I think I have a concussion. The world is spinning and I want to puke. Then again, maybe that\u2019s just how being thrown across a room by an explosion always feels.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know. I haven\u2019t had much experience with that up until now. And I hope it never happens again.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n
I try to move and just sort of flop over. I\u2019m partially covered with bits of fallen masonry, so no one in the room notices me twitching. Which is good in this case, because it\u2019s sort of tense<\/em> right now.<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia and Ressa are standing in what used to be her sitting room, surrounded by assassins. Excuse me. [Assassins] and one assassin who happens to be a mage. He\u2019s dressed up in colorful yellow robes with green slashes down the sides. He glows with magic. But the [Assassins]\u2014<\/p>\n Shadows, some of them. Others just look like blurs and I\u2019m sure there are more I can\u2019t see. Only a few even look remotely humanoid. Best guess? They\u2019re high level and they\u2019ve got magical items as well.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re all armed. I\u2019m sure of that. They\u2019re backing up the mage, but they haven\u2019t attacked yet. The idiot\u2014the Great Mage Nemor I think is his name\u2014is talking. He\u2019s actually gloating, like a movie villain.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Never thought I\u2019d live to see the day when I would finally humble the arrogant Reinharts once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ll live to see that day either. But one can always hope, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s Magnolia for you. Surrounded by death and she\u2019s got more attitude than anyone I\u2019ve ever met. It makes me almost like her.<\/p>\n I look groggily at the scene. Lots of badness over there. That\u2019s my general assessment. I could\u2026use a potion? Smokescreen bag? Flour bomb?<\/p>\n All of my instincts tell me that trying anything will get me instantly killed. So instead of doing anything stupid\u2014like usual\u2014I just lie on the ground and watch things play out*.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Yeah, not my most heroic moment. But in my defense, I did just get tossed into a wall. It hurt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2014Arrogance will do you little in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, they\u2019re still talking? Don\u2019t assassins generally make less noise? But this Nemor guy seems to want to get the final word in. He juts out his chin\u2014he\u2019s got a small goatee which looks immaculately oiled and groomed. It suits his narrow, pointed face. He clearly wants to look like a great mage, but aside from the blowing stuff up part, he doesn\u2019t really look that impressive.<\/p>\n Granted, that last bit does a lot for him, but even so. Words are not his strong point.<\/p>\n \u201cGrovel, Reinhart. If you do, I may make your end quick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh please.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia rolls her eyes heavenwards.<\/p>\n \u201cDo us all a favor and shut up<\/em>, Nemor. You always were insufferable even when you were just casting ward spells for me. If you\u2019re not going to tell me what this Circle of Thorns wants, kindly die without speaking, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n The mage\u2019s face turns red. He opens his mouth\u2014but he never gets a chance to retort. One of the shadows standing in the ruined hallways moves. The [Assassin] charges at Lady Magnolia fast\u2014<\/em>faster than I could ever move. He\u2019s got a dagger in his hand as he lunges as Magnolia\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n But the blade never touches her. I see a blur, and then Ressa is in the way. She blocks the strike with her own unarmored chest. I nearly shout as I expect to see her body pierced by the thrust.<\/p>\n But that doesn\u2019t happen. Instead, I see the shimmering aura around her body\u2014the magical shield that protected both her and Lady Magnolia\u2014brighten. I hear a man scream, and the [Assassin] suddenly stumbles back, clutching a stump of a hand already spurting blood.<\/p>\n What was that? His hand vanished<\/em> as it approached Ressa\u2019s body! And now Ressa moves\u2014the unfortunate [Assassin] chokes as her fingers go into<\/em> his neck. She pulls her hand back and he folds over. I feel my stomach heave as I see what happened. Part of his face is just gone, vaporized by whatever magical shield is on Ressa.<\/p>\n The other [Assassins] move even as the first one dies. Two lunge at Ressa, but she blurs <\/em>and they retreat as I hear metal clashing. One tosses the remains of a blade to the ground\u2014all but the handle is vaporized. The others attack from a safer distance. Darts, throwing stars, knives\u2014they hurl them at both Ressa and Magnolia. All the projectiles vanish before they touch either woman\u2019s body.<\/p>\n Ressa flicks her hand and I see dark blurs speed at the [Assassins]. At least one hits, but even the blurred shape I see stagger doesn\u2019t fall. They blink backwards as Ressa immediately steps back to Magnolia, guarding her back.<\/p>\n Standoff again. The [Assassins] pause and then wait, as if nothing happened. Nemor stares at them, and his face only now goes red as his mind catches up to what just happened.<\/p>\n \u201cYou fools! Hold until I command it! I must bypass her protection spells first!\u201d<\/p>\n He shouts at the others around him, not even seeming bothered by the magical disintegration field. Magnolia sighs calmly, not even ruffled by the sudden burst of violence.<\/p>\n \u201cA proper mage would have done that first rather than sending that poor man to his death. But then again, a proper [Assassin] wouldn\u2019t have attacked so recklessly to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n She points at one of the shadows, and they shift, as if they\u2019re afraid to be directly addressed by her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have some rather showy magical items and Skills, but none of you are master [Assassins]. Believe me, I can tell the difference. Who sent you to die here?\u201d<\/p>\n No response. I just see the shadows and blurred figures flitting around Magnolia, as if suddenly unsure. She scowls at them, impatient and not afraid.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Answer me.<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The words come out of one of the shadows unwillingly. I hear a female voice, and then she gurgles<\/em> as one of her fellows strikes her in the throat. She chokes and falls back, but says no more.<\/p>\n Magnolia scowls again. She points at Nemor, who\u2019s gone red again with rage.<\/p>\n \u201cWho ordered you to work with this fool? I was under the impression your Guild didn\u2019t collaborate with amateurs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFool!? For the last time, you insult me. Magnolia\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe silent, Nemor.