my fingers, almost as if it was breathing, and although I didn¡¯t mean to, my thumb accidentally brushed against an exposed facet.

    The room receded out of view, as I felt myself plummet downward, into a shining light that looked like the mouth of a giant snake.

    ¡°Give yourself to me,¡± hissed a grisly voice. ¡°Become more than you ever dreamed!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I said, trying to kick against the void I was falling through. Miraculously, I began to rise, as if I was suspended in a liquid. I kicked again, and the light below dimmed, but the voice persisted.

    ¡°I see what you have done,¡± it said. ¡°Your long journey to collect my brothers and sisters. It will all be for naught. We will not let you undo the binding. For that vile demoness cannot be allowed-¡±

    I pushed through the surface of the void and found myself back in the room, the Crystal lying on its side on the floor.

    ¡°I told you not to touch it,¡± said Lyra. ¡°The energies in the Crystals are incredibly unpredictable.¡±

    ¡°It spoke to me,¡± I said. ¡°It want me to join with it, like the succubus. And then, it peered into my head, warning me not to unbind the sword¡¯s core.¡±

    ¡°It does not want the succubus to be free again,¡± said Lyra. ¡°I can feel her thrashing against me, even now. She drew in much power from the Crystal, it still reverberates through her essence.¡±

    With even more care than before, I stowed the Crystal back into my pack, sheathed Hauteclere, and walked out of the inn.

    ¡°What if we let her out when I free you?¡± I asked, when we were safely out of the city. ¡°She was so powerful, I don¡¯t think I can defeat her again.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t come to that,¡± said Lyra. ¡°You will have a lot of time to practice the Summoning on your way down the Mountain. Everything will be OK.¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said, as I saw the top of the Waystone approach in the distance. We had stored each of the Crystals at different points along our journey, redundancies to avoid our prizes being wretched away before they could all be collected. A final circuit of the Continent would join them all together for the trek down into the Cave Beneath the Mountain, where the Summoning Circle awaited.

    ¡°Where to first?¡± I asked, drawing the blade.

    ¡°I think a clockwise loop will be the fastest, yes?¡± offered Lyra. ¡°With luck, we will be back in Guardial in time for the closing of the Festival, where they will crown the queen of light and beauty.¡±

    ¡°You are hoping it will be you?¡± I said, with a chuckle.

    ¡°Hey, I am pretty sure I am still very beautiful!¡± said Lyra.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± I said. The girl in the drawing¡¯s face flashed in my mind as I opened the portal. She had seemed like a vision from a far-off world, when I first dreamed of her all those years ago. I had awoken in the middle of the night, just before I was about to grasp her hand. Taking pencil to paper, I furiously drew what I could remember, before dozing back to dreams, hoping to meet her again. But she never came back.

    Stepping through the shimmering gateway, I smiled, hopeful that the real girl would soon be in my arms.

 Chapter 6: Summoning under the Mountain

    The Cave smelled of must and bats and age. It was old when the world was new, one of the books had said. And now, having traveled down into its depths for the better part of two days, I could see why. Strange formations dotted the walls, and every so often an otherworldly glow would appear from a random direction, as if a menacing wizard was just on the other side, practicing his dark arts.

    My pack was loaded to the brim with all eight Crystals. Despite the distances that they had been kept, it had only taken less than 12 hours to collect them all again. I had breathed a sigh of relief when we had returned to the Sunless Marsh to find the last one sitting at the bottom of the muck, where I had left it three years ago.

    ¡°Not much further now,¡± said Lyra. ¡°I can feel the Circle¡¯s magic pulsing outward like a beacon.¡±

    The Summoning Circle was another relic of the past that we had uncovered in our travels. In the Library of Tanath, I had learned about how the wizardess Terruna had summoned the great water spirit Kikyorra to vanquish the invading armies from across the ocean. This knowledge, like so much I had gleaned from books stored in forgotten nooks and fraying scrolls hidden underneath towering cases, was not something that we had ever learned in the Valley¡¯s schoolhouse. But this was to our benefit, I posited, for if everyone knew about the Circle and the Crystals, there would be no way that we could have gotten as far as we had.

    A few hours later, the path bottomed out, until it spilled into an enormous cavern, filled with gray water. At its center, incredibly, was a small island directly underneath a beam of pure moonlight that somehow had descended from the surface. A rickety boat was tied to the rocky shore, and I half-expected it to break as I stepped onto its planks, but somehow, it held. Before I could grab either of the tiny oars inside, the boat suddenly propelled itself forward.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked, as we sped through the water.

    ¡°Not sure,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Maybe all of the Crystals are being pulled to the Circle. Like a magnet.¡±

    We reached the island a minute later, but the boat shattered on impact, and my pack nearly sank into the murky depths. Fortunately, my reflexes were still quick even after the long hike down, and I pulled it free, its weight sending me careening onto the island.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯re going to have to swim back?¡± I said.

    ¡°Not so bad,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Honestly, if you told me I had to walk across a pool of lava, I would be happy to do it. It¡¯s been so long since I ¡­¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s start the Ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready?¡± asked Lyra.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I think practicing the Summoning more would just make me more nervous.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± chirped the girl in the sword.

    ¡°You,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    Around the Circle were eight depressions in the rocky ground, at the bottom of which were eight distinct symbols. I unwound the Scroll and studied the drawing inked in the middle. Eight symbols, each corresponding to one of the eight elements. Thankfully, the Scroll did the correlation for me, and I managed to slot each Crystal where it was supposed to go with ease.

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± said Lyra, and I nodded. At the center of the Circle, there was a perfectly square rock and on it I placed Hauteclere. The sword began to quiver, its vibrations drowning out Lyra¡¯s voice from my ears, but I could make out two words that spoke to her urgency.

    ¡°Hurry. Please.¡±

    I unfurled the Scroll the rest of the way and began to speak in the ancient tongue.

    ¡°Eight Elements that form the World. Eight Crystals that hold their power. The Light pierces the Dark. The Metal burns in the Fire. The Wind blows across the Water. The Earth trembles from the Lightning strike. And together they undo what was bound. Release!¡±

    The center of the Circle exploded, and I was blown backward into the water. Dazed, I pushed myself up in a rush, wondering if I had messed something up. There was nothing in the Scroll about what would happen if the Summoning was done improperly, but I had to imagine that, with all I had seen, it wouldn¡¯t be good.

    But when I walked back up to the Circle again, inside the smoky haze, there was a silhouette of a person. I clenched my fists and swallowed, and a second later, a young woman, maybe not more than 22, emerged.

