Maybe it\u2019s the wine talking, but I don\u2019t think Reynold the [Butler]\u2019s such a bad guy. I mean, sure, he\u2019s a bit uptight and he\u2019s in the employ of a woman who might soon kill or torture me, but Reynold? He\u2019s got class.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably the alcohol. But in my defense, I\u2019ve downed over half a bottle by myself. Not much of a defense I\u2019ll grant you, but my nerves are still shaking.<\/p>\n
Almost literally. I sit at the head of Magnolia\u2019s magical carriage, staring at the sleet and snow blasting around us and shudder again.<\/p>\n
Goblins.<\/p>\n
It feels like just a moment ago they were about to dice us up. In truth, it\u2019s been more like twenty minutes. And I\u2019m still not over it.<\/p>\n
Neither is Reynold. The poor carriage driver sits hunched in his seat. The wine \u2013 courtesy of the empty bottle I tossed a while back \u2013 fortified us both. But neither of us are exactly happy.<\/p>\n
Maybe that\u2019s why we chat a bit as we keep going towards Invrisil, and Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s mansion. Not about anything in particular; we talk just to keep ourselves from thinking. But I do learn something really interesting, and so does he.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou met Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Miss Solstice, Miss Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n
We stare at each other. I had no idea. I mean, I know Erin mentioned meeting Lady Magnolia. She told me a lot about her encounter and of course I grilled her on the details, but did she mention a [Butler]?<\/p>\n
\u2026Crap. I think she might have. But of course I wouldn\u2019t have paid attention to that. And did she mention his name? Was it Reynold?<\/p>\n
I have a bad feeling this might have been one of the things I ignored about her story. Idiot! But Reynold seems just as impressed in his way that I know Erin.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe did mention you, Miss. I gather she was worried about your safety, but I hardly realized you two were on such good terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s odd, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
I sigh as I stare across the frozen landscape. God. I wish she was here. She met Magnolia Reinhart and came away without a scratch somehow. Erin might be annoying at times, thoughtless, but I\u2019d rather have her as I\u2019m about to enter the lair of the beast than not.<\/p>\n
And when she told me all she\u2019d been through\u2014I clench my hand as I remember. She told me about Magnolia, and I flipped out at her. I got into a fight with her! True, I\u2019d just lost some fingers, but I should have been more understanding.<\/p>\n
Regrets. I ride on with Reynold and try to answer his questions as I think about what\u2019s going to happen next. Will I die? Or will I get a chance to convince Lady Magnolia that\u2014what? I\u2019m on the same side as she is?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what she told Erin. But I don\u2019t know if I can believe that. I\u2019m damn sure that I can\u2019t trust her or anyone with the knowledge of how to make guns. But how do I get out of this with my skin intact?<\/p>\n
I have a few ideas. The first of which is drinking from the second wine bottle I got Ressa to pass up to us. Ivolethe greedily slurps down the rich wine as she sits next to me. It\u2019s actually sort of disgusting the more I look at her, but it\u2019s one of those things I can\u2019t take my eyes off of. She\u2019s drunk at least three times her body weight already, I swear, but she doesn\u2019t even seem daunted by the sheer physical impossibility of it. She just keeps drinking happily, and singing some song that might be in Celtic.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss, I wonder if I could have a word?\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynold\u2019s voice breaks me out of my thoughts. I look over to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitates, and casts a look back towards the carriage behind him. I look too\u2014Ressa\u2019s closed the hatch separating us. Reassured, Reynold speaks to me, but quietly, and I scoot over to listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Lady Reinhart has requested your presence, just as she has the other\u2026people from your world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gods. He knows. But Reynold doesn\u2019t seem bothered by that. He\u2019s frowning, and I can tell he\u2019s thinking something over. Anything to help me out. I listen as he comes to a decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s true her methods may seem sudden to people who do not know her\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
I snort.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s an understatement. Kidnapping me out of a city is normal, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
To my surprise Reynold\u2019s lips twitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than you might think. No one gainsays a member of the Five Families, least of all Magnolia Reinhart. And it\u2019s true that Lady Reinhart demands much. I know you have your issues with her. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynold hesitates. He looks again back towards the carriage. Ressa hasn\u2019t said anything since the Goblins. Reassured, he continues talking. Even so, he lowers his voice to a whisper. I practically have to put my ear to his lips to hear him over the rushing wind.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is not a bad woman, Miss Ryoka. Driven, yes, but she cares deeply for the fate of her servants and all those living on this continent. If you can create even one of the wonders the others from your world claim\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReynold. Stop talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Reynold and I jump in our seats. He twists in his seat, face pale. But the window into the carriage is still closed. I stare at the closed door in amazement. We\u2019re still going at top speed, and the wind is blasting around us. It\u2019s hard just to hear Reynold\u2019s voice, but Ressa was inside<\/em> the coach.<\/p>\n She heard that? Is it another [Ninja] skill? Or [Assassin]?<\/p>\n What is she?<\/p>\n I have no idea. But her words are enough to scare Reynold witless. He grips the reins of the carriage in a death grip and refuses to talk, no matter what I try. So the rest of the ride passes in silence. But the entire while I\u2019m thinking.<\/p>\n Magnolia. What does she want? She claims not to want to use technology from my world. But I don\u2019t believe her. So what should I do? Help her? Do I have a choice?<\/p>\n How do I get myself out of this one? I\u2019ve got\u2026one option? Two. Mm\u2026maybe three. Three ways to get out of this mess.<\/p>\n Fighting isn\u2019t one of those options. Aside from the fact that I\u2019m pretty sure Ressa is a better fighter than I am, I know how influential Magnolia Reinhart is. Even if by some miracle I ran away, she could have every adventurer, city guardsman and assassin on the continent after me in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n No, I\u2019ve got to talk my way out of this. I just wish I was confident in my ability to do so. So I sit in the cold, apprehensive, trying to bring out all the intelligence, all the wit I have.<\/p>\n But I am afraid. If I were the me of a month ago, I might be so cocksure and brave to think I can get out of this no matter what happens. But now\u2014<\/p>\n The carriage slows. I sit up instantly and see something appear out of the white background. A mansion, guarded by high walls and a single gate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe manor of Magnolia Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s all Reynold says as he drives us through the gates. They swing open instantly as we approach, but I see no gatekeeper. Automatic magical gates?<\/p>\n Yeah. Why not? But then my cynicism is lost as I stare at the mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cOh wow.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin told me a bit about Magnolia\u2019s mansion, but I was mainly focusing on what Magnolia wanted of her and me. She told me about the magic\u2014<\/p>\n But this is something else.<\/p>\n A whale swims across the front of the house, gliding across the stone as if it were a sea. A line of metal giants, suits of armor with empty visors, stand at attention, flanking the entrance. And a cloud floats through the suddenly clear skies overhead. Even the air is warmer, and as I step outside the coach, I suddenly feel warm in my clothes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s suddenly spring again. A cool breeze blows, and I look around and find a group of men and women attired in servant\u2019s clothing are standing with the Golems. I hop off the front of the carriage and feel my cramped legs protesting. I stare awkwardly at the servants. Well, what do I do? Reynold\u2019s sitting in the front seat, quiet. But what about these other servants?<\/p>\n Are they a welcoming committee? For me? Is Magnolia Reinhart really\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome back, Miss Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuck.<\/em> They scared the ever living crap<\/em> out of me. All of the servants speak at once as they bow towards the carriage. I look back and see Ressa stepping down from the side of the carriage as Reynold holds the door open.<\/p>\n Now here\u2019s a contrast. She\u2019s dressed like a maid, but she descends and walks past me like a queen. Of course, I was taught proper posture and etiquette when I was young, but I didn\u2019t take much to it.<\/p>\n But Ressa? Ressa could fill in for the Queen of England any time she wanted. I feel like an idiot as I watch her walk ahead of me. Ressa takes a look at the gathered household staff and begins giving orders like a general.<\/p>\n \u201cTeresa, Bener, tell the others to prepare more refreshments for our guests. Ryoka Griffin will be meeting with Lady Magnolia at once. Eve, a pot of tea. Reynold\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She turns to the [Butler] and I see him bowing his head.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Have the carriage inspected for damage. Then I want you to test the spell lattice. If the wards are damaged, schedule an appointment to have them recast. The [Invisibility Field] should not have cut out from a mere unenchanted bolt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt once, Miss Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n Reynold hurries back to the coach as I stare. Wait, so that was an accident back there? I thought Rags just hit us to make us appear again, but something malfunctioned?<\/p>\n Ressa isn\u2019t even slowing down. She keeps giving orders as people scurry away from us. I eye the imposing Golems. What are they for? To welcome her back? Or to restrain me?