<\/em><\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n I see the man recoil as if struck. Nemor\u2019s hands go up to his throat and his face goes red, then purple. Calmly, Magnolia turns back to the [Assassins].<\/p>\n \u201cWas it your Guildmaster? Or someone else? Tell me who sent you.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n This time they\u2019re ready. I see a few of the [Assassins] shift, but none of them speak. But the idiot\u2014Great Mage, rather\u2014sneers and answers instead. His face is regaining some of his color. Looks like he also shook off the charm spell. Damn. Is it really that easy?<\/p>\n \u201cThere are more factions that seek your life than you know, Reinhart.\u201d<\/p>\n She pauses, and looks at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHm. So that means the Guild didn\u2019t <\/em>officially sanction this. Well, thank you for telling me, Nemor.\u201d<\/p>\n Never before have I seen a man look so angry and worried at the same time. Nemor\u2019s face turns amazingly maroon with rage. He hisses at Magnolia.<\/p>\n \u201cI will see you suffer before you die.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I see there\u2019s little more to be learned here. Well then, shall we be about the business of the day?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia turns to the [Assassins]. Immediately, I see them ready their weapons. But she doesn\u2019t reach for a weapon. Rather, Magnolia folds her hands together. She\u2019s not wearing gloves and her dress probably isn\u2019t concealing a weapon. I just see a few rings on her bare hands. She looks around the room, as if searching for a spot to properly fight.<\/p>\n I tense as her eyes spot me lying on the ground, but Magnolia doesn\u2019t even acknowledge my presence. Her gaze sweeps over me as if I\u2019m not there. Magnolia shakes her head slightly as she turns and speaks casually to Nemor and the [Assassins].<\/p>\n \u201cNot here, I think. There are too many valuable antiques that would need replacing. If you would follow me\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t move, but her hand turns one of the rings on her fingers. I hear a curse\u2014Nemor raises his hands and several [Assassins] have already thrown more weapons\u2014but it\u2019s too late. Magnolia and Ressa both vanish from sight in an instant.<\/p>\n \u201cTeleportation!?\u201d<\/p>\n Nemor exclaims in surprise. I see several shadows streak down the corridor in an instant, but the mage\u2019s shout draws some of them back.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014wait.\u201d<\/p>\n He points at the spot where Magnolia and Ressa have gone, thinking out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no spell circle. And no one can teleport long distances so quickly. This fast\u2014they must be headed to a prearranged destination. Spread out and find them!\u201d<\/p>\n Way to state the obvious, genius. I get the impression that Nemor\u2019s not actually in charge of these [Assassins], and that\u2019s clearly for good reason. The other shadows just streak down the corridors\u2014two run past me to the exposed opening. I hear another voice, a man\u2019s, from one of the shadows.<\/p>\n \u201cOutside.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know how, but all of the [Assassin]\u2019s silhouettes immediately return and make a beeline for the exposed opening. They disappear into the night air, leaping or vanishing over the edge. Nemor runs after them, cursing, and I see him jump off the broken ledge as well. His body glows, and he falls much more slowly than gravity should allow.<\/p>\n What\u2019s happening? Is it safe? I don\u2019t know. Part of me wants to stay here, but\u2014I have to see what\u2019s going on. Slowly, painfully, I crawl out of my lovely blanket of broken wall fragments.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t stand.<\/em> Just crawl<\/em>. I worm my way over to the void where the wall used to be, exposed by Nemor\u2019s spell. And then I see her again.<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia.<\/p>\n She\u2019s standing in the center of her courtyard, bold as you please. She didn\u2019t even teleport more than a hundred feet! Ressa is by her side, and she\u2019s\u2014fighting?<\/p>\n It\u2019s all a blur of motion in the darkness below. I see countless flickers of movement, and see flashes of light. The [Assassins] are going after Magnolia and Ressa with everything they have. Ressa is a blur around Magnolia, deflecting missiles, clashing with the [Assassins]\u2014but there are too many. The only thing keeping both her and Magnolia alive is the bright aura around them that\u2019s shielding them from harm.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s growing weaker. I can see the glow fading, especially now that it\u2019s the only contrast against the darkness outside. Each time a throwing star strikes Ressa\u2019s shield it dims, and the [Assassins] are too smart to go hand-to-hand with Ressa. She catches one of them and kills him by striking his face\u2014when she pulls her hand back half his head is gone. But the others just jump away and keep hurling weapons at her.<\/p>\n I stare down at the courtyard full of blurring shapes in shock. There\u2019s a damn war<\/em> going on down there! What do I do? I can\u2019t just jump in\u2014I doubt I\u2019d even last a minute. And my potions and alchemist tricks aren\u2019t going to work here.<\/p>\n But if I don\u2019t, Magnolia will die. Right?<\/p>\n She has to be doing something. I see Magnolia\u2019s hands moving in the courtyard, although I can\u2019t tell if she\u2019s holding anything amidst the fast movement. But she seems to be working on something\u2014she doesn\u2019t even look up as an [Assassin] closes on her and Ressa forces the killer back just in time.<\/p>\n What is she doing? Now she looks up. At what? A cloud?<\/p>\n The cloud? That wandering cloud from her garden? It\u2019s right overhead. I stare at it. It\u2019s roughly in the same place as when it rained at me. Magnolia looks up at it. But then her head turns.<\/p>\n Someone is striding across the courtyard, glowing with golden and sapphire light. Nemor\u2019s entire body is wreathed in some kind of fantastic magical shield\u2014it looks like water, filled with gold dust. He doesn\u2019t even seem to notice as Ressa hurls two throwing stars at him\u2014they sink into the barrier around him and disappear, as if they\u2019ve fallen into a sea.<\/p>\n He points at Magnolia as he strides towards her. The [Assassins] charge with him, but Magnolia\u2019s face is cool. She looks back up at the storm cloud and seems to sigh. I see something bright spark amidst the darkness of the cloud overhead.<\/p>\n \u201cReinhart! You will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Lightning strikes Nemor right in the chest. I see the world light up and go blind. I jerk backwards as I hear the thwoom<\/em> of the sound and feel the impact a moment later. The sound is deafening, and the image of the coruscating bolt of electricity is burned into my retinas.