    The smoke clung to her body like a dress, and she was looking down at her hands, which she turned to and fro, almost as if she had forgotten what they were.

    ¡°Lyra? Is that you?¡± I said, and the woman looked up and met my eyes.

    And there she was, the girl from the drawing, the girl from my dreams, the girl I had been carrying on my back across the Continent. The girl made flesh.

    ¡°Mati!¡± she cried, and bolted the gap between us in a single bound. She wrapped her arms around me with a fierceness I had only imagined.

    ¡°Ow!¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re strong!¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting to do that!¡± she said, pulling back slightly. I brought my hand up to her cheek and marveled at how soft her skin was. She stared back at me, her eyes bright and nearly tearing, and her mouth formed into the happiest grin I had ever seen.

    ¡°Can I¡­¡± I said, trailing off.

    ¡°Oh, Mati,¡± said Lyra, grabbing the back of my head. ¡°You¡¯ll never have to ask.¡±

    She pulled me forward into a kiss that stretched on to eternity.

 Chapter 7: Love eternal

    Whereas I would have preferred to sit and talk, face to face, and save our union until we were safely back at the nearest inn, Lyra was having none of it.

    ¡°I remember what you looked like, when you first found me,¡± she said. ¡°A scrawny boy from the Valley.¡±

    She danced her fingers down my chest and pulled off my pants.

    ¡°But you are a boy no longer.¡±

    ¡°Lyra, I-¡±

    ¡°Shh, no more talking. We have talked for so long. It is time to do something else.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to give you something first,¡± I said, and I scrambled away to my pack, withdrawing the silver locket. I undid the clasp, and showed her the drawing nestled inside, before closing it once more.

    ¡°May I?¡± I asked.

    She nodded, and I placed the locket¡¯s chain around her neck.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°After all you have done for me, I will always remember this first gift you gave me. Now let me give you something.¡±

    She pushed me to the ground and pressed her lips against mine once more. I returned the kiss enthusiastically, but this time something was different. Her lips were slightly coarse, but that was to be expected after being trapped for centuries.

    I ran my hand through Lyra¡¯s hair and down her neck. It was still surreal to me that she was here, in the flesh, and not a disembodied voice reverberating out from my sword. There were so many times where I questioned whether there actually was a Lyra or whether the whole thing was a product of the harrowing fall into the cave where I found the sword. But now I knew-

    ¡°You are lost in your thoughts, Mati,¡± said Lyra, pinching my cheek. ¡°Be here, with me, in the now.¡±

    And I was.

    Eventually our bodies parted. I do not know how long we spent together, but I remember at some point the moonlight faded. However, as I lay on my back, staring upwards, its glow had returned. I looked over at the sword, which had tumbled off of the Circle at some point during the previous day and was now lying unceremoniously in the dirt. It had been my only companion for so many years, and it was weird to think that a part of it was gone forever.

    After wandering down to the water to wash her hair, Lyra fished a small bolt of cloth out of my bag before snuggling on one side of me, and I instinctively gripped the sword with my other hand.

    ¡°We are going to have to get you some real clothes,¡± I said, pushing the cloth off of her chest, as I drank in the sight of her body. ¡°As much that pains me.¡±

    ¡°One night with a woman and you are already like every other man,¡± she said with a chuckle.

    ¡°I think Sultrana will have the best gear for the trek across the desert,¡± I said, ignoring her comment. ¡°Not looking forward to that, but at least I will have real company this time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, what?¡± asked Lyra, who had rolled across my body so she was now resting on top of me, her fingers running through my hair.

    ¡°The final leg of the quest. We need to take the sword to the Hellforge. To destroy it and all of the demons inside for good.¡±

    Lyra pushed her head up slightly, so she was staring directly into my eyes.

    ¡°Oh Mati, why would I want to do that?¡±

    In a flash, she pulled Hauteclere from my grasp with one hand, and with the other, she grabbed my ankle and began pulling me toward the Circle.

    ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡±

    I tried to wrench free from her grip, but she was having none of it. Before I knew it, she had shoved me inside the etchings of the Circle, and had begun whispering something into the sword¡¯s blade that was just beyond my hearing.

    The air suddenly shifted, and for the second time in recent memory, I found myself unable to move my body.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Are you really Lyra? Or did the succubus consume the real you inside the sword?¡±

    ¡°She wishes,¡± said Lyra, as she bent down and began drawing symbols in the dirt around the Circle.

    ¡°And what I¡¯m doing is simple. The sword needs a new center, now that I¡¯m free. It was crafted by your great-great-great-great-I-forget-many-more-greats grandfather to trap the demoness who had been terrorizing the Valley every night for generations. Mattias was a clever smith. Without the demoness knowing, he collected traces of her. Scabs of skin here, broken fingernails there, and over many years, he gathered enough to create the necessary linkage in the sword¡¯s core. To capture the demoness and bind her soul to it. Which he did, amazingly enough. The sword became a part of me, just as my horns or my tail.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I stared at Lyra, the blood draining from my face.

    ¡°You ¡­ you don¡¯t have horns. You¡¯re not a-¡±

    ¡°-a demon? Of course I am, my love. Why else do you think I was trapped inside the sword?¡±

    As Lyra spoke, two small red horns sprouted from her forehead, and red waves suddenly rippled through her tan skin. A moment later, and her face was completely scarlet, save for a silver sliver shaped like¡­

    ¡°That feels so much better! The moon is so bright tonight, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, her smile now bearing a mouth full of sharpened teeth, as her non-sword bearing hand played with the tail that had sprouted from her backside. ¡°It waxes and wanes each month, but during some cycles, it comes much closer to our little rock, weakening the boundary between this world and the home of my people, and strengthening the souls of those who pledge fealty to the lunar goddess.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I said, desperately trying to get my body to respond. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t you. I know you. You¡¯ve been corrupted by all of the demon souls trapped inside of the sword. We can purify them, if you¡¯d just-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cute,¡± said Lyra. ¡°Even now, when the truth has been revealed to you, you are still playing the part of the daring hero, who wants so much to save the helpless girl. Well, congratulations! You played your role to a T.¡±

    ¡°But the girl in the drawing I found, it was you!¡±

    ¡°Oh that,¡± said Lyra, opening up the locket and removing the picture. ¡°It was happenstance that you found it, but once you did, I knew it would be useful. An image in your mind to focus on, so that, when the time was right, I could create a body to match. At least for one night.¡±

    A small flame erupted from where she grasped the drawing, and it burnt to ash in a second as she laughed. She then walked over to each of the Crystals we had found together and marked them with similar symbols to those on the ground next to me.