<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t look like I\u2019m getting the red carpet welcome. I look at Ivolethe\u2014she\u2019s too busy flying into the suits of armor and laughing at them from the inside to pay attention.<\/p>\n \u201cPst. Ivolethe.\u201d<\/p>\n The tiny faerie hears me. She flies back, opening her mouth to comment, but I shake my head at her warningly.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t speak. And don\u2019t follow me into the manor. Just stay outside, okay? If you can, find out where I am. But don\u2019t go inside. It\u2019s dangerous\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I break off and Ivolethe flies away from me as Ressa turns her head to stare at me. She doesn\u2019t beckon, but I can tell she wants me to come over to her.<\/p>\n I fold my arms and wait. Like hell I\u2019m taking orders from her. Ressa frowns slightly; then she looks up and sighs.<\/p>\n I look up too. I see only darkness overhead, and then a drop of water hits me right in the eye. As I curse I realize the cloud Erin told me about\u2014the one normally circling Magnolia\u2019s garden\u2014is right overhead. And even as I think that, I feel the cloud open up overhead.<\/p>\n Rain begins pouring down on my head, instantly drenching me. And only me. The cloud seems determined to shower me, and I sprint towards the mansion, swearing a blue streak as I reach shelter.<\/p>\n Instantly, the rain stops. I stand, dripping, in the lush interior of a mansion that would put Versailles to shame, and see a gaggle of [Maids], [Manservants], [Butlers], and other staff staring wide-eyed at me.<\/p>\n I hear footsteps, and turn to see Ressa walk in behind me. There\u2019s not a drop of water on her clothing. She looks down her nose at me as I drip onto the marble flagstones. As if it\u2019s my fault I just got rained on<\/em> in the winter.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYour damn Mistress did that, didn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa makes no response. But her lips do twitch as if she\u2019s suppressing a smirk.<\/p>\n \u201cA towel will be provided for you shortly. Lady Magnolia will see you personally. If you will follow me?\u201d<\/p>\n Without another word she begins striding off down the corridor. I stare at her back, but I\u2019ve got no choice. Either I follow her, or I bet something else happens. One of the Golems will start beating me to death, maybe.<\/p>\n I follow her, walking fast to keep up. A [Maid] appears by my side and offers me a towel. I snatch it, dry myself, and hurl it into the face of a passing [Butler]. He drops whatever he was holding and I storm on. If they\u2019re not going to play nice, neither am I.<\/p>\n Okay, that last bit from me was an overreaction. That man didn\u2019t deserve that, and the look I get from Ressa isn\u2019t pleasant to say the least. But I\u2019m only now realizing that this is happening.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to meet Lady Magnolia. Not a minute after I got out of the carriage. She\u2019s not going to give me any time to collect myself or prepare. And she\u2019s going to surprise me and try to catch me off guard any way she can to get the upper hand.<\/p>\n Like that just now. Seriously? Making a cloud rain on me? That\u2019s juvenile. But as a way to keep me off balance, it definitely worked.<\/p>\n Ressa pauses and turns left down a large corridor. She stops before a set of double doors and looks at me reprovingly.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Magnolia awaits you, Ryoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n Just that? No warnings? No hints about what\u2019s going to happen? I take a deep breath.<\/p>\n Crap. This isn\u2019t good. I can tell my nerves are still rattled. And an internal check tells me I\u2019m not only a bit drunk, but I could really use a catnap.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no helping it. I\u2019m in the lion\u2019s den. Or is it Dragon\u2019s den? Bah. I\u2019d rather go up against Teriarch in another riddle game than Magnolia.<\/p>\n And then Ressa pulls open the doors. She steps inside, and I follow her. I stare around an inordinately pink room, looking out over the main area of the manor. We\u2019re on the second floor? When did we get up here?<\/p>\n It\u2019s decorated sparsely for such a lavish room. Aside from the huge windows looking out, there are only two couches and a tea table in the center. I\u2019m sure other furniture used to be here, but now the room is empty save for that. It makes everything feel larger, and somehow more oppressive at the same time.<\/p>\n My eyes find a small pot of steaming tea on the table. I see the empty couch, and then my eyes travel to look at the other occupant of the room, the woman whom Ressa now stands behind.<\/p>\n And then\u2014there she is. Sitting on a plush couch in the center of the room. Poised, elegant, calm and collected. Holding a tea cup in one hand and staring directly at me.<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia.<\/p>\n My breath catches in my chest for a second. This is too sudden. I haven\u2019t prepared, haven\u2019t steeled myself\u2014<\/p>\n But here she is. And it\u2019s too late to slow down, because Magnolia comes out guns blazing.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka! So good to see you again!\u201d<\/p>\n Her bright, cheerful voice nearly gives me a heart attack. I\u2019d almost forgotten\u2014but now I remember. Lady Magnolia. For all you might hear of her wealth, power, and influence, in person she\u2019s quite energetic.<\/p>\n Disarmingly so. Magnolia beckons me to the couch. I hesitate, but then walk over and take a seat. Across from me, the noblewoman beams, the very picture of delight. I keep my eyes on her face.<\/p>\n Remember, she\u2019s not nearly as na\u00efve and innocent as she seems. She acts like Erin, but she\u2019s not. Be on your guard\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cCan I offer you anything? Tea? Biscuits? A knife to the throat? How would you feel most comfortable?\u201d<\/p>\n What? I freeze in my seat. Magnolia laughs lightly as she studies my face. Her eyes are sharp; she watches me like a cat studying a mouse.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Miss Ryoka. You practically ooze<\/em> wariness. Even if I did not have my [Sense Intentions] Skill\u2014which I do and am quite adept at using\u2014I would be able to tell how tense you are. Relax, my dear. You are not in danger. Yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Mind games. Right off the bat. She\u2019s not even pretending\u2014not that I\u2019d believe her\u2014damn. I blink, try to catch my balance. What\u2019s my response here?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not thirsty.\u201d<\/p>\n Brilliant, Ryoka. You\u2019re really showing off your debating skills right now. Dad would be so proud. I grit my teeth and stare at the tea pot. Magnolia raises her eyebrows. She glances up at Ressa, and shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least you weren\u2019t foolish enough to ask if the tea is poisoned. Honestly, why would anyone waste good tea like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can think of a few reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? It must be terrible, being so paranoid so young. Don\u2019t you think, Ressa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind Lady Magnolia, the maid nods briefly. I stare at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for sending your maid to personally escort me. I was touched.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThink nothing of it, please. It would have been so inconvenient if you\u2019d fled, and Ressa did manage to protect you from those Goblins, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia chuckles about that, as if Goblin armies are a regular occurrence. Which\u2026is actually not that far from the truth. I stare at her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the rain cloud? Your handiwork as well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA greeting. I know it was a naughty prank; I couldn\u2019t resist. Do forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n And there\u2019s no way to turn it on her. I could\u2026what? Get angry? Pursue the issue? We haven\u2019t even gotten down to the brass tacks yet. I move on.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you made time to see me right away. I must be so <\/em>important.\u201d<\/p>\n Across from me, Lady Magnolia sips from her tea and smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, some might think so. Myself, I was just bored of meeting stuffy dignitaries. I needed some entertainment, so I cancelled my discussion with one of my visitors to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2026kind.\u201d<\/p>\n She twinkles at me, all flowers and blades hidden in the petals.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it? I did consider letting you wait for a few hours while I attended to other business, but I feared you might run off again if I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo fear. I\u2019m not stupid enough to run.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n And there it is again! The woman wears the most bland expression possible as she delivers a damn good retort. I just stare at her for a second. The Magnolia I\u2019m used to dealing with did not<\/em> act like this. Why is she taking the gloves off so early?<\/p>\n Regain the flow of the conversation. I glance at the tea pot. There\u2019s an empty cup and saucer. I reach for it and pour myself a cup. Ressa and Magnolia watch me, one disapprovingly, the other amused.<\/p>\n \u201cThirsty? My dear, let Ressa do that for you. She is<\/em> a [Maid].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd a [Ninja].\u201d<\/p>\n I mutter as I fill my teacup. Magnolia laughs again.<\/p>\n \u201cA [Ninja]? You think Ressa has a [Ninja] <\/em>class?\u201d<\/p>\n She sounds delighted. I stare at her as she turns and laughs in Ressa\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cRessa, did you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA [Ninja]! Wouldn\u2019t that be quite amazing to see? If I bought you some dark clothing, would you hang from the ceiling and jump out of the shadows to fill my cup?\u201d<\/p>\n The Lady Reinhart practically chokes on her drink as she giggles. I just stare at her, and then realize Ressa\u2019s giving me a death glare. Um. Looks like I was mistaken.<\/p>\n \u201cSo she\u2019s not<\/em> a ninja.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh please. Does Ressa look like an islander to you? [Assassins] are the class of choice here; a [Ninja] would be a completely different culture!