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The rest of my exclamation is drowned out by more flashes, and more thunder. I raise my head and peer over the edge to see lightning bolts shooting out of the rain cloud. And not just one or two.<\/p>\n A crackling storm of lightning blasts the earth around Magnolia and Ressa. They stand perfectly still as the cloud over their head turns from an innocent rain cloud into a flashing avatar of destruction. I see shapes fleeing from Magnolia in every direction, but the lightning is alive.<\/em> It flashes down and curves towards the retreating [Assassins], blasting them to bits as they try to run.<\/p>\n In seconds, it\u2019s over. All that remains are smouldering corpses, or pieces of them. I stare down at the courtyard as my vision slowly clears, spotting broken stone, scorched spots\u2014and death.<\/p>\n They\u2019re all dead. All, but two.<\/p>\n Nemor slowly stands back up, his magical shield crackling as the last burst of electricity earths itself around him. One of the [Assassins] who took cover behind the mage gets up as well. The shrouded figure\u2014denuded now of it\u2019s shadowy concealment\u2014looks at Magnolia and Ressa. Without a word, it flees back towards the mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cCoward! Come back!\u201d<\/p>\n The mage shouts after the retreating [Assassin], but the figure pays no heed. I can\u2019t blame them, either. After what I just saw, I\u2019d run or surrender rather than fight the sky.<\/em><\/p>\n But Nemor stands in front of Magnolia, no longer gloating but not fleeing either. Magic \u2013 a kaleidoscope of colors \u2013 swirls around his hands as he points at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYour defenses might have killed the fodder sent to assist me. But I did not come here to fail, Reinhart!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh really? And who else do you have to die with you? More [Assassins]? I do believe I\u2019ve cooked all of them, but I\u2019ll happily do it to a few dozen more.\u201d<\/p>\n I can hear Lady Magnolia\u2019s voice, light and poised, from my position on the second floor. Nemor\u2019s voice is filled with rage, but also confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cNot just [Assassins], fool! Behold! Even your own tools are turned against you!\u201d<\/p>\n He turns and points. I see movement in the darkness. The glint of light off of metal. Out of the darkness, ten Golems, the massive suits of plate armor armed with two-handed greatswords emerge. They take up positions behind Nemor as he laughs wildly.<\/p>\n \u201cSee how all is turned against you? The Circle of Thorns has roots in every place, even in your own home!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Lightning wouldn\u2019t work so well against them, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia sighs as she stares down at the Golems. I see Ressa take a blade out of her skirt, but Magnolia stops her with a hand on one arm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, those were a present for my sixteenth birthday. I\u2019ll have to get rid of them now; once compromised there\u2019s no trusting them. Couldn\u2019t you have found some other target instead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem to think you\u2019ll still survive.\u201d<\/p>\n Nemor sneers up at Magnolia. He raises a hand, and something bright flashes into being. I see a\u2026blue fireball appear in the mage\u2019s hands. It\u2019s blue around the edges, and in the center I see a white-hot flame swirling.<\/p>\n \u201cYour precious shield spell is nearly exhausted. Will it withstand my magic, and the Golems for more than a few seconds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to. Once you\u2019re dead the Golems will stop attacking as well. It\u2019s very simple, Nemor.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia lightly retorts. I see her raise her hands. She\u2019s putting something on her index finger. I can\u2019t see clearly what it is from this far away. Another ring?<\/p>\n Nemor doesn\u2019t give Magnolia a chance to use it. He hurls the blue fireball, and the explosion engulfs the two women. I feel the blast from here\u2014the air blows my hair and makes me cover my eyes. When I dare look again, I see Magnolia and Ressa, standing in the same spot.<\/p>\n What happened? Their shield must have absorbed the spell again. But it\u2019s gone now, and Nemor has two more fireballs in each hand. He\u2019s laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Will you grovel now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still don\u2019t see why I should.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s tone cuts Nemor off. He snarls\u2014and she continues, speaking over him.<\/p>\n \u201cA powerful, if idiotic mage strong enough to bypass my wards, a group of [Assassins] to take down my mage, subverted control spells for my Golems\u2014they even made sure to choose someone I trusted enough to let into my estate. This Circle really did manage to subvert all my outer defenses. For a first attempt, it was quite well done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be a second time!\u201d<\/p>\n Nemor roars in fury. He hurls another fireball at Magnolia, but this time Ressa moves. She draws something out of her skirt\u2014a mirror?\u2014and holds it up. The fireball is sucked into it. Nemor shouts.<\/p>\n \u201cThat cheap trick won\u2019t work more than once!\u201d<\/p>\n He points and the Golems lumber forward. But Ressa runs at them, hurling something onto the ground. Vines sprout up\u2014a tripvine bag? Something like that, but these vines are huge, easily engulfing even the massive Golems and walling off the rest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t protect yourself forever!\u201d<\/p>\n The mage\u2019s hands glow and he burns half the vines away in an instant with blue flame. He actually melts<\/em> one of the Golems with his spell, but he doesn\u2019t seem to care. He tries to catch Ressa, but she dodges backwards to Magnolia\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cYour [Maid] can\u2019t save you, Reinhart! She can\u2019t breach my magics!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t have to. Nemor, you are a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s finger glints with crimson light as she points at the mage. A thin line of light shoots from the ring she wears and spears the mage through the chest. My breath catches\u2014but the light doesn\u2019t seem to do anything. And yet\u2014it goes straight through Nemor\u2019s shield and out the back of his body. What is it?<\/p>\n Lady Magnolia\u2019s voice is light and calm. I hear her in the sudden silence.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you had begged\u2014no, even if you had, it is far too late. This is the price you pay for overconfidence, Nemor. And betrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n The Great Mage Nemor pauses. For a second I think he didn\u2019t even see the line of red light, so thin is it. But then he spots it and goes still.