    ¡°After being trapped for so long, you¡¯re just going to kill the person who¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re free?¡±

    Lyra finished her markings and returned to the center of the Circle to stand over my prone body.

    ¡°Did you really think you were the first one to try to free me? I am so much older than you know. And in that time, I have not been idle. I have moved the pieces slowly in place. Sword-bearer by sword-bearer. Young, hungry boys and girls, who were itching to prove themselves, to prove their worth to those that thought them worthless. Some lasted longer than others. But all were important links in the chain of events that led to this moment right now.¡±

    ¡°So you just used me?¡± I said. ¡°I was just a tool to you? To be manipulated and discarded when you got what you wanted?¡±

    ¡°Mati, you are so much more than that! Can¡¯t you see? You may be one of many, but you are the last. You are the one who freed me. And I am ever so grateful for it.¡±

    ¡°You have a weird way of showing your gratitude,¡± I said.

    Lyra knelt down next to me, and ruffled my hair with the pointy fingernails of one of her red hands.

    ¡°Has last night already faded from your mind? None in a thousand years can boast that they have slept with the demoness Lyrazesque.¡±

    ¡°Lyrazesque? There¡¯s no demon with that name. We all learned at a young age the great demons of the Continent, and their signs, so that we could-¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s the thing,¡± said Lyra, who was now straddling my body, just as she had last night. I suppressed a laugh at how much things had been inverted. ¡°That was entirely my doing. I made the world forget about the demon Lyrazesque. And the purpose-forged sword that bears my Name. Only in your valley do they know the legend of Hauteclere.¡±

    She bent down to hold the blade up to my face, and I saw that it no longer bore the familiar block-letter etching of Hauteclere. Instead, in a messy red script were the letters of Lyra¡¯s full name. The final indignity, I supposed.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Long ago, when my name still inspired fear in the night, the first of my heroes went on a ¡®journey.¡¯ Book-by-book, scroll-by-scroll, she dutifully collected almost everything that was ever written about me. Until the night that her lodging suddenly went up in flames and she died a horrible death.¡±

    Lyra laughed, and it sent a chill down my spine. Gone was the warmth that we had shared over so many adventures, and I wanted to kick myself for being so naive.

    ¡°Another half-dozen helped gather the materials necessary for the illusion charm to create the fake name of Hauteclere on the blade. And over the years, I seeded the story near your home and then cleaned up the leftover remnants whenever they arose. The last effort being just the other night.¡±

    ¡°The mess in the Grand Library, that was you?¡±

    ¡°No, no, Mati. That was you! It¡¯s always been you. Your kind is always so pliable when you are sleeping, especially by a moon demoness like me. It is quite simple to rouse your body and guide it to where I want it to go. Did you ever wonder why you are always so tired whenever we were near a library?¡±

    Even after all I had just learned, this revelation still stunned me.

    ¡°I knew you would find that stupid book there. It has been a burning thought in my mind ever since I had Tara the Wildfyre slay its scribe eight hundred years ago. But unfortunately for me, he had scurried the book away, along with my true nature, in the Last Ring, a place even I dared not tread until all of the Crystals had been found.¡±

    Her voice shifted and dropped an octave, until she sounded like an old man. ¡°But perhaps among its most remarkable properties is that it was specifically crafted to bind its namesake, Lyrazesque the Thrice-Burned. She is still trapped inside to this day, the bond of the Eight Crystals making sure she is never released again.¡±

    ¡°What-¡±

    ¡°That old man lived far too long,¡± said Lyra. ¡°I made Tara take great pleasure in tearing him apart. She would have made a fine heroine if she hadn¡¯t been so ravishing. Instead, she ended up betrothed against her will to one of the idiot kings in the West. A waste.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± she said, leaning down next to my face. ¡°You earned the right to know. For all of the help I gave you along the way, I could not have done it without you. You are different than so many others who have taken up my sword. And that is why¡­¡±

    Lyra pressed her fingertips against my forehead, and I screamed as she traced her demonic markings up and down my entire body.

    ¡°¡­ you will continue your journey with me, this time as my Sword, as I take the Continent.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I whimpered. ¡°Please. I¡¯d rather die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mati,¡± she said, as she pressed her lips against mine one final time. ¡°But I love you too much to let you go.¡±

    She pushed herself up and rubbed her hand over her bare stomach, which now sported a small bump.

    ¡°And besides, I wouldn¡¯t want you to miss this.¡±

 Chapter 8: A brief history of the conquest of the Continent

    Some say the beginning of the end was when the Volcano under the Mountain erupted after being dormant for 3,000 years. Some say it was when Grand Library was sacked in a matter of hours for the second time in a month, and then left to burn. Still others say it was when the Army of the Rift fell at midnight, every last soldier slain by the red and silver shadow. But the scribes would later conclude that the beginning of the end transpired when the demoness Lyrazesque lost her Sword.

    Why would the foul terror losing her most trusted weapon be a harbinger of doom? After all, it was with this Sword that she decimated every challenger sent to kill her, after she strode defiantly into Guardial, devoured the young maiden who had been named the queen of light and beauty, and set that crown upon her brow. This point was argued for many decades, in hushed tones, where her allies could not hear, but no one could make any sense of it. All that remains known from that time is that shortly after the Sword disappeared, the demoness staked her claim on the Seat of Ayre in the North, and from there spread her territory outward for the next 40 years, until a third of the Continent was hers. The next vicennium was spent trying, and failing, to free these lands from Lyrazesque¡¯s tyranny, at the cost of many lives. Eventually, the Great Council came to the realization that it would never be able to mount a successful campaign, the demoness¡¯s power being too great, and so they sued for peace and tribute.

    The men met the demoness in the middle of the lake that sat below her great coastal fortress. Them, on a barge befit for an emperor, one last show of strength. She, on a tiny skiff, alone.

    Well, not alone.

    For as the boat approached the Council¡¯s, the lookouts spotted a small figure next to Lyrazesque. A young human girl, no older than five, who sat quietly as the demoness somehow compelled the craft forward.

    The men of the Council were aghast. Despite the demoness¡¯s past cruelty, this somehow surpassed it all. Taking a human girl hostage! They muttered to themselves, quickly trying to think of something to do. But their vain attempts to quell the demoness in years past reminded them that any clever thinking was likely to fail, and so they sent their delegation out into the water to see if they could hopefully bargain for the girl¡¯s freedom.