\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia snorts as she takes a deep drink of tea. I cautiously do likewise. I\u2019m pretty sure the cup isn\u2019t poisoned\u2014why bother if I\u2019m here and she can just do whatever she wants by force? But\u2014<\/p>\n The instant my tongue touches the tea, it practically goes numb. Poison? I nearly spit out the liquid before I realize what I\u2019m tasting.<\/p>\n Sugar. It\u2019s practically liquid sugar<\/em>! I don\u2019t know how many sugar cubes died to make the tea this sweet\u2014all I know is that I\u2019ve tasted sodas that weren\u2019t nearly this bad for your health. Instantly I put the cup down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is<\/em> this filth?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia frowns at me as I make a face and shove the tea cup back onto the table. Not gently either; a bit slops over the side at which point I\u2019m sure it adhered to the table like glue.<\/p>\n \u201cWell now, how rude! That is perfectly good tea, Miss Ryoka. And it is not poisonous in the slightest.\u201d<\/p>\n I scrub at my tongue with my teeth before I reply.<\/p>\n \u201cIt might as well be poison. There\u2019s way too much sugar in that pot!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s right about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa interjects, voice disapproving. Magnolia glances up at her in clear irritation and drinks from her own cup. It\u2019s got to be the same tea\u2014she\u2019s drinking it like water! And pouring herself another cup!<\/p>\n \u201cYou two don\u2019t understand my passions at all. You\u2019re too much like Ressa, dear Ryoka.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s an insult. Ressa and I exchange a glance and then I go back to staring at Magnolia. Once she\u2019s done filling up her own cup, she sighs.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s enough mindless chatter for now.\u201d<\/p>\n She looks at me suddenly, and it\u2019s as if the mask she was wearing, the smiling noble [Lady]\u2014suddenly falls off. All at once I feel pressure in the room, a hot, stifling gaze that sends a chill throughout my body fixing me in place.<\/p>\n This is the true face of Lady Magnolia. But she doesn\u2019t leap at me and tear my eyes out. She just keeps speaking, in that calm, level voice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to speak, but I force my tongue to work.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess. It\u2019s only been about a month? Two?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm. But so much can happen in so short a time. As I\u2019m sure you\u2019re aware in your profession.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia nods at me. She extends a pinkie and points at my right hand with it.<\/p>\n \u201cI see you have lost something.\u201d<\/p>\n I blink at her and then remember. My fingers. They suddenly ache, and burn with the reminder of their absence. I realize I\u2019m clenching my hand and relax it.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something almost like sympathy in the other woman\u2019s gaze as she looks at me.<\/p>\n \u201cA harsh price to pay. Did you lose it on a delivery?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n She nods as there\u2019s nothing more to say than that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have gone through much, if what I suspect is correct. I know for a fact that you are richer\u2014are you wiser as well, I wonder?\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t respond. I just cross my arms\u2014hiding my stumps under my other arm\u2014and wait. She\u2019s leading the conversation; I\u2019ll let her get to the point.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia doesn\u2019t seem bothered by my silence. She taps her ring finger on the cup as she stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI trust you\u2019ve met Erin Solstice? She was quite a feisty young woman, but I was pleased to meet her, if only briefly.\u201d<\/p>\n No response. I say not a word.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Teriarch? I do know you met him. How is the old fool doing? He did mention you to me, you know. Apparently you had a rather interesting conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n Just wait. She\u2019s trying to lure me into conversation. Magnolia eyes me again.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, do you have any theory as to why you are here? Any suspicions? Or am I simply the villain in your uncomplicated view of the world?\u201d<\/p>\n My lips are sealed. Magnolia sighs, exasperated.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well, I suppose I should spell it out for you. You are here because I wish to talk to you. And I sent Ressa because you have a habit of refusing to listen to other people. So you have come all this way to have a conversation, with me, Lady Magnolia.\u201d<\/p>\n I just stare at her. I can keep silent. I\u2019ve had teachers, principals, police officers, and my parents all shouting at me. I can stonewall.<\/p>\n Magnolia keeps chattering, though.<\/p>\n \u201cI do enjoy talking. You see, when two people meet, it is customary for them to talk. I understand this may be difficult in your case, and perhaps it is an imposition on your limited mental faculties. However, the custom is that when one person says something\u2014we call this a statement, the other person says something as well, usually in the same vein of topic. This is what we call a reply\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI get it. I\u2019ll talk.\u201d<\/p>\n I have a feeling she could do that all day if I didn\u2019t interrupt. Magnolia stops talking and stares at me. Without saying another word.<\/p>\n Great, she\u2019s waiting for me to reply. I roll my eyes, but now the full intensity of her stare is on me. Multiplied by Ressa\u2019s death gaze. Great. I take a breath, and launch into things.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019ve gotten the letter I sent you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLetter?\u201d<\/p>\n For a second Magnolia blinks, then her eyes widen.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, the letter! Yes, I\u2019d nearly forgotten about that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s odd. I thought this all stemmed from the letter I sent Lady Magnolia by way of Valceif a while ago. I\u2019d expected an immediate response back then, and I\u2019d been prepared to negotiate\u2014<\/p>\n But Lady Magnolia just waves her hand as if that\u2019s ancient history.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, your cryptic little hint that was supposed to intrigue me enough to pursue you. I recall that. It was quite interesting\u2014I wonder, what did you hope to gain from talking with me?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure. It was so long ago\u2014so long and not so long ago. I hadn\u2019t gotten to know the faeries, and I was desperate for something to help both me and Erin.<\/p>\n Magnolia watches my expression, and although I\u2019m sure my face doesn\u2019t change, I know she\u2019s reading my thoughts through that skill of hers. But even if she can do that, there\u2019s a way to beat that skill. Tell the truth.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure what I was thinking. But I was open to talking, back then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed? No doubt you had your own goals. Perhaps you were thinking of selling me some secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n Yeah, that was probably it. Magnolia smiles enigmatically.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd perhaps I would have taken you up on that offer. But alas, by the time your letter reached me I had already found other people like you. Thus, I had no need to keep searching for you.\u201d<\/p>\n And there it is. Part of the issue\u2019s out in the open at last. I breathe out.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. The others. Erin told me you have other people from my world here.\u201d<\/p>\n Not a bat of an eyelid. Lady Magnolia smiles and shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. They are guests here, for as long as my patience allows. Pestilential, inconsiderate brats that they are, that might not be for too much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n Wow. That\u2019s something. I know Erin said Magnolia didn\u2019t like the others, but\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, so you have people from my world. You know everything. Why am I here, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods. Here we go again.\u201d<\/p>\n To my surprise, Lady Magnolia touches her eyes with one hand and sighs gustily. I stare at her. When she looks up, her irritation is suddenly plain across her face.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s doing it, Ressa. I thought she wouldn\u2019t\u2014but she\u2019s doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFirst that girl Erin\u2014are all young women from her world inbred, do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere she goes again!\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia scowls at me and points accusingly at my chest as if I were some kind of monster.<\/p>\n \u201cStop asking thoughtless questions! I know you\u2019re not that stupid, Miss Ryoka. Or at least, I hope you\u2019re not because if I have to have another<\/em> conversation like the one I had with Erin Solstice, I will<\/em> throw this tea pot at you.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s with her? It\u2019s like a switch has flipped. Suddenly Magnolia Reinhart is all action and no pretense. She glares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cA word of advice, Ryoka Griffin. Few things annoy me as much as feigned ignorance. Do not pretend you don\u2019t know why you are here. You and I both know that I know almost everything. That you come from another world? Obvious. That your world has different technology and inventions? Of course! Your fellow travelers have told me all about the wondrous things of your world\u2014phones, planes, guns, cars\u2014and you know that I have a vested interest in such things.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia drinks more of the sugary liquid that vaguely resembles tea in her cup as she stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI know everything. Everything except the details. You know, or you might have guessed that while your friends can chatter on to me about the wonders of guns and warfare as your world practices it, they are remarkably empty-headed when it comes to producing such miracles. It\u2019s rather like having a boastful idiot claim to be able to fly without a shred of evidence to back it up. But you do<\/em> know how to fly, don\u2019t you, Ryoka Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n My lips clamp shut. Magnolia eyes me.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. You do. Or at least, you know more than the others. And you know that is why you are here, Ryoka. I want you to tell me what you know.