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n He stares down at the thin red line pulsing in his chest. When he looks up at Lady Magnolia all his confidence is gone.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease. Have m\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s the only word I hear. What I see is the burning line suddenly expanding. The thin line becomes a beam of burning air\u2014a pillar\u2014Nemor\u2019s form is engulfed in a column of fire and then it flashes\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n This time the impact knocks me backwards. I hear more masonry falling around me and instinctively curl up into a ball. Miraculously, Magnolia\u2019s mansion doesn\u2019t fall to bits around me.<\/p>\n My head is spinning. I\u2019m still blind. I slowly uncurl, and gasp, remembering to breathe.<\/p>\n What? What was\u2014<\/p>\n Was that a railgun? No\u2014it was similar, but whatever that burning line was expanded. Some kind of explosion.<\/p>\n I raise my head up, although I really want to keep it down. What I see when I dare look back in the courtyard is simple: I see burning ground, the dark night, fallen bodies.<\/p>\n And Lady Magnolia, standing in the center of the courtyard, still pointing, her finger aimed straight at her enemy\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n And where Nemor once stood? Nothing. A crater of black, smoking ash is all that remains. He is dead, and the Golems stand lifeless, some still tangled in the vines.<\/p>\n It\u2019s over.<\/p>\n For a while, I just lie there, staring down at the courtyard. Lady Magnolia and Ressa look like they\u2019re talking. My eyes are drawn to them\u2014and then the devastation.<\/p>\n Gods. How many people just died down there? A bunch of [Assassins]\u2014even if they weren\u2019t \u2018masters\u2019, they had to be high-level. And that Nemor\u2014what level was he?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know. I can\u2019t even guess. I just witnessed a conflict that I\u2019m far too inexperienced to even guess the magnitude of. It leaves me shaking.<\/p>\n Eventually, though, I stand up. I have to do\u2014something. I wander back towards where the door used to be. I stare down the empty hallway, and then, finally, hear the other sounds.<\/p>\n Sound. It\u2019s such an odd thing. As I lay watching the battle, I could only hear the clash of metal, Nemor\u2019s voice, and the roar and boom of the magical spells. But now I hear other sounds.<\/p>\n Distant shouting. Crying. The voices of people. Who?<\/p>\n [Maids]. [Manservants]. The staff of the house, that\u2019s who. As I slowly walk back into the non-destroyed parts of Magnolia\u2019s estate, I suddenly remember them. And I see them, rushing about, tending to the wounded.<\/p>\n The wounded? Yes\u2014the [Assassins] and Nemor didn\u2019t just attack Magnolia. They struck the servants in her home first. I pass by multiple still bodies, stabbed or burnt practically to ash. But the few casualties of those unfortunate enough to get in the way are nothing compared to the wounded.<\/p>\n Several [Maids] are desperately trying to keep a man lying on the ground alive. He\u2019s stabbed in the stomach\u2014multiple times by the looks of it. But there are three shapes on the ground, all dressed in black clothing.<\/p>\n Assassins? They\u2019re all dead. The servants must have fought them off. The maids look up at me and I\u2014<\/p>\n Stab wound. They took the blade out, which is bad. The bleeding is severe. I grab the nearest cloth I can find\u2014a dead [Maid]\u2019s dress\u2014and press it against the man\u2019s stomach as hard as I can. I ignore his cries and get the other [Maids] to help.<\/p>\n I keep the dressing there, trying to stop blood from flowing, keep the man alive. Somehow, he holds on long enough for one of the [Maids] to dash back with a potion. She pours it on the wound and it heals instantly. The man sits up, gasping.<\/p>\n He lives.<\/p>\n I stand up and go. My hands are covered with blood, but I pay no attention. I feel like a dreamer, walking through Magnolia\u2019s grand home, now filled with death and destruction.<\/p>\n I give aid one more time, helping bind a tourniquet until a potion can arrive, and then I find the last [Assassin]. The one who ran.<\/p>\n He lies on the ground, a hole in his chest, black clothing still smoking from where something burned away part of his leg. Two people are standing over him, a [Butler] and a [Maid].<\/p>\n I blink at Reynold. He and the maid both hold weapons in their hands. A shortsword and buckler in his hands, and a glowing wand in the [Maid]\u2019s. They stare at me, first wary, then relaxing.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Ryoka. Are you unharmed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMm?\u201d<\/p>\n I stare down at the [Assassin]. Filled by some unshakeable curiosity, I pull back his hood. I see not a man\u2019s face as I\u2019d assumed from his build, but a Gnoll\u2019s. Dead.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n I look back up at Reynold. He looks concerned for me. He moves his hand and I flinch, but he touches my head gently. He shows me\u2026blood. On his fingertips.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re hurt. I have a healing potion\u2014please, hold still.\u201d<\/p>\n I let him pour a bit on my temple. The pounding in my head stops. Huh. I didn\u2019t even realize my head was throbbing until this moment. And I feel\u2014a bit more steady.<\/p>\n I stare back down at the [Assassin]. Then I look back at Reynold. He looks grim, but he\u2019s dealing with the situation better than I am at the moment. I hesitate, and then point at the dead Gnoll, grinning stupidly.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes this happen often as well?\u201d<\/p>\n He just stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cNot in my lifetime. But I have heard stories of attempts made on one of the Five Families\u2019 before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what comes next, then? What will Magnolia do?\u201d<\/p>\n He looks at me as if it were obvious.<\/p>\n \u201cShe will go to war.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The problem with winning, Lady Magnolia reflected, was that the winner inevitably had to clean up. Oh, of course some fools might choose to let the dead lie where they were, but that was only an option on the battlefield, and in her experience, most battles took place outside of battlefields.<\/p>\n She stood in what remained of her lovely courtyard, sighing and staring at the dead bodies as Ressa barked orders by her side. Magnolia knew better than to interrupt\u2014Ressa\u2019s control over her staff didn\u2019t have any room for her, so while Ressa coordinated her people, Magnolia chattered. She often did that in times of stress; and every other time as well. She didn\u2019t like silence.<\/p>\n \u201cNot a shred of warning. Not a hint.<\/em> What good are all my informants and spies if they can\u2019t warn me of an impending attack?