    There, they learned a startling truth. For the small girl was not human, as previously assumed, but instead appeared to be a half-breed. A pair of little horns adorned her forehead and a red tail poked out from underneath the girl¡¯s skirt, but otherwise she appeared normal.

    The delegates murmured to themselves, hoping not to trigger Lyrazesque¡¯s wrath by accident, and decided to just ignore the girl entirely. But their plan failed immediately, as the demoness dictated the terms of peace.

    First, her domain would be extended several leagues outwards from its current boundaries. Those who did not wish to be subjected to her rule would have one month to leave; after that, no one would be allowed to enter or escape. The new territory would serve as a buffer, lest anyone accidentally stray inside her lands proper.

    Second, a lodge was to be built in the neutral territory. Every year, the Council would be required to send a delegation to address the demoness¡¯s concerns and the required tribute.

    Third, the Council was given a long object, wrapped in burlap. When they asked what it was, the truth of the demoness¡¯s Sword was finally revealed at last. It was not lost, as previously theorized, but had remained with Lyrazesque the entire time. Until now. For her next request was for them to take the Sword far, far away from her, and hide it in a place she would not know. The unfortunate sword bearer would have to be sacrificed, after the Sword was hidden, so that no one else could find it either. But the Council surmised that the demoness willingly giving up her most powerful weapon was a good thing, and so they did not protest.

    Finally, and perhaps most shockingly, the demoness informed the Council that they would be taking the girl to be a rotating ward at the courts of the various kingdoms, duchies, and empires, so that she could learn the ways of man. For this was no random half-demon, but Lyrazesque¡¯s own flesh and blood, her daughter. This revelation caused several delegation members to faint, while the others offered their sincere apologies for the perceived slight. The demoness ignored them, and bade the girl to step across the gap between the boats, which she did without complaint.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Before another word could be spoken, Lyrazesque¡¯s skiff turned around and sailed off into the distance, leaving the men to deal with the scared little girl now in their charge. You have heard of this girl, who, five hundred years later, is now on the cusp of womanhood, for the demon life cycle is much slower than humans.

    She is known as Lady Elara of the Moon Court in polite circles, or Elara the Half-Breed in impolite ones. A fixture across the Continent, she maintains a warm and charming visage. Her manners are impeccable and her knowledge of the Disciplines is second-to-none. Indeed, were it not for her horns and tail, which have grown only slightly in the intervening years, she could be easily confused with one of her ladies-in-waiting.

    But she also serves as a constant reminder to the would-be rulers that their power is an illusion, and that but for the mercy of the demoness in the North, their ancestors would have all died on the water that day long ago. Many have debated the merit of the deal that was struck, but few can argue that the intervening centuries have been calm, at least outside of the borders of the demon lands. What goes on passed the buffer is still a mystery, the only clue being the annual visits to the Truce Lodge, and the knowledge gleaned from them is still woeful. Even Lady Elara knows not what her mother is up to, or so say the whispers from her current court.

    But there is another nearly woman that you do not know. She lives an unassuming life, in a small village tucked between the Mountains of Arris, far from the Cities and far from the gaze of Lyrazesque. She is a smith¡¯s apprentice, a hardy girl who can wield a sword or a bow with equal ease, for that is what is required for all children who grow up in Arris.

    This girl is called Hana because she is the flower of her village. She has heard tales of the Demon Wars of ages past, but they are just stories that the elders tell the children so that they do not wander off at night. She has never paid them any mind. But that is all about to change.

    One crisp fall morning, Hana was out collecting water from one of the newer cisterns, when she heard a strange sound. It wasn¡¯t a bird, for Hana was familiar with their songs. And it wasn¡¯t the family of brown bears, they wouldn¡¯t return from their summer foraging for several weeks. No, this was different. This was ¡­ could it be a yokai?

    Hana demurred. There had not been a yokai spotted in the Mountains for many generations, thanks to the wards that ringed the range. Had they somehow failed? She knew she should return to the village, to alert the elders, but for some reason, she decided to find the source of the sound.

    Hana walked further into the forest, until she came across something she had never seen before: a small opening in the giant rock formations that she had spent hours climbing over as a child. To call it a cave would be generous, for it was barely large enough for Hana to squeeze through. Which she found herself doing before her better sense could intervene.

    She crawled on her stomach, probably ruining her favorite stole in the process, until she found herself in an expansive cavern. Though it should have been pitch black, somehow she could still see, though not very well. Her eyes tracked the source of the light down one of the branching tunnels in front of her, and again, perhaps not knowing any better, she followed it.

    As she did, the sound from earlier got louder and louder, the pit in her stomach growing larger and larger. Hana thought about turning back. She was weaponless and she had not yet broken her fast, so she was in no shape to defend herself, should it come to that. But thankfully, the end of the tunnel delivered her into a chamber where nothing menacing seemed to be waiting.

    Hana¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to the center of this strange place, which unlike the rest of the cave seemed to have been purposefully carved from the rock. And in the center of the room was a dais, where both the light and the sound were emanating. On the platform, resting across two y-shaped poles, was something draped in burlap.

    Hana scrambled up to it, as if being pulled inward, and unwrapped the mysterious package to find a gigantic (and glowing) sword. Larger than any in the village, she doubted she could move it from its resting place. But the morning¡¯s surprises continued, as she grasped the handle of the sword and lifted it into the air with ease.

    Hana took a few practice swings before bringing the blade up to her ear. She could detect no trace of the mysterious sound, either coming from the blade or anywhere else in the room. Shrugging her shoulders, she fashioned a makeshift sling with the burlap and nestled the sword in between it and her back, not relishing the journey back through the narrow passage.

    But before she could get any further, something stopped her dead in her tracks. A whisper, barely there, but yet it was, just the same.

    ¡°Please,¡± said a young man¡¯s voice. ¡°Help me.¡±

 Chapter 1, Part 1: The Maiden

    Hana knew she made a mistake from the moment she drew the sword from the cloth sack. The cave was dark and then it wasn¡¯t. That was the blade¡¯s doing. It shone with the glow of a dozen suns. But not the happy sun that rose above Riti Peak every morning, that bathed her tranquil valley with light even in the winter months. No, the sword¡¯s light was red in quality and in emotion. Hana felt her hand pulse as she gripped the hilt, like the weapon had a heart of its own. But that was stupid. Swords weren¡¯t alive, they didn¡¯t have hearts or minds or souls.