\u201d<\/p>\n The woman sighs, looking suddenly exhausted.<\/p>\n \u201cSo here we are. That skips\u2014how much needless back-and-forth? Honestly, I was willing to play along for a while, but when you started acting like an idiot I lost my patience.\u201d<\/p>\n I just look at her. This is Magnolia Reinhart? Is this her true face? Is she being honest with me for a reason or\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Say something!\u201d<\/p>\n I barely see it coming. Magnolia flicks her wrist, and suddenly the saucer of the tea cup comes spinning at me. I catch it reflexively.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you dare ask what that was. It was a saucer.<\/em> And I threw it at you because I am irate.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I just stare at her. She\u2019s violent!<\/em> Is it the sugar working? No\u2014this is a completely different approach. She\u2019s doing this on purpose too! I\u2019ll bet\u2014she\u2019s seized complete hold of the conversation.<\/p>\n Well\u2014fine. Let\u2019s just dive into this. No pretenses, no holds barred. I grit my teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, let\u2019s assume you\u2019re right about everything. In that case, at what point do you strap me to the rack and torture me for information?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTorture? Oh, please. Why would I need torture when I can just use magic? Or a Skill?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia snorts at me, but she seems mollified by my response. She takes something out of the pocket of her dress and peers at me. For a second I\u2019m thrown\u2014I didn\u2019t even see the cunning pocket sewn into her dress. Well now, she\u2019s not obeying medieval fashion standards with that.<\/p>\n But in her hands\u2014what is that? A monocle? I instantly have a bad feeling about it, and it gets worse when she puts it to her eyes and\u2026studies me.<\/p>\n Yeah, she\u2019s looking at me. And that monocle\u2014<\/p>\n Oh no. Is she reading my mind?<\/p>\n No\u2014she couldn\u2019t be. Think. My mind races as Magnolia peers at me. I\u2019m\u2026pretty sure she can\u2019t read minds, even with an artifact. If she could, she\u2019d wear that thing all the time. It\u2019s definitely for revealing some aspect about me\u2014a lie detector?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get thrown by it. I fold my arms and wait. But Magnolia seems satisfied. She tucks the monocle back in her secret pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cHmf. Now, as to getting you to spill your much-vaunted secrets. Tell me, do you really think it would be that difficult for me?\u201d<\/p>\n I hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? How arrogant of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia rolls her eyes in exasperation. She stares at me with a bit of contempt, or is it disappointment?<\/p>\n \u201cYou astound me, Ryoka Griffin. For someone who appears so intelligent\u2014could it be you\u2019ve forgotten my Skills? Surely not.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiles at me, and every hair on the back of my neck tingles.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m curious. What would you do, if I, oh, asked you to tell me everything you know?<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s like lightning. Pink lightning. The words hit me and go inside my head, effortlessly opening the vault of my mind. My mouth opens. I should tell her everything, right? Isn\u2019t that the best\u2014<\/p>\n No.<\/em><\/p>\n I waver, grit my teeth. I\u2019ve felt this before. This\u2026is like Teriarch\u2019s geas spell! God\u2014I did<\/em> forget she could do this!<\/p>\n Magnolia smiles at me, and puts more intensity into her silken voice.<\/p>\n \u201cCome now. You know you want to.<\/span> This is quite simple for me\u2014if you can\u2019t even stop me from doing this, you are truly foolish. Tell me everything, Ryoka Griffin.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n I want to tell her. My jaw is clamped shut, but I can feel the muscles spasming. It\u2019s taking all I\u2019ve got to hold still. Magnolia\u2019s waiting for me to crack. But\u2014I\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019ve done this before!<\/em><\/p>\n My mouth opens. But what comes out is a wordless shout. I jump up, fist flashing towards Magnolia\u2019s face\u2014<\/p>\n And find myself tumbling backwards onto the couch, ears ringing, pain bursting from my chest and cheek. Ressa\u2019s standing in front of Lady Magnolia, hands raised. I reel backwards and sit down hard<\/em> on the sofa.<\/p>\n \u201cUm. Well, that was surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n The only sound in the room comes from Lady Magnolia. I can see her blinking at me from behind Ressa. She looks as surprised as I\u2019ve ever seen her. I sit on the couch, staring up at Ressa. I didn\u2019t even see her move.<\/em> I\u2019m tempted to try and hit her, but\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cVery well, Ressa, please step aside.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia\u2019s hands push at Ressa. The surprised [Maid] moves sideways. Lady Magnolia blinks a few more times, and then looks down at her lap.<\/p>\n \u201cSpilled tea. How wasteful.\u201d<\/p>\n A small pool of tea is puddled in her dress. It\u2019s ruining the expensive pink silk. But to my surprise, Magnolia just sighs and stands up. She shakes the dress\u2014<\/p>\n And the tea slides off it and onto the carpet. I blink. Magnolia catches my eye and shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cWard spells on the dress. Prevents staining. Too bad about the tea, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Then she sits down as if nothing has happened and pours herself more tea. I rub at my cheek as Ressa takes a place behind Magnolia again. She\u2019s staring at me hard, but I\u2019m in no mood to fight.<\/p>\n Once there\u2019s a fresh cup of tea in her hands, Magnolia looks at her maid and then at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a bit too quick for my eyes, Ressa my dear. Am I right in thinking you stopped her from pummeling me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought as much. Well, I seem to have misjudged you slightly, Ryoka my dear. I thought you might resist my Skill, but nothing as impressive as that. How did you do it, pray? You have no magical items on you\u2014none for that purpose at any rate\u2014and you have no Skills.\u201d<\/p>\n So the monocle was looking at that? I just stare at Magnolia and shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmf. Well, I\u2019m not too curious so I won\u2019t pry. May I congratulate you, however? It isn\u2019t often that someone has directly struck at me. The last person to do it was, well, your friend, Erin Solstice.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tried to hit Lady Magnolia? I just blink at her. Magnolia turns to Ressa.<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you take a teapot to the face that time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was to the chest, and it was lukewarm tea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n I eye Ressa. The maid eyes me. I definitely feel like the mouse if we\u2019re in a cat and mouse relationship. She got in front of Magnolia from behind the couch before I could hit her. And she hit me in the cheek and chest in an instant.<\/p>\n \u201cYour maid\u2019s quite dedicated.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s code for \u2018what kind of freak of nature is your maid\u2019? Magnolia just shrugs at me.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course she is. Ressa possesses many skills, some of which include cleaning and pouring tea\u2014others of which involve preventing people with blades from stabbing me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s normal for a [Maid]?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s normal for maids under my<\/em> employ. Do you think I would carelessly walk around\u2014even in my own home\u2014and entertain guests without a bodyguard of some kind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you didn\u2019t think of it, did you? Really.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia sighs and looks at her maid.<\/p>\n \u201cThey grow more simpleminded every year, it seems. Erin was like that, wasn\u2019t she, Ressa? She was rather surprising in some ways, but she was as thoughtless as a rock in others.\u201d<\/p>\n Okay, I feel like I should stand up for Erin even if what Magnolia\u2019s saying is true. I grit my teeth and force myself to ignore the stinging pain in my chest and on my cheek.<\/p>\n \u201cErin is my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow wonderful for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia gives me a look that tells me she could care less. I keep going, ignoring her expression.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s my friend. But I\u2019ll admit she\u2019s also an idiot in some ways. She doesn\u2019t understand your goals. But I do. I know what you want, so let\u2019s get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really?\u201d<\/p>\n The other woman eyes me with more skepticism. She shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, go on. Enlighten me. What do I so desperately want from you?\u201d<\/p>\n I open my mouth. Magnolia raises a finger.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever\u2014if you haven\u2019t thought this through, Ressa will beat you quite <\/em>black and blue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your problem with stupid questions?\u201d<\/p>\n I snap at Magnolia and barrel on before she can tell her maid to kick the crap out of me for that question.<\/p>\n \u201cI know what you want. You know about my world by now. You\u2019ve talked with people who\u2019ve told you about guns, bombs, and all of our technology. I know you told Erin you don\u2019t want that information spread, but there\u2019s no way in hell you wouldn\u2019t want to manufacture those kinds of weapons for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? And why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it obvious? Fear. Even if no one in your world has weapons yet, what if you run into more people from my world? What if someone else creates guns in secret? If that happens, it\u2019s too late. You need<\/em> to make weapons or else you\u2019ll be overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know how Erin didn\u2019t consider that. For all Magnolia says she can suppress that technology\u2014that\u2019s impossible. But to my surprise, Magnolia doesn\u2019t even bat an eyelash at my answer. Instead, she laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cGood answer! Unfortunately\u2014you are wrong, my dear Ryoka. Right in one way, but terribly wrong in the other.