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that is why it is known as a \u2018sneak\u2019 attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Her [Head Maid] paused in the act of ordering a group of servants to race through the mansion to distribute healing potions. Naturally, Magnolia\u2019s estate had many potions and artifacts for emergencies, but it was one thing to be prepared and another to be ready for an actual attack. Magnolia\u2019s heart ached as reports came in of the servants who had gotten in the way of the assassins and Nemor during the attack.<\/p>\n Something would have to be done. They would have to train the staff, not just those experienced in combat\u2014especially if this was a forecast of things to come.<\/p>\n \u201cEven so, the fact that not one person reported anything unusual happening is telling, isn\u2019t it, Ressa? Our spies are compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa nodded briefly. That much was as obvious to both women as the moon.<\/p>\n \u201cSome will have been caught off-guard. Others were bribed or threatened. More were traitors to begin with. It will take a great deal of work discovering which is which.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, if this is<\/em> the Circle of Thorns and not some pretenders\u2026this is very serious, Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n More people rushed up to the two women. Magnolia listened with one ear while she thought quietly. She stopped one maid, though.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that about an [Assassin]? Was the last one found?\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cReynold and Sacra caught the last one as he was trying to flee. He is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDead?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s tone was irate. She glared at Ressa, ignoring the [Maid] who fled from her presence.<\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t you have captured that one alive? I want at least one witness to interrogate. What good are dead bodies to me? I don\u2019t know any [Necromancers]\u2014at least, none that I trust!\u201d<\/p>\n She knew she was being petty, but she was in a bad mood. Ressa clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she responded to her mistress.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would have been an unnecessary risk. These killers had unknown Skills and magical items. Killing the escaping one quickly was the correct decision for Reynold and Sacra to make and I stand by their decision.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou would.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia grumbled, but she let the matter drop. She knew it would have probably been pointless anyways\u2014[Assassins] were notorious for dying to protect their client\u2019s secrets. She paused as she heard a voice in her head.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh, Ressa. I hear Teriarch. I\u2019ll have to talk with him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa nodded, and stepped away as Magnolia began to speak into the air.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here, Teriarch.\u201d<\/p>\n The old Dragon\u2019s voice was urgent in her mind.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia! I received your signal. Are you\u2014?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFine. There was an attack. Assassins and a mage came to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAssassins? Are you sure you\u2019re safe?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, old fool.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s tone was acerbic, but she relented a bit when she heard the genuine concern in Teriarch\u2019s \u2018voice\u2019. She could almost picture the Dragon anxiously fanning his wings.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think they might be around, I could be there in minutes. A spell or\u2014I could fly!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou? Fly all the way here?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman snorted, amused by the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to come I\u2019d welcome you. But Ressa tells me the place is secure, and she would know. I have my own [Mages] and artifacts who will be able to safeguard me, you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a pause as Teriarch considered Magnolia\u2019s reply.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Ressa says so\u2026tell me what happened!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Briefly, Magnolia related the events to Teriarch.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you come or not? I could use you here.\u201d<\/p>\n She held her breath, but not much. Teriarch\u2019s reply was everything she expected.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026if you\u2019re safe, then I hardly need to go out. Other mages can take care of the rest\u2014but you should get rid of the Golems.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI know. But it\u2019s such a waste. I got those for my birthday, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNevertheless. If one mage can seize control of them, they cannot be trusted. You need a better Golem anyways\u2014how often have I told you not to rely on these shoddy animated suits of armor?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh? And what would you propose?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia snapped at the empty air. Teriarch\u2019s voice was arch as he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cAny superior construct would do. A Gemstone Golem would have far more utility as you well know. Ivory Golems are too susceptible to interference via death magic of course, but if you would just buy a Magestone Golem\u2014or even a Truestone Golem\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNot even you have a Truestone Construct lying around. And besides, I\u2019m fairly certain those were outlawed in several nations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmf. Wistram has one.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd she is not for sale. Believe me, I\u2019ve asked and she is definite on that subject. Teriarch, I have work to do. If you aren\u2019t coming\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well. I will contact you later. But if you need help\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Magnolia\u2019s voice was soft.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I will ask. But there\u2019s only so much you can do in that cave.\u201d<\/p>\n She heard no reply. Instead, she sensed the magical connection break. Magnolia turned back to Ressa, and found the woman was waiting for her.<\/p>\n \u201cAll done?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThings are stable for now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Then find me Ryoka Griffin. I only saw the girl sensibly had her head down after Nemor blasted through the wall. Do you know where she is? Is she hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is alive and mostly unharmed. At the moment she is helping tend to the wounded.