    Later that night, after Hana had stashed the sword away in the sack under her bed, she considered the peculiar adventure into the cave for a moment before drifting off to sleep. Tomorrow she would seek out the village elder. He would know what to make of the weapon because he knew many things about many weapons.

    But sleep never came. Instead, it was more like a waking dream. The sword was there, but so was a boy. He looked to be a few years older than Hana, but she couldn¡¯t be sure, as she never saw his face. When she awoke the next morning, she felt completely drained, like she had been up all night.

    She downed her morning porridge and ran out the door, the sword secured in its sack and tied around her back. The Elder considered the blade for a moment before shooing her out of the meeting hall.

    And that was the last Hana thought about it.

    Until four years later, when she was summoned to the hall. In just a few days time, she was to undergo her Trial, the rite of passage every child of the Arris Valley was expected to complete, in one manner or another. Because those of the Valley knew there were many ways to contribute, not only physical prowess, but also craftsmanship, husbandry, and farming. They had little need of the outside world, save for the Merchants, who traveled beyond the mountains once a season to trade goods and bring morsels of news. This is how it had always been, ever since the Founding, hundreds of years ago.

    The Elder sat in the middle of the table on the dais, along with a representative of each Discipline. Hana was slightly confused, as her Trial was not permitted to begin even a second before the clock struck midnight on her 18th birthday.

    ¡°Hana.¡±

    He spoke her name with a note of resignation and sorrow, as if he was not about to proceed over one of the most important days of her life.

    ¡°Yes, Elder? Is my Trial going to begin early? I thought that wasn¡¯t allowed.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°And there will be no Trial, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Hana. ¡°Everyone must complete their Trial. Even in failure we learn our true Calling, to serve the Valley. If I cannot complete my Trial, then...¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to say it out loud. There was always a couple of kids every so often who refused the strict lifestyle demanded of those who made their home here. They were given a month¡¯s provisions on what would have been the day of their Trial, and were escorted up to the Pass, never to return to the Valley again.

    ¡°... you must leave the Valley,¡± said the Swordsmaiden. She had trained Hana ever since she was strong enough to lift one of the wooden practice blades.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Immediately,¡± said the Blacksmith. He has crafted Hana her first weapon: a small dagger, good for both combat and for skinning game. And she had become his youngest apprentice ever at just 11 years old, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Hana, tears welling up in her eyes.

    ¡°You discovered the Bane,¡± said the Sower. She managed the Valley¡¯s fields and worked with Hana¡¯s mother. The two had been childhood friends.

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°The sword. From the cave,¡± said the Elder. ¡°We have studied it. We have studied the Scrolls of Founding. It is as they have described.¡±

    ¡°That was four years ago! What have you been doing this whole time?¡±

    She felt the rage build up from inside. Her entire life, which she had so perfectly pictured, was falling apart within seconds. She would join the Guard or the Tillers for a spell before taking over the Smith¡¯s shop. She would pair with the Sower¡¯s oldest, Leras. They had already kissed on more than one occasion. Behind the old red barn. It was a good match, and their offspring would be hearty citizens of the Valley.

    Finally her anger reached a crescendo, and she let out a primal scream. And as she did, the blade¡¯s metal shone to meet her, a crimson red to match her fire.

    Hana clapped her hand over her mouth, unsure of what she had done. Deep down though, she knew that everything was about to change.

    ¡°You see now, don¡¯t you?¡± asked the Elder, quietly, and Hana nodded. ¡°We were tasked with keeping the Bane a secret, our village founded on that principle. Everything we have ever done here was in service of that mission. And were anyone ever to come try to claim it, we would spill their blood without a second thought. For any price would be worth paying to ensure that the sword remains hidden.¡±

    ¡°But now?¡±

    Hana didn¡¯t want to ask what was so horrible about this sword that her entire village had been created because of it. She didn¡¯t want to think of what would happen now that she had extinguished its purpose. She didn¡¯t want to be the Bane of her home. And that was why, she realized, she needed to leave and never return.

    ¡°Now you must go,¡± said the Swordsmaiden.

    ¡°OK,¡± said Hana.

    ¡°And you must take the Bane with you,¡± said the Sower.

    ¡°Wait, what? Why am I to take it? You can just put it back in the cave. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple,¡± said the Smith. ¡°The blade is now awake. It won¡¯t be long now before someone comes for it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so confused. Whose sword is that?¡±

    The men and women stared at each other, before the Elder finally nodded.

    ¡°Some call her the Scourge of the Continent,¡± said the Sower. ¡°Others, the Red Death. But we know her true name. Lyrazesque, Demoness of the North. Holder of the sword that bears her name. With that blade, she smashed the armies of the Great Cities, before staking claim to the Seat of Ayre.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± said Hana. ¡°You mean the tales we were told as whelps around the fire about the Demon Wars, they were¡­?

    ¡°It¡¯s true. All of it,¡± said the Elder. ¡°And after her conquest, she turned over the sword to the kingdoms of men, to hide it from her.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°That we were never told,¡± said the Smith. ¡°The Founders weren¡¯t supposed to survive. After they returned from hiding the blade, their escorts were to have killed them and then themselves, so that the sword would have been truly hidden.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, the gods had a different fate in mind,¡± said the Sower. ¡°Because before the deed could be done, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and killed the escorts. The Founders entered into the Pact the next day, and our village was born.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡±

    Hana didn¡¯t have to think hard to figure out that her home, founded on a secret purpose, would likely collapse once that purpose was gone.

    ¡°That is unknown,¡± said the Elder. ¡°But enough talk, for now. We need to get you ready.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For your journey,¡± said the Swordsmaiden. ¡°Now that the Bane is yours to bear, you must finish what the Hero That Failed could not do.¡±

    ¡°You cannot mean¡­¡±

    The Elder nodded his head slowly, a defeated look on his face, and Hana felt her body start to rebel.

    ¡°You must destroy the blade once and for all.¡±

    Hana fainted.

 Chapter 1, Part 2: The Maiden

    Hana¡¯s 18th birthday began with a downpour.

    She was about halfway down the mountain trail when she stopped for the night. Two days had passed since she had been summarily exiled, and the anger coursing through her body had not yet relented. The Village Council had given her a generous set of supplies for the journey to Porrezan, but other than a few minutes to write a letter to her parents, they had not allowed her any additional time to say a proper goodbye to the only home she had ever known.

    And so, instead of an anxious night spent in her warm bed waiting for her Trial to begin, she was alone in a cold tent, the wind howling outside. At some point, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep, only to awake early in the morning to the pitter-patter of rain drops sounding on the canvas walls. The gentle timber soon gave way to a deluge, and Hana debated whether to strike camp now or wait for the storm to relent.