\u201d<\/p>\n What? I stare at Magnolia. She smiles at me, shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou really are new to this world, aren\u2019t you? I sometimes forget\u2014but you really know nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m right. I\u2019m sure of it. But Magnolia clearly thinks I\u2019m wrong. She puts down her tea cup and stretches her fingers out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019d say I\u2019m being overconfident. But the truth is, Ryoka Griffin, guns are nothing to fear if it\u2019s just a war we speak of. If one side has guns, they have an advantage, yes, but it does not mean they would necessarily win.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2014clearly don\u2019t understand weapons from my world.\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head, trying to explain to Magnolia how insane her claim is. One side with swords and arrows taking on an army with guns? I suppose if it were guerilla attacks and attrition warfare\u2014but no, she\u2019s wrong!<\/p>\n \u201cOh? You disagree, Ryoka? Are guns really that fearsome?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course! They\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I raise my voice in anger, trying to get Magnolia to understand, to be wary<\/em> when I hear a slight knock. Instantly, I go silent. Magnolia frowns, and Ressa immediately turns her head to the door. Magnolia raises her voice and calls out.<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n The door opens and a maid enters the room. She looks nervous, and nearly freezes up when she sees me, Ressa, and Lady Magnolia all staring at her. But she\u2019s clearly more afraid of doing her job wrong in front of Ressa, so she speaks quickly and clearly while bobbing a curtsy.<\/p>\n \u201cI am extremely sorry to bother you, Lady Reinhart. But your guest\u2014the Great Mage Nemor\u2014requests the pleasure of speaking with you forthwith.\u201d<\/p>\n Great Mage? Is that a class? But Magnolia just frowns, looking irritated.<\/p>\n \u201cTell him to go away. I\u2019m busy.\u201d<\/p>\n The maid hesitates. But when Ressa glares she immediately bobs a curtsy and closes the door. Magnolia turns back to me, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat Mage Nemor? That\u2019s hardly accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that someone important?\u201d<\/p>\n My mind\u2019s still on Magnolia\u2019s outrageous claim, but I ask just in case. Magnolia snorts in idle amusement.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s useful, but hardly important\u2014or entertaining. He will wait. Now, go on. You were going to tell me how the armies of your world would destroy mine in an instant. Let\u2019s assume you had an army \u2013 or simply the technology from your world. What would make them so fearsome?\u201d<\/p>\n I glare at her. She\u2019s so damn cavalier. Fine. She wants an explanation?<\/p>\n \u201cA tank.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA tank? Oh, the others did mention one of them. A metal moving box that fires another type of gun, aren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n It sounds so simple when Magnolia says it. I shake my head as I try to explain.<\/p>\n \u201cIf an army had a tank\u2014just one!\u2014it would be able to destroy thousands of soldiers. A tank has armor that can withstand any number of spells you throw at it. It can hurl an explosion miles away that can demolish a building\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA spell can do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n I pause. Magnolia stares at me, one eyebrow raised.<\/p>\n \u201cYour tanks sound slow and cumbersome. Can they really beat a mage hiding in the grass with a [Grand Fireball] spell?\u201d<\/p>\n Grand fireball? Could that destroy a tank? I\u2014hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not the point! That\u2019s one tank. But an army could have hundreds. And a mage takes years, decades to train. A soldier with a gun can shoot countless people and he only takes a few days to train. While a mage\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. Yes. I see your point.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia waves me into silence, not looking daunted in the least. She taps a fingernail on her dress, talking as she does.<\/p>\n \u201cAn army of tanks and guns, you say? I still find it hard to imagine, but I am told a gun is like a crossbow that shoots hundreds of bolts per minute, farther than any normal bow. Is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n Pretty much. I nod. Magnolia nods as well.<\/p>\n \u201cFearsome indeed. But these are just arrows, aren\u2019t they? Excuse me, \u2018bullets\u2019. Nonmagical bits of iron. Your\u2026wonderful armies from your world\u2014they lack magic. And that is a crucial flaw. Let us say you have, oh, ten thousand soldiers with guns and several tanks. And any number of your aircrafts as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia leans over the coffee table, eyes glittering. Her smile has teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cI could destroy an army like that in less than ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n I believe her. I stare into Magnolia\u2019s eyes, and I believe she could do it. How? A spell? Enchanted armor? Would enchanted armor even suffer dents? Could you really send a few warriors in plate mail and take down tanks that easily?<\/p>\n \u201cYou really don\u2019t fear guns?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia frowns at me irately. She looks as if she\u2019s considering tossing her tea cup at me and then shrugs and goes on.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone with half a brain knows that a gun is a dangerous weapon. But anyone with a full brain knows that even an army with guns is quite easy to destroy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh really?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will hit you, you know. Or rather, order Ressa to do it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia glares at me and sighs. She settles back into her seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI can destroy two armies as easily as I can destroy one. That is not the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n She raises one delicate finger.<\/p>\n \u201cOne gun, or even ten thousand will not change the world. But a million will.\u201d<\/p>\n I think I get it. Magnolia nods as she goes on.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not want to create guns and other such technologies. I do not want such secrets to spread either. And the reason for that is simple: while such devices might provide power to me in the short term, it will inevitably change the world for the worse. If every [Soldier] has a gun, then it is likely the larger army will prevail. If a child can kill a man in full plate armor, then levels lose much of their meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if anyone can field an army, then you lose your power.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia eyes me sternly, as if I\u2019ve missed the point.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone<\/em> loses. Don\u2019t you understand? If it becomes an issue of numbers, then the most numerous races will conquer the others. If the balance of power is upset so far, then it will be a war where guns become the only meaningful value. As it is, an army with guns would be a significant threat, but one any world power would be able to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n She sighs.<\/p>\n \u201cBut only if it were an army. If guns were commonplace? In time, guns would dominate everything. In time. A nation able to manufacture more arms of a better quality would inevitably defeat the others. It will lead to a war to end all wars, where the victor will stand upon the corpses of all.\u201d<\/p>\n My blood goes cold as I think of that kind of war. That\u2019s what I envisioned as well. True, there might be ways to change such a war, but in the end it would just be an arms race, and countless battles where people with guns fight people with swords. A bloodbath.<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia seems to agree. She shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a pointless war. It will occur if word of this technology spreads. A war with your world is one thing; if it occurs it will be inevitable. But if I can, I will prevent this world from seizing such dangerous weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n Can I trust her? I don\u2019t know. But Magnolia seems to have thought this through. She looks at me, and I feel the weight of her gaze pressing down on me, trying to force me to tell the truth, to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, here is my most pressing question, one which I believe you will answer. How long will it take for these dangerous weapons to be developed? If one of the people from your world were to cooperate\u2014or give up such information to a powerful individual or nation, how long would it take for them to engineer such inventions?\u201d<\/p>\n The question catches me off guard. For a second I\u2019m not sure if I should answer it. But from what Magnolia\u2019s said\u2014I do some quick calculations. I\u2019m obviously not an expert in firearms, but let\u2019s think about it rationally. If someone needed to find all the ingredients of gunpowder, sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal\u2014and secure them as a long-term resource\u2026testing\u2026building prototypes\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cYou could probably have a prototype gun ready in less than a month if you had a kingdom\u2019s worth of resources at your disposal. But a gun that\u2019s ready for war? A proper gun? An army? That would take years.\u201d<\/p>\n The more dangerous route would be a cannon. That\u2019s easier to make, honestly. I share that with Magnolia and she nods thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cA cannon? Intriguing. But if that\u2019s anything like a trebuchet, it\u2019s not as much of a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s so\u2026calm<\/em> about this. I just stare at Magnolia, a woman unafraid of guns or cannons. She stares back.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, a year is more than enough time for me to locate any signs of manufacturing. But just to be sure\u2014name one of the components of this \u2018gunpowder\u2019 for me, if you would.\u201d<\/p>\n Instantly, I shut my mouth. Magnolia just sighs loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be obstinate. I said one<\/em> component. I am hardly inclined to go around searching for how to make the stuff if I could just torture it out of you. And since I am not going to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s right. I have to trust her. Reluctantly, I open my mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cSulfur.