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia paused.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. There may be some hope for her after all. Take me to her.\u201d<\/p>\n The two began to walk into the mansion. Magnolia sighed as she looked at the injured, but she kept talking to Ressa as they walked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s begun, Ressa. It\u2019s war, you know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgainst the Circle of Thorns?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWherever and whoever they may be. I have an idea of where to start, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe same problem as before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf my great grandmother\u2019s diary is right, it will be a nightmare. Still, we can\u2019t let them do this again. I think you know what we have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa waited. Magnolia made a face as she forced herself to say the words out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll need to gather my flight of attendants. My allies, anyone who can be trusted\u2014do you know where all my attendants are right now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight where you left them. The Reinhart estate in First Landing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDamn. I hate that place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen should we leave?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTonight. Have Reynold get the coach ready. We can be back soon, but we have to move now.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, for the moment\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An hour ago I was talking about the fate of the world with Magnolia. Now I\u2019m standing in the rubble of her mansion, helping pour healing potions on the wounded.<\/p>\n In fairness, there\u2019s not that much rubble and no longer as many wounded. The wards on the Reinhart estate are sturdy, and Nemor only destroyed one room. But the air still feels tense, electric with fear and anxiety.<\/p>\n And grief. I stand up from tending to what used to be one man\u2019s leg and turn to find Lady Magnolia and Ressa. They stare down at the [Manservant] as he tries to get up and fails.<\/p>\n \u201cStay there.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa\u2019s voice is calm and imperious. But she kneels and inspects the man\u2019s stump of a leg with gentle hands. The wound is healed, but his leg is gone. Burnt away. He shudders, but doesn\u2019t cry out like he was doing earlier. He only looks up at Ressa and Lady Magnolia.<\/p>\n \u201cI regret\u2014I\u2019m afraid I won\u2019t be able to wait tables any longer, Miss Ressa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about that. Just rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Ressa lies the man back and more servants come to lift him in a stretcher. I watch them take the man away, and see Ressa\u2019s gaze follow him.<\/p>\n She does care about the other servants. She might act like a general from hell ordering them about, but she cares.<\/p>\n And Magnolia\u2014<\/p>\n I glance at the other woman. Lady Magnolia Reinhart is standing in the corridor, coolly surveying the devastation. People rush around her, and occasionally she\u2019ll direct someone, but for the most part she just lets Ressa work.<\/p>\n She\u2019s not down there tending to people herself. But she is radiating calm authority like a lighthouse. That\u2019s a type of leadership, and I can see it reassuring the people around her. They look to her.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n Now her eyes find me, and I shudder. I can\u2019t take comfort in her presence. Not after what I saw. I nod to her to cover my unease.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm. Well, I am relieved to see you weren\u2019t hurt. I was almost afraid you\u2019d jump into the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n No fear of that. I stare at the one-legged man as he disappears down the corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will happen to him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe man\u2026with the missing leg. What will happen to him after this?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia blinks at me, surprised by my question.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill he lose his job? He sounded like he was a waiter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course he won\u2019t lose his job! I will find a new one for him that he can fulfill with one leg. That is all that will happen. Why, did you think I would fire him?\u201d<\/p>\n I can only shrug. Magnolia scowls. She seems genuinely annoyed with me.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one injured in my employ will ever face losing their job. I do not abandon my people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Good.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my back and stare at the people hurrying around me. I can tell Magnolia is eying me balefully from behind.<\/p>\n \u201cI trust you understand this complicates matters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI kind of got that when all the [Assassins] appeared. What was the mage talking about? Who are the Circle of Thorns?\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia pretends she didn\u2019t hear my question.<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, I have suddenly become far too busy to hound you on the matter of inventions from your world. I will do so at a later date, but for now I believe I will have to let you go.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn and meet her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think I\u2019m an idiot? I know this isn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n She rolls hers.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it isn\u2019t. But by all means, attend to your own business. We are allies, so I shall make sure you meet with the best experts in Invrisil. Tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExperts? What experts?\u201d<\/p>\n Another eye roll. Magnolia points at my side, at the bag of holding I\u2019m carrying and snaps.<\/p>\n \u201cMagical<\/em> experts, idiot! I know your adventurer friends uncovered some relics. Well, I will have some meet with you. And then, when I am done attending to this\u2014you and I will talk again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat.\u201d<\/p>\n Magnolia raises an eyebrow, but that\u2019s all I have to say on the matter. She sighs, loudly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are an obnoxious child sometimes, you know that? You remind me of Ressa when she was young.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahead of her, Ressa turns and glares at Magnolia. I do the same. Magnolia waves her hand at the two of us.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will sleep here tonight. Ressa will find you a room.