    She chose the former, not wanting her only shelter to be soaked through for days on end. The elements battered her as she trudged further down the slope, but Hana supposed this day was always going to be an arduous one. At around midday, the sun peeked out from behind the cloud, and she quickly made a fire using the dry kindling in her pack, only for the heavens to open back up and soak her all over again.

    Finally, as night fell, the rain stopped. Hana withdrew a scope from inside her cloak, trying to locate any signs of humanity in the forest that brushed up against the mountain. But all she saw through the glass was darkness.

    A salty meal of smoked meat later, and she was ready for another horrid day to be over. But her body was still shivering and her stomach was still growling, and the last thing she wanted to do was lie down and let her anguish overtake her.

    She lit a tiny fire and took out a map of the lands beyond the Valley, hand-drawn by the 17th Librarian, according to the messy signature in the corner. Her studying was cut short, however, by tiny drops of rain splashing against the parchment. Hana looked up at the sky to confirm that the storm had returned, but was only met by the sight of the glittering stars and an unusually full moon. It took her a moment to realize that the drops were not from the rain, but from her own eyes. With no one to shame her into silence, she let out a guttural cry that echoed through the wood.

    Although it felt good in the moment, Hana regretted the outburst almost immediately, when a slime bear emerged from the brush. It looked like a regular bear, if a regular bear had globs of green mucus all over its body instead of fur. Hana knew of the creature only from a bestiary in the Village library, as such disgusting animals were not something that ever made their way into the Valley.

    The bear began sniffing frantically, leaving green slime everywhere as it moved closer to Hana. She contemplated a dozen different ways of dispatching it (except using the Bane), but before she could make a decision, the creature caught her gaze, staring right at her with disgusting dark green eyes, its mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

    Hana reached for her pack in a panic, but the first thing she felt was that stupid sword wrapped in its stupid cloth sack. Her fingers fumbled, looking in vain for the set of throwing knives she knew were also inside. Night¡¯s End, her own would-be sword, was still a dissembled mess, tucked away at the very bottom. She had planned for another season of tempering before she was going to attempt the runecast that would have imbued the implement with ability to blot out even the darkest of nights. Of course, that plan, like so many others, was forever lost to her. Instead, she had resigned herself to merely attaching the hilt to the blade at the first smith she came across.

    After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to pull the largest knife free. It probably could have killed a were-hawk, if her aim was true, but Hana doubted it would have much success against the mucus-covered monstrosity on front of her. But what other choice did she have?If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Back, back!¡± she cried out, waving the knife in quick arcs through the air. The bear regarded her with a look of curiosity, as best she could tell, because its face was hardly a measure of simplicity.

    But then it pushed itself up onto its hind legs with a graceful speed Hana didn''t think it was capable of and scrunched its nose before letting out a blast of green disgustingness from its mouth. The first shot extinguished the fire, the second Hana sliced through at the cost of the snot covering her strong hand, leaving her defenseless against the third, which hit her square in the chest.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± she cried, trying to keep her balance. She staggered backward before regaining her composure, as she had been trained to do.

    Breath in, breath out.

    What is, is.

    What will be, will be.

    Those were the mantras that had been drilled into her head over countless hours and countless months and countless years. Except that as soon as she took that first breath in, the putrid smell of the slime reminded her that it was a lie. It had always been a lie.

    She had played the part of the dutiful daughter of the Valley, done everything and more that had been asked of her, and in the end they had tossed her out like tepid bathwater just the same.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough!¡± she screamed. She didn¡¯t care that her shout might attract another slime bear or something worse. She didn¡¯t care that she was covered in disgusting globs of bodily excrement. She didn¡¯t care that there was a good chance she wouldn¡¯t even make it down the mountain at all. All she cared about, in that moment, was unleashing her rage.

    And that was what she did.

    The pent-up emotion flowed out of her like the gushing hot spring water that poured out of the mountain every spring, and for the first time in a while, Hana felt at ease with herself and the world.

    In that moment, she didn¡¯t notice the eerie glow emitting from her pack, or from her own body, for that matter. All she noticed was that the bear finally had a look of fear on its miserable face, and she was going to press the advantage.

    Hana took a few steps back before breaking into a run, and just before she reached the creature, she bent her knees and launched herself into the air. She collided with the bear¡¯s midsection and swung her knife arm upward, slicing off a piece of slime that she hoped was at least one of its ears. The animal roared in pain, swinging its body violently from side to side. Unfortunately for Hana, she remained stuck to the bear, like a helpless hungry little cub being carried along in the forest.

    With nothing to get purchase on, it was only a matter of seconds before the slime bear decided to redirect its fury onto the idiot girl who had thrown herself into its grasp. It was then that, against all better judgment, Hana surrendered herself to the mercy of the wild. She let her body go slack, she exhaled all of the anger inside her, and she waited for the next hard swipe of the bear¡¯s paw.

    But it never came. Because the next thing Hana heard was not the growl of the animal¡¯s voice, but a boy shouting. It wasn¡¯t so much a shout, more like a request, that the bear let her go. If Hana¡¯s face hadn¡¯t been stuck to the slime, she would have laughed. Except that a moment later, a clawed hand was pulling her free and depositing her on the ground.

    She gave the bear one more look, but it immediately tore off into the woods from where it came, and Hana turned to face her rescuer.

    He looked to be not much older than her, with a light scruff covering the bottom third of his face. He wore a simple red cloak, which stood out against the dark green of the forest, and his hair was messily unkempt but in a deliberate sort of way. And hooked to his belt was what appeared to be a sword, although the cloak was covering its hilt.

    ¡°Hi!¡± said the boy.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Hana, finally feeling her heartbeat slow down to normal. ¡°I thought I was a goner.¡±

    ¡°I barely had to do anything,¡± said the boy. ¡°I think you tired it out with all your flailing.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I had a perfectly good plan of escape, if you must know.¡±

    She didn¡¯t appreciate being chided by the stranger, but she really couldn¡¯t complain, as he had just saved her life.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hana, of Bevellar.¡±

    The Elders had impressed up on her to never reveal where she was actually from, lest word spread throughout the Continent about the young exiled girl from the secluded Valley. Maybe on her journey she would actually get to the visit the great City of Passage, that separated the the eastern and western spans of the Continent. But for now, she was content that her new ¡°home¡± had not engendered any reaction from the boy.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Hana. I¡¯m Mati.¡±

 Chapter 2: The Mother

    The three young ladies-in-waiting silently cursed as they wound their way up the magick-hewn stairs. On either side of them were smooth rock fans that shielded the sun, but on this hot dry day, they were not in the mood to appreciate the care and skill that the Founders of the Great City of Guardial had wielded many centuries ago to create these traverses between the different tiers of the city.