\u201d<\/p>\n Both of Magnolia\u2019s eyebrows shoot upwards. She exchanges a glance I can\u2019t read with Ressa.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. That\u2019s<\/em> troubling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Why\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman just stares at me and raises an eyebrow again.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I told you, could you even help? No? Then I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2014she knows something, doesn\u2019t she? Someone\u2019s already making a move on sulfur! Does that mean the secret\u2019s out? Can she stop it? My head\u2019s racing, but the cooler part of me doesn\u2019t panic. Magnolia\u2019s right. I can\u2019t do anything. I have to\u2026trust her.<\/p>\n Trust that she\u2019s telling the truth. So reluctantly I put that out of my mind and stare at Magnolia. Everything seems, well, good so far.<\/p>\n That\u2019s worrying. I can\u2019t have been called here just to talk about weapons and how useless they might be right now. No\u2014there\u2019s something else.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that it? If you don\u2019t want weapons, then why am<\/em> I here?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia pauses as she reaches for the tea pot. Ressa, gently pulling said pot out <\/em>of Magnolia\u2019s reach, meeting her mistress\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cWas that a foolish question, do you think, Ressa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems reasonable to me. She does not know you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, we\u2019ll let it slide.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia turns back to me and gives me a beaming smile.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you\u2019re not here just to talk about weapons, my dear idiotic Ryoka. But I thought it would be best to set your mind at ease first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to ignore that. Once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow intelligent. Now, would you like to ask the obvious question? I promise I won\u2019t order Ressa to hit you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine. Why am<\/em> I here? What do you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia smiles at me. Her eyes sparkle, and she sits up, the very image of a dignified [Lady]. Her reply is quick, decisive, insane.<\/p>\n \u201cIce cream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n There must have been something in the pot. That\u2019s why Ressa\u2019s engaged in a silent tug-of-war with Magnolia. Or else she just doesn\u2019t want her boss\u2019s teeth to fall out. But Magnolia abandons the tea pot to look seriously at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want ice cream. And cake. We have some types of cake\u2014not nearly as good as yours, mind you, but something similar to what I have heard described. But the other children tell me it is possible to make an ice cream cake.<\/em> I would like to try that, and frosting. And whipped cream. And cotton candy.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh my god. She\u2019s got a sweet tooth.<\/em> I mean, I knew that already. But she brought me\u2014here\u2014over four hundred miles\u2014<\/p>\n I put my head in my hands. This can\u2019t be happening. But it is. And when I think about it\u2026<\/p>\n I look up sharply.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia looks hurt, and offended.<\/p>\n \u201cWhyever not? This is hardly a secret worth keeping, Ryoka Griffin. Compared to a gun, what is a mint, chocolate chip, cookies and cream, caramel ice cream sundae with sprinkles?\u201d<\/p>\n I want to vomit just listening to her. But I read past her trite words to the deeper meaning below them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just ice cream and desserts you want, is it? It might start that way, but after you ask for recipes, you\u2019ll ask me about other technologies from my world. Little inventions and innovations that can help everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia pauses. She looks at me, sighs, and then looks at her maid.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. She figured it out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is not a complete idiot, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n I stare at the two of them, filled with grim certainty all of a sudden. Now I get it. Their tones are light, but I know they\u2019re watching me. Lady Magnolia still looks genuinely disappointed, though.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are correct, intelligent Miss Ryoka Griffin. In truth, I was going to have you explain to one of my [Chefs] how to make all kinds of treats before I got to the rest. I have a larder stocked with countless ingredients if you\u2019d want to\u2026? Ah, it\u2019s too late. How tragic.\u201d<\/p>\n She sighs dramatically.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least the other girls know how to make cake. But no one can tell me how cotton candy is made! But you are quite right. That would only be the start of what I ask of you.\u201d<\/p>\n First comes cotton candy. Then comes steam engines, or crop rotation. Or the periodic table. Plastic, sporks, bicycles\u2026<\/p>\n None of this is bad stuff. In fact, I think if I could introduce this kind of technology to the world I would. But not through her. Not through this woman.<\/p>\n There\u2019s more than one kind of power. And giving Magnolia Reinhart a monopoly on every invention from the medieval ages to the modern one? It might even be worse than teaching her how to make a gun.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want me to help you become even richer than you already are, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRich enough to buy a Walled City. That would be a nice start.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia smiles at me, like a proud parent watching over a child. I want to kick her in the face, but Ressa\u2019s watching me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou figured it out\u2014well done! Guns are an unstable bit of technology, but it is hard to take over the world with\u2014what did the others call it? Parfait? It sounds delicious, and I\u2019m sure it will earn me tens of thousands of gold coins when one of them finally figures out how it is made.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s sick. It\u2019s stupid. It doesn\u2019t sound right. But the scariest and most powerful person in this world right now isn\u2019t a general with an army of tanks. It\u2019s a business magnate who wants to orchestrate the biggest monopoly and buyout the world\u2019s ever seen.<\/p>\n Money. If Magnolia Reinhart is known for one thing, it\u2019s money. If she had unlimited funds\u2014she could buy out every mercenary on the continent, fund unlimited armies. Money is power, and even if the power of money isn\u2019t unlimited, it\u2019s scary.<\/p>\n Now you know, Ryoka. You know her twisted, wicked, sugar-based schemes. Now how are you going to get out of this?<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder. How indeed?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s like she can read my mind. I stare at Magnolia, but her face is innocent. Did she really\u2026?<\/p>\n No, she can sense my intentions. She can probably sense that I want to leave and extrapolated from there. But\u2026that\u2019s still really scary.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the worst part is, I am clearly an ally of sorts, aren\u2019t I, Ryoka Griffin? I can stop the world from using guns. But as for the rest\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I still can\u2019t trust her. That\u2019s my conclusion. I stare at Magnolia Reinhart and feel my heart begin to beat faster. It\u2019s like a drum in my chest, thunder in my veins, a knock at the door\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cAgain?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia turns towards the door, frowning in genuine irritation. I stare at the door too, and see the same unfortunate maid poke her head in. She looks pale\u2014and she goes ghostly when she sees Magnolia\u2019s frown.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so sorry\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet to the point.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa snaps and the maid curtsies as if she were ducking a bullet.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mage\u2014he\u2019s demanding to see you, Lady Reinhart. He won\u2019t take no for an answer\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell Nemor that if he does not sit still and wait for me to summon him, I will throw him out of my estate.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia\u2019s voice is impatient, and she clearly means every word. The maid gulps, but takes one look at Ressa and clearly decides that arguing with a mage would be a lot more fun.<\/p>\n The door closes and Magnolia turns back to me with a sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe dear Nemor will regret that when we meet. In fact, I am sure of it. I don\u2019t even know why he\u2019s calling on me today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you talk to him? I was just leaving\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I stand up, making a show of dusting myself off. Lady Magnolia smiles at me.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no. Sit.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s too fast for me. My legs fold up and I sit. I glare at the woman, but she just chuckles.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t get away that easily, Ryoka. And even if my Skill doesn\u2019t work\u2014there are<\/em> truth spells and even potions, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n This is bad. I eye Ressa, and remember the potions and bags on my belt. But those are good against enemies who can\u2019t move faster than I can see. And I\u2019m sitting in the mansion itself.<\/p>\n No\u2014I knew fighting was a bad idea. I take a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot keep me here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? That\u2019s a bold statement to make.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t I know it. I meet Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s gaze squarely. She studies me\u2014not with arrogance and overconfidence like some helpful movie villain, but calculatingly.<\/p>\n \u201cHm. You have a plan, don\u2019t you? Well, go on. I like to be entertained.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t help you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if all I want are inventions that will help everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven then. Because that would mean placing too much power in just your hands. Too much wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this is a bad thing because?