\u201d<\/p>\n And so she does. I stay awake long enough to see the mansion slowly settle back into some kind of normalcy\u2014and then I go to the large, extravagantly adorned room that has been allotted to me. I lie on the bed, but I\u2019m still far too awake to sleep.<\/p>\n I can still see the lightning, still see the line of fire engulf Nemor. I don\u2019t know what it means, and I\u2019m almost afraid to find out. But one thing I do know.<\/p>\n The sky is already beginning to brighten. I try to sleep, willing myself to rest for however long I can. I think I\u2019ll need the energy. I\u2019m not done here. Not by far.<\/p>\n Invrisil, the City of Adventurers, awaits.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 45<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A lot can happen in a day. I mean, that\u2019s a fairly obvious statement, but I find myself surprised, sometimes, at how much can happen.<\/p>\n Forty-five days. That\u2019s how long I\u2019ve been in this world. But although I had a lot of amazing, unforgettable experiences in these forty-five days, the last few have seen the most happen.<\/p>\n Especially three days ago. Three days ago I survived my first avalanche. I coordinated a rescue effort; I touched a dead person, and saved a life. More than one for both counts, if I\u2019m honest.<\/p>\n But I choose to remember the living. And I have to keep moving forwards rather than dwell on the past; a lot more rests on my shoulders, now.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a bit\u2026ironic. A few days ago Durene and I were effectively outcasts living on the edge of Riverfarm, barely tolerated for who we were. Well, Durene was barely tolerated; I was more popular. But we were both shunned for our relationship.<\/p>\n And now? Now our little cottage is our hideaway from the rest of the world. At least if we stay there we can sleep in peace.<\/p>\n In three days, I went from being a blind man with an unhealthy obsession with half-Trolls in the eyes of the village to being an [Emperor]. Of course, I was always an [Emperor], but they didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n They do now. True, I didn\u2019t exactly advertise the fact, but everyone heard me when I first took control of the village. And word spreads fast.<\/p>\n How would you react to having an Emperor in your village? I\u2019d imagine normally there would be a lot of questions and maybe even suspicion or hostility.<\/p>\n But in this case? There\u2019s none. The villagers saw me running from spot to spot, finding people trapped in the snow. That earns you a lot of trust, not to mention gratitude. I am an [Emperor], and the villagers treat me as such.<\/p>\n Which brings me on to the downside of my current living situation: I\u2019m an [Emperor]. And Riverfarm is now technically under my dominion.<\/p>\n Which, defacto, makes me their ruler. Which also makes me responsible for them. And makes them subservient to me.<\/p>\n And boy, do they take that role seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cAre they still outside, Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n I hear her rustle as she sits up and looks at the window.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Gamel\u2019s still out there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill?\u201d<\/p>\n Or should I say, \u2018already\u2019? I frown as I sit up in bed next to Durene. It\u2019s barely past dawn, and there\u2019s someone out there?<\/p>\n \u201cDid he camp out here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think so. He\u2019s got a fire and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe should have invited him in. Not that there\u2019s space, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n I mutter to myself as I put on pants and a shirt and coat. I try to stay low; one of the downsides to being blind is that you can\u2019t really tell where windows are or if doors are open. It means I\u2019m somewhat paranoid about flashing someone by mistake.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is he even out there? I told them I\u2019d be back as soon as I woke up today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think they wanted to have someone here in case you needed anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Durene answers cautiously as she readies some tea and rekindles the fire. She knows how I feel about suddenly being the ruler of Riverfarm, but I can tell from her voice that she\u2019s pleased.<\/p>\n And can I blame her? She used to be the village laborer, the barely-tolerated half-monster girl. And now she\u2019s the consort of an [Emperor], or my personal servant, or whatever. The point is that even though our relationship isn\u2019t a secret, no one\u2019s throwing rocks at Durene, and everyone treats her with almost as much deference as they treat me.<\/p>\n Part of that might also be her class. Durene is a Level 6 [Paladin] now. She gained the levels from helping save people and working to help the village. True, she didn\u2019t slay monsters, but her doing good deeds fits with the idea of a [Paladin] in modern culture. And for her efforts, she gained not one, but two Skills.<\/p>\n [Weapon Proficiency: Shield] and [Graceful Step]. Now, the first Skill makes sense to me. It sounds like a classic feat out of any fantasy roleplaying game, but [Graceful Step]? Apparently, it allows Durene to move, well, gracefully. If I put it bluntly, she no longer sounds like an earthquake when she moves around her cottage, and she can even sneak up on me now!<\/p>\n It\u2019s quite incredible to me, but it\u2019s also odd. I mean, why would moving silently, or rather, gracefully, be that important to a [Paladin]? Is it because the class is taking from the original idea of a paladin being a member of Charlemagne\u2019s court and being considered dignified characters? Or is it more broadly taken from the fact that paladins are supposed to be champions of justice, respected characters in the eyes of the many?<\/p>\n Perhaps there\u2019s another set of guidelines I don\u2019t know about entirely. All I do know is that Durene\u2014<\/p>\n Squark.<\/em><\/p>\n I wince and hear Durene\u2019s surprised exclamation.<\/p>\n \u201cOh good. Frostwing\u2019s awake.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, the noisy eaglet has awoken, and upon finding both Durene and I are awake, is stridently, nay, angrily demanding <\/em>we feed her breakfast. I scowl as I find the bowl of half-frozen food by the kitchen counter and shove it at the bird.<\/p>\n \u201cEat, you ungrateful fowl. Stop complaining\u2014I haven\u2019t even had breakfast yet!\u201d<\/p>\n Happily, Frostwing does just that. She\u2019s gotten even bigger than she was three days ago, and now she can peck at the food herself. I can even feel a few feathers coming in, although I\u2019ve been too preoccupied with the village to attend to her as much as I\u2019d like.<\/p>\n Speaking of which\u2014<\/p>\n As Durene puts some butter in the pan and I delight at hearing it sizzle, I open the door and walk out to Gamel. I know the young man\u2014he\u2019s been following me and Durene around since the day of the avalanche. And I can even \u2018see\u2019 him in my mind\u2014he\u2019s camped right at the boundary of where Durene\u2019s cottage ends.