    Nor were they in the mood to contemplate why it was that those founders had chosen the bowels of the high cliffs along the Nidorian Sea as the location for their home, which lacked any sort of harbor. They did not particularly care why the men of the Second Founding (because of course it was the men who made the decision) had not abandoned this place after the Catastrophe and instead sought refuge further south, perhaps in Porrezan, with its temperate climate, amazing ports, and most importantly, a complete lack of climbing up and down stone staircases.

    No, they only had one thought on their minds as they made their way up to the High Tier, where this afternoon¡¯s destination was located: to make it back home alive. Sure, that was a little dramatic, but that is how women of this age tended to be. The title almost demanded it. Who would even want a lady-in-waiting who was not constantly scheming, preening, and status-chasing? Nobody, that¡¯s who. But unfortunately for these three, the fortitude of their thoughts trailed too far ahead, where they were noticed by the very woman on their way to visit.

    Only half of that last sentence was true, of course.

    ¡°Why does she live all the way up here?¡± asked Celeste as she withdrew a handkerchief to wipe the solitary bead of sweat that had formed on her forehead.

    ¡°I think,¡± said Rika, ¡°it¡¯s because her scent would not be welcome on the Grand Tier.¡±

    They summited the last of the steps and exited the alcove into the bright warmth that blanketed the highest Tier of the City. The harsh extremes up here were why almost all of the noble families had made their home one level down.

    ¡°No,¡± said Ashe, who, through her mother¡¯s line, claimed descent from the First Founding. ¡°It¡¯s because she likes to think herself greater than us.¡±

    They approached with some trepidation a great manse that was carved into a nook in the cliff. Its size betrayed nothing, because although it was quite possibly the largest structure in the City, most of the inside was merely an illusion and not actually there. But the three had no reason to know that.

    ¡°Shh,¡± said Celeste. ¡°We must abandon all such talk. You know what they say about ¡­¡±

    The blonde stepped first across the threshold arch, which was carved with intricate horned designs. Perhaps on purpose.

    ¡°. . . the demoness¡¯s ears.¡±

    Lady Elara of the Moon Court closed her book, a Rumination on the Ninth Summoning of Falak, and set it on the table beside her. The rear courtyard was one of her favorite reading spots, and this particular sitting area next to a fountain she had carved with her hands a forewinter ago was perhaps her most preferred. She let out a soft breath and shut down her mind-sense, as she considered it rude to eavesdrop on the thoughts of another when they were in your immediate presence. And just as the trio exited the back of the manse, Elara scrunched her face slightly and extended her shimmering red hair so that it covered most, but not all, of her horns.

    ¡°Ah, my friends,¡± she said. ¡°You are late.¡±

    The girls glanced at each other, and Elara did not need to peek into their minds to know that they would not consider themselves friends of hers, but their mothers had impressed upon them the importance of not upsetting the Demoness Spawn. Whereas in past centuries, she had chafed at the abject hatred that she inspired amongst the courts, she was at an age now where she was able to merely let it crest over her, unaffected.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Ashe. ¡°It is a long climb, and we also stopped to get you this!¡±

    The short-haired brunette held out a small perfectly wrapped package, with a distinctive bow on the top.

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± said Elara. ¡°Treats from Gustavson¡¯s Bakery I presume?¡±

    Celeste and Rika grit their teeth, no doubt to suppress the laugh that would betray them, while Ashe maintained her stately composure.

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± she said. ¡°I expect they are quite delicious.¡±

    Elara smiled and clapped her hands in approval.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± she said. ¡°My assistant will serve them for us.¡±

    A whirring sound echoed off in the distance, only to grow louder and louder. The source soon appeared: a metallic female-shaped figure wearing a simple blue dress, whose chrome plating reflected the mid-day sun into the visitors¡¯ eyes, causing them to squint uncontrollably. When they recovered, they again forced themselves to not betray their true reactions to the magick-powered automaton now in their midst.

    Thea, as Elara had named her, was practically perfect. She could calculate the square root of nine digit numbers down to the hundredth decimal, she could recite obscure poetry only known to the most far-flung scholars, and she could also lift a small elephanate. Had she the skin of a human girl instead of the metal outer casing, she might have been crowned the queen of light and beauty at last year¡¯s Moon Festival, instead of Ashe¡¯s older sister. But such advances were still a decade away at least, Elara surmised.

    The automaton took the package and unwrapped it with unnatural haste, plating the contents onto small dishes she had stashed in the folds of her dress, before depositing them on the wooden table nearby. Elara bade her guests to take their seats, and they nervously complied.

    ¡°Your assistant,¡± said Ashe, glancing up and down at the near-woman as if Thea was a very intelligent dog, ¡°is quite impressive. I assume you had help from the Academy on that endeavor?¡±

    ¡°Only to borrow some of their older scrolls,¡± said Elara. ¡°And I would prefer to think of her as a friend, not an ¡®endeavor.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± said Ashe. ¡°It¡¯s just ¡­ there¡¯s nothing like real companionship, I¡¯ve found.¡± The woman rapped her knuckle against Thea¡¯s thigh with a wicked look on her face, and it took all of Elara¡¯s patience not to commit something unspeakable. Instead, she gritted her teeth against a forced smile.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Shall we dig in?¡±

    The carefully wrapped flaky pastries looked decadent, and it was known that Gustavson had the best sense of flavor perhaps in all the City.

    Each of the girls lifted their respective plate with trepidation for a moment, before setting them back down.

    ¡°You first, Elara,¡± said Rika.

    ¡°Yes, ummm, we snuck a few on the way up here, I¡¯m afraid,¡± said Celeste.

    Elara drew in a deep breath, causing the girls¡¯ cheeks to blush slightly, and then sunk her somewhat pointed-but-not-too-pointed teeth fully into the pastry.

    ¡°Curious,¡± she said, between bites, before setting  the ¡°treat¡± back down on the plate. ¡°But delicious nonetheless.¡±

    Without wasting another second, Elara flicked her wrist and twisted her fingers, causing the other three pastries to go up on flames and her company to shriek hysterically.