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolute power corrupts absolutely. No one person should be entrusted with all that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy power is hardly absolute.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia looks amused, but then her gaze sharpened. Her eyes prick at my skin like knives.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I take your point. You don\u2019t trust me. But tell me, Ryoka Griffin. How will you stop<\/em> me from doing what I please? I already have many travellers from your world who know of wondrous inventions. I only need you to fill in the gaps, and then my [Blacksmiths], [Carpenters], [Mages], and [Alchemists] will do the rest. I even know [Engineers].\u201d<\/p>\n All the things she needs to reverse-engineer any number of gadgets. I swallow hard.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you need me. What if I\u2019m not here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And how will you stop me?\u201d<\/p>\n Legit question. My eyes travel to the window. I have three ways to get out of here. Three bargaining chips. The first\u2014<\/p>\n Is hovering outside, making faces at me. I grin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got friends who bow to no [Lord] or [Lady] or even [King].\u201d<\/p>\n I point to the window. Magnolia and Ressa turn\u2014and see Ivolethe. The tiny faerie waves at me, and taps her ears. She can hear us? Even better.<\/p>\n \u201cUm.\u201d<\/p>\n A voice interrupts me. I stare at Magnolia. She\u2019s looking at the window and me with a blank expression.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it exactly that I should be staring at?\u201d<\/p>\n I open my mouth\u2026and nearly swallow my tongue.<\/p>\n She can\u2019t see Frost Faeries. Suddenly I feel like an idiot. But then Ressa\u2019s eyes narrow, and she tucks a hand into her skirt.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia, step back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n To her credit Magnolia vacates the couch even as she says that. She stands behind Ressa, suddenly wary as the maid stares at the window.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Ressa? Something invisible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa stares hard at a spot just to the left of Ivolethe. The faerie is just grinning, grinning at me. She\u2019s got one hand raised and she points to Magnolia and Ressa. Then she draws a finger across her throat. Where\u2019d she learn that? But for once I\u2019m in full agreement. I nod slightly and she laughs outside the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a Winter Sprite outside the window.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA Frost Faerie? Really?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia squints at the window and then gasps. Instantly she looks at me, eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cNow isn\u2019t that<\/em> interesting?\u201d<\/p>\n I feel uneasy. She\u2014shouldn\u2019t be this calm. Ressa\u2019s certainly treating Ivolethe like a threat. And for good reason.<\/p>\n My tiny friend has been flying around the glass, making faces only I can see. But after I gave her my plea for help, she acts. She flies up to the window around head height, and puts her hand on the glass pane.<\/p>\n Instantly, the window becomes frosty. Magnolia gasps\u2014not really in alarm\u2014and Ressa immediately tenses. But what can she do against a force of nature?<\/p>\n The frost from the window grows deeper, and suddenly ice begins to form, thickening on the pane. Slowly, it begins to spread into the room, and I feel the temperature drop like a stone. More ice begins to spread from the window. Is Ivolethe trying to trap Ressa and Magnolia? What about me? If the window breaks\u2014could I jump for it?<\/p>\n I\u2019m tense, my hand on the smoke bag Octavia made for me. I\u2019m watching Ressa, ready to move. And she\u2019s looking from the window to me. It\u2019ll all be settled in a moment\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s quite enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s voice makes all of us pause in place. Even Ivolethe blinks as Magnolia steps out from behind Ressa. The taller woman moves to block her, but Magnolia just pushes her aside.<\/p>\n \u201cI will handle this, Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n She steps up to the frozen window, where I can see Ivolethe reflected through the clear ice. Magnolia stares a bit past Ivolethe, but she shows not a tiny shred of fear in front of the faerie. But\u2014she\u2019s just a [Lady], right? And Ivolethe isn\u2019t inside\u2014<\/p>\n I tell myself Magnolia\u2019s powerless. But I can\u2019t help but feel uneasy. And there\u2019s a twinge of uncertainty even on the faerie\u2019s immortal face. She stares at Magnolia. Magnolia just sighs.<\/p>\n \u201cHow on earth did Ryoka meet a creature like you? Well, I\u2019d love to chat, but I\u2019m told on very good authority that you lot are troublemakers. I can\u2019t have that right now. Kindly go away or I\u2019ll have to make you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe stares at Lady Magnolia incredulously. Possibly no one has ever talked to a Frost Faerie that way before\u2014at least, not for long. She thinks for a second, then makes an unmistakable gesture and conjures a snowball.<\/p>\n Ressa seems to blink<\/em> in front of Magnolia as the snowball smacks into the glass in front of the woman. But Magnolia doesn\u2019t even flinch. She sighs, and then she raises her voice. Gone is the normal tone, her light and friendly air. Her eyes are filled with that same intensity, and her tone booms and cracks like distant thunder.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Lady Magnolia. This mansion and the land around are mine. You are not welcome here. Begone.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I feel her last word in my bones<\/em>. The effect on Ivolethe is immediate. She flies screaming<\/em> out of Magnolia\u2019s courtyard as if she\u2019s been set on fire. I see her faint azure form flitting high, high into the sky until it disappears. Magnolia watches until Ivolethe\u2019s gone and then turns back to me.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s that. Did you have any other allies, or was that it?\u201d<\/p>\n Holy shit.<\/p>\n I\u2014<\/p>\n Was that\u2014?<\/p>\n Uh oh.<\/p>\n Ressa\u2019s staring at me now too, and the look in her eyes says that she\u2019s going to beat me into a pulp the first chance she gets. The ice Ivolethe conjured isn\u2019t going away; rather, it\u2019s beginning to melt off the walls.<\/p>\n \u201cI do hope you had another plan. I\u2019ll admit this one is novel, but it\u2019s rather short-sighted, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia smiles at me, eyes still filled with that horrible authority. Part of me wants to give in or run just looking at her.<\/p>\n But the rest is resolute. This woman can\u2019t have her way.<\/p>\n Trump card. Trump card. I take a breath and pray like hell what Erin told me was on a level. I open up with my second trump card to play.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t keep me here. I have something important to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? Something important? Running deliveries? Delivering a birthday message and a ring? Helping Erin? Do tell.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, that smile. I smile back at Magnolia and notice hers wanes a tiny bit.<\/p>\n \u201cNot Erin or adventurers. I have to convince the Antinium not to go to war.\u201d<\/p>\n For a second\u2014oh, for a lovely, wonderful second, I have the pleasure of watching Magnolia\u2019s smile vanish. Her eyes widen, and she stares at me.<\/p>\n The one upside to verbally sparring with someone who can sense your intentions? They know when you\u2019re not lying.<\/p>\n The glorious moment of seeing Magnolia Reinhart uncertain lasts for a heartbeat. Then she looks over my shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cRessa.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t even see the woman. I don\u2019t even get a chance to react. Her hand grabs mine and suddenly I\u2019m in an arm-lock that\u2019s an inch of force away from breaking my arm. I can feel<\/em> my tendons tearing.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t break her arm yet, Ressa. But be wary.\u201d<\/p>\n I barely hear Magnolia over the pain. Arm lock. I\u2019m in\u2014I know how to counter. But if I do\u2014<\/p>\n Gah! <\/em>I don\u2019t move. After a second that feels like forever I see Magnolia step back from me. I know she\u2019s staring at me.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease explain that sentence, Ryoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n Arm is agony. Pain is\u2014all consuming. But I force the words out, nearly choking on them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Antinium are not your enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n Pause. The pressure on my arm isn\u2019t reduced. Can I hear my bones creaking?<\/p>\n \u201cGo on.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s the pain, but I let my mouth do the talking.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean go on? I said, they\u2019re not your enemy? Don\u2019t you understand that you id\u2014argh!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa twists my arm up a bit more. I shout in pain, but I\u2019m afraid to move. Magnolia sighs.<\/p>\n \u201cRessa, she\u2019s not lying. Let her go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am. She\u2019s not lying. And if she\u2019s telling the truth\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The pressure releases all at once. I stumble forwards, feeling at my arm. The pain isn\u2019t gone. It\u2019s\u2014<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got a potion at my belt. I wrench it out and unstopper it with one hand. Some goes on my shirt, the floor\u2014the rest hits my arm. Instantly, the throbbing, burning pain ceases. I turn and stare at Ressa.<\/p>\n And\u2026a dagger. She has one in her right hand. It looks very sharp. And magical. I\u2019m assuming the green tint to the edge of the blade is magic. Maybe it\u2019s poison. Poison magic?<\/p>\n \u201cPut the blade away, Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia sighs as she stares at both me and Ressa. Slowly, very slowly, the maid tucks the blade up the sleeve of her uniform. She stares at me. I watch her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sitting down.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s voice makes both of us start. She steps over to the couch and sits down in it. Then she swivels, and puts her feet up on the edge of the couch as if she\u2019s on a therapist\u2019s couch. She stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Explain.