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n I hear his excited voice as I crunch through the snow. I make a face and stop before I\u2019m too close to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, Mister Laken is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019d prefer to do away with even that, to be honest. But the villagers insist on calling me something. And that\u2019s way better than \u2018Emperor\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mister Laken.\u201d<\/p>\n He sounds chastened.<\/em> I sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind that. Durene and I were about to have breakfast. Can I invite you in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do that!\u201d<\/p>\n He sounds horrified. I sigh again, but I knew Gamel would probably say that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir. I\u2019ve got some porridge and even some smoked bacon right here, sir. A feast!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, in that case we\u2019ll be out soon. If you\u2019re cold, the door\u2019s open.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t be cold. I will be waiting, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head to myself as I walk back to the cottage. How did it come to this?<\/p>\n I brighten up a bit when I push open the door and smell meat cooking. Durene\u2019s poking at the pan, and I can tell there are some thick slabs of ham waiting to be eaten.<\/p>\n \u201cSmells good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt does, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene sounds just as excited as I am as she flips the dripping slices onto a plate. She and I eat at a table\u2014me ignoring Frostwing\u2019s chirps as she tries to get me to feed her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re disgusting, you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot you, silly. Frostwing. Didn\u2019t you just eat the entire bowl?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno Laken, she looks hungry. She\u2019s getting bigger\u2014what if we gave her some?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe later. There\u2019s such a thing as overfeeding her, Durene.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026You can feed her that one bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay!\u201d<\/p>\n I smile to myself as Frostwing shrieks in delight and then begs for more. Who knew a bird could beg? But then my smile falters a bit as I bite into my own bit of fried ham. Yes, it\u2019s delicious. But the mere fact that Durene and I are feasting on ham for breakfast is a concern.<\/p>\n We\u2019re eating meat. And that might be normal in my world, but in Durene\u2019s, or at least, in her village, that\u2019s a luxury. And it\u2019s happening because all the animals in Riverfarm are dead.<\/p>\n They were all buried in the avalanche, and unlike the people, we didn\u2019t get to them in time. Chickens, pigs, cows\u2014even if you ignore the people that died, this was a disaster in its own right. These animals are what Riverfarm depends on for food and coin, and they were all killed at once.<\/p>\n The one small mercy was that at least their bodies were frozen. It means that the villagers and Durene and I can eat the animals one by one and stretch out our food stocks that way. But still. This would cripple any village and make it that much harder to survive the winter in the best of times.<\/p>\n And after the avalanche, Riverfarm is certainly not going through the best of times. That\u2019s why despite our big and delicious meal, Durene and I are out of the cottage in the next fifteen minutes, and we walk with Gamel trailing in our wake to Riverfarm in good time.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSire!\u201d<\/p>\n Countless voices greet me as I walk into the village. I smile and wave, and greet people by name. I\u2019m used to the attention by now, at least enough so that I don\u2019t get slowed down and get to the village center in good time. When I\u2019m there, I immediately cast around the village with my [Emperor] senses.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see. What\u2019s changed since yesterday? Some new houses are excavated\u2014good. Nothing\u2019s collapsed today, which is a relief. The dead animals\u2014<\/p>\n \u2014Are still frozen in the ground. But one of them looks\u2026gnawed at? I frown.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost?\u201d<\/p>\n With my senses I can tell the man jumps as I address him directly among the crowd. People still can\u2019t quite believe I can sense things without seeing. But he hurries forwards as I call him.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mister Laken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the dead cows\u2014the one buried just past the barn\u2014looks like it\u2019s been partially eaten. Have animals found the body?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019ll have someone check at once!\u201d<\/p>\n Prost\u2019s voice is filled with consternation and I hear him hurry off. In minutes he\u2019s back with news.<\/p>\n \u201cAnimals did eat at the body, sir! Looks like foxes or something similar. They ate a good bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not good.\u201d<\/p>\n I sigh as I hear people around me mutter. Well, I suspected this would happen.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like wildlife is returning to the area after the avalanche. We\u2019ll need to make sure they don\u2019t get at any more of the dead animals before we can properly smoke them, salt them, or preserve them some other way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat will be hard, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Prost sounds worried. I nod, but try to look for a better angle. There has to be something\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if we set traps for the foragers? We could catch a few animals\u2014maybe more food for the pot?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat could work!\u201d<\/p>\n The man brightens up and I hear voices sounding approving around me. Jeez. As if that was some brilliant idea. Any one of them could have come up with it\u2014they\u2019d probably be able to execute it far better than I could since they actually know how all of this works. But they let me do the thinking and deciding, because I am an [Emperor] after all, and don\u2019t I know best?<\/p>\n This is how my day goes now. I coordinate with Prost about getting people to set traps up as Durene goes to help dig. She\u2019s been doing it every day\u2014we\u2019ve nearly gotten all of the houses excavated, but there\u2019s still tons of snow around the village that could be cleared out. And the fields\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cAt the very least, we should focus on finding a place to store the dead animals. The barn perhaps. If we could close the doors and put the frozen bodies in the snow there, that might keep a lot