    ¡°Now, now, ladies. Your prank was a good one,¡± said Elara, grabbing the remainder of her pastry. ¡°But unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, for you, I happen to like the taste of beetle dung.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°They were quite rude,¡± said Thea, as she cleaned up the ashes that used to be plates.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± said Elara. ¡°There is no one else here. The ¡®maid¡¯ pretense is not needed.¡±

    Thea ignored her plea.

    ¡°It is no bother. Besides, it will give me practice at using my new fingers.

    Elara had recently upgraded each of Thea¡¯s limbs, and unfortunately the automaton was forced to spend several weeks basically learning how to walk again.

    But Thea did not seem to have minded. She was an equal participant in each of her improvements, and in fact had contributed several herself, without any prompting. These were the most exciting developments of the whole experiment, although Elara felt guilty referring to her only friend as such.

    For Lady Elara of the Moon Court had lived in Guardial for several hundred years at this point, and had utterly failed to make any personal connection since she had arrived. Part of that was her unique temporal situation. She had spent many decades as a child, and then pre-teen, and of course, as a teenager. (At some point in the last century she had written to the families of each of the maids who had somehow survived caring for her all this time.)

    Such was the bounty granted to her as the spawn of a full demoness. To her the years passed like months, and now that she was fully independent, she oftentimes lost track of a decade when buried in her studies.

    But due to her patrilineal line, she was only half demon, and that meant that while she had been blessed with an extraordinarily long life span, unlike her mother¡¯s, it would eventually come to an end. Given her current appearance as a 22-year old woman, she estimated that she had a good two thousand years of life left ahead of her, although she rarely thought about such things.

    Instead, her thoughts lately were focused on the life she had created all on her own in her laboratory. Such an achievement, if widely known, would have shocked the Schools of Magick throughout the Continent, which is why she and Thea kept up the appearance that the latter was merely a glorified robotic housekeeper. In truth, Elara¡¯s experiments with creation were, deep down, selfish in nature. A desire to outrun the destiny that was being forced on her by her absentee mother many years ago, in the last letter she had received from her.

    Thea quickly swept up the remaining ash and retreated into the manse, leaving Elara alone once more. There were still several hours left of daylight, enough to finish reading the book, for whatever reason, the afternoon tea had left a sour taste in her mouth. She harbored no illusion that the entirety of the Guardial nobility loathed her with a burning passion, ever since she had made her home there. But they well knew the price to be paid if word made its way up to the Ayre, as they had paid it dearly before. And so she and the nobles and their children, and their children¡¯s children, had played their game of minimal tolerance over and over again. It was all quite exhausting.

    Before Elara could pick up her book again, Thea re-emerged from the house with great haste, carrying a small wrapped package.

    ¡°This just arrived,¡± said Thea.

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Elara. ¡°More pastries then? Perhaps the real flavors?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Thea. ¡°I found it in the fire pit.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The fire pit in the kitchen was where Elara cooked her more creative evening meals, including a wide variety of meat that most people in Guardial would never consider eating. It also served another purpose, however.

    Elara unwrapped this second package of the day to find something worse than the dung-filled pastries.

    It looked like one of the lighting orbs that Elara had developed 30 years ago and that now provided odor-free lighting in the basement lab. Except that this orb was red and instead of a socket that fit into a lamp, this had a connector that only fit one place.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Thea. ¡°How do you suppose your mother knows how to create a module compatible with my logic interface?¡±

    ¡°An excellent question,¡± said Elara. ¡°One I would rather not know the answer to.¡±

    ¡°That may be true,¡± said Thea. ¡°But if you were to smash this against the wall as your furrowed brow is indicating you would like to do, the next missive would only be more uncomfortable.¡±

    Elara stared at Thea, slightly surprised at her intuition. She had come a long way since the day Elara had activated the life runes, a complicated undertaking to say the least. As she had watched her creation grow and evolve, Elara couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride in what she created. No, who she had created. She hoped it would be enough for her mother.

    ¡°Fine. You¡¯ve convinced me. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    Thea nodded, before pulling up her dress to reveal her smooth, metal torso. She pressed inward where her stomach would be, and the seams of a small door appeared before sliding out and then downward to reveal a panel of switches, knobs, and, most importantly for this exercise, an input port.

    The module fit precisely, like Elara had made it herself, and it gave off a satisfying click just before the glass end lit up in a fiery red. Elara looked up at her friend¡¯s face to see Thea¡¯s eyes now sporting that same color, and a moment later, the automaton¡¯s expression changed completely.

    ¡°Hello, daughter,¡± said a voice that was not Thea¡¯s. It made Elara¡¯s skin prickle in a way that most things could not. ¡°I hope you are well. Thank you for devising this new method of communication. I think it will serve us perfectly. I have missed seeing you at the Truce Lodge and I am going to rectify that.¡±

    The Truce Lodge was a small cabin that sat at the border of what remained of the Great Cities¡¯ territory and the northern reaches that Elara¡¯s mother had seized long ago. Each year, representatives from each side were to meet and discuss any issues that had arisen. Elara had gone for many years, hoping to speak to her mother, but she could not remember the last time that the Demoness of the North had attended the annual session.

    ¡°In a fortnight, I will be paying you a visit at your manse. I know what you are thinking. ¡®Such a visit is prohibited by the Accords! The Great Cities will call their banners if they find out!¡¯ Which is why they won¡¯t be finding out. On this you will have to trust me. Why it is that I must see you in person will have to wait until I arrive. But please start the preparations for my stay now. You know how demanding my needs are. Don¡¯t worry, I will only be there for a few days. I have other business further south that I must take care of personally before I return to the North. Until then, child, may the blood of your enemies flow quickly.¡±

    The red glass shattered as the message ended, and Elara quickly removed the module from Thea, whose eyes thankfully returned to normal in a few seconds.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Elara asked.

    ¡°I believe so,¡± said Thea. ¡°But I cannot say the same for you. Your complexion looks paler than the new moon.¡±

    Elara stared at herself in the mirror that hung over the breakfast nook, and confirmed for herself what she already felt inside her.

    ¡°That¡¯s my mother for you,¡± she said. ¡°She knows just what to say to make me feel like a tiny bug.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± said Thea. ¡°For as much as I consider you my mother, know that you do not make me feel that way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Thea,¡± said Elara. ¡°I appreciate it. Unfortunately all plans for a relaxing evening are out the window. We must begin preparing the south wing immediately for my mother¡¯s arrival. Grab your cloak. It¡¯s going to be a cold night in the swamp.¡±