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t need to be told twice. Rubbing at my arm, I take a seat. Ressa silently walks behind Magnolia. Both women stare at me, waiting for me to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Antinium aren\u2019t your enemies. Not necessarily, at any rate.\u201d<\/p>\n I look at them. Nothing. Well, they\u2019re good listeners when things are serious. I take a deep breath.<\/p>\n \u201cThe shortest way to explain this is that the Antinium\u2019s true enemy isn\u2019t you. They fought two wars here, but to them, this is only a\u2014a skirmish. A lull before the larger war. They don\u2019t want this continent, I think. They\u2019re just getting ready for their real enemy to emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA god.\u201d<\/p>\n How easy it is to say. How\u2026easy. And it slips off the tongue as if it means nothing. Perhaps it does to most people in this world. I can\u2019t even begin to understand what it means myself. But Magnolia Reinhart hears this and the look on her face changes again. This time, I think I see fear.<\/p>\n \u201cImpossible.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia says that word flatly. Her eyes are locked on mine.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gods are dead.\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cTell that to the Antinium. Tell that to the Queens. They fled Rhir because they were fighting something they believed was a god. Or do you think the Antinium would run from any other opponent?\u201d<\/p>\n Pause. Stare. Ressa\u2019s looking at me now, not with hostility, but something approaching genuine worry. She looks at her mistress. Magnolia closes her eyes for seven seconds. What she thinks in that time I don\u2019t know. But when she opens her eyes\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know? This must have come from a credible source. And I don\u2019t believe the Queen would talk to you. If this came from a Worker\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo Worker.\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cKlbkch. He\u2019s a Prognugator in the Antinium Hive based in Liscor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKlbkch the Slayer.\u201d<\/p>\n The word escapes Magnolia\u2019s lips. She sits up on the couch and stares at Ressa. Something unspoken passes between the two, and then they look back at me. Magnolia\u2019s voice is serious when she speaks next.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have my full and undivided attention, Ryoka Griffin. For the moment I\u2019ll believe everything you say. Do not waste this chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you believe me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes. At least, I believe you are telling the truth. And if it was Klbkch the Slayer who told you this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s voice trails off. Ressa looks at her, worried.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes this change the plans?\u201d<\/p>\n The other woman nods, shortly. She even laughs, but not with any pleasure.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. It changes\u2026everything. It changes the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n She looks back at me, about to ask another question. Then someone knocks. The door opens.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Reinhart? The [Mage]\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n This time Magnolia doesn\u2019t wait. She grabs the tea pot and hurls <\/em>it at the door.<\/p>\n \u201cGet out!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I see the tea pot shatter, but before the pieces even hit the floor, the maid has fled. Calmly, as if nothing happened, Magnolia turns back to me.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were saying Klbkch the Slayer told you this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know him?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s face is grim as she nods.<\/p>\n \u201cI know him. I have seen him on the battlefield. Perhaps before that, but we met for one brief moment during the Second Antinium War.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Second Antinium War?\u201d<\/p>\n I only read about the first one. Damn. The second one was mentioned, but I think I lost the book that talked about it. Magnolia frowns at me, and then looks at her maid.<\/p>\n \u201cRessa, fetch the book for me.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear which one she means. Ressa walks out of the room, and Magnolia turns back to me.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n I do, as concisely as I can in the time it takes Ressa to return. Magnolia keeps interrupting me, but when her maid is standing by her side with a slim book in her hands, she sighs and accepts it. She looks at the book before handing it to me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe history of the Antinium, all the information known about their culture, and a history of both the first and second Antinium Wars.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia taps the cover as I hold it in my hands. I read the title. The Antinium: A Brief History by Krsysl Wordsmith.<\/em> The name is familiar to me.<\/p>\n \u201cWasn\u2019t he the one who wrote about the First Antinium War?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia nods as I tuck the book into the bag of holding at my side. She notes it, but makes no comment. I guess the Antinium really do trump all other concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cI funded his research and the book. I would advise you to read it, the history of the Second Antinium War in particular, especially if you are going to be working with Klbkch.\u201d<\/p>\n Huh. I look up at Magnolia, surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re going to let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t I say I hated stupid questions?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman scowls at me, but weakly. Her heart\u2019s not in it any longer. Ressa looks at her and Magnolia nods wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, Miss Ryoka who knows too much. You win. If there is a slight chance\u2014however slight!\u2014that there could be a way to avoid a war with the Antinium, I would take it. And the knowledge that there is dissent within the Hives\u2014from a Prognugator no less? Invaluable. Even more invaluable is the knowledge of what the Antinium fear. If there is a god\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She breaks off and shakes her head. Then she fixes me with a gaze like diamonds.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have changed everything I seek to do, Ryoka. Do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n I meet her gaze.<\/p>\n \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom this moment on, you and I must be allies. We must be, because I must pursue peace with the Antinium and find out more of what they know, and because you will not live with me as your enemy. I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s eyes are hard as she captures mine. I can\u2019t help it. I swallow, but that\u2019s all. I don\u2019t look away.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what should we do? As allies? I trust you won\u2019t be keeping me here or extorting information against my will?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the contrary. If we\u2019re allies you should be giving that to me for free. But we can\u2026negotiate that later. For now, you are officially my guest. That means I feed you, in case you were wondering. I\u2019ll even allow that Winter Sprite back on my estate, if you can find her. I would like to talk to her as well, if that is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Wow. Suddenly, everything\u2019s changed. I shift in my seat. What should I explore first? Does this mean what I think it does? If I have an ally\u2014<\/p>\n The wall explodes. Mortar and stone blast outwards in a single thunderous impact that sends the couches, tables, and me flying. I windmill through the air, trying to curl and reduce the impact. No good. I hit something hard and then I think the world stops for a second.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know. All I do know is that when the pain and shock stop long enough for thought to shakily resume, I\u2019m pulling myself up. Something in my thigh. A fragment of stone. Deep. I don\u2019t feel anything broken\u2014but everything hurts.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n I look around. The room is in ruins. The wall\u2019s gone\u2014and a huge stretch of corridor gapes at me. But what I see in the center of the room is more important.<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia and Ressa are standing in the center of the room. Untouched. Even their clothes aren\u2019t ruffled. It\u2019s like\u2026the explosion didn\u2019t hit them. I see a radiant nimbus around both of them.<\/p>\n Shield spell?<\/p>\n But someone else is standing there too. A man in robes. He\u2019s\u2026tall. I feel like throwing up. But magic shines around him, so strong I can see it. He blew up the wall.<\/p>\n And he\u2019s talking. I hear his voice dimly over the ringing in my ears.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia Reinhart. The Circle of Thorns seeks your life.\u201d<\/p>\n He must be the Great Mage Nemor. I try to get up and collapse. My leg\u2014<\/p>\n Magnolia Reinhart stares at the mage. She looks around at the destruction. Her eyes linger on me for a second, and then she stares back at the mage.<\/p>\n \u201cWell.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s just one word. She\u2019s not afraid\u2014rather, her eyes are full of cold fury. But aside from Ressa she is alone. And even as I watch I see a shadow move. An [Assassin] steps out of the darkness as if he\u2019s a ghost. And more\u2014they flit towards her. Surrounding\u2026more\u2026<\/p>\n I can\u2019t breathe. I have to warn her. Ressa\u2019s standing with her back to Magnolia, tense. But\u2014there\u2019s too many. And yet Magnolia is not afraid. She looks at the mage. Looks down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Circle of Thorns? You have my full attention.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe it\u2019s the wine talking, but I don\u2019t think Reynold the [Butler]\u2019s such a bad guy. I mean, sure, he\u2019s a bit uptight and he\u2019s in the employ of a woman who might soon kill or torture me, but Reynold? He\u2019s got class. It\u2019s probably the alcohol. But in my defense, I\u2019ve downed over half […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693083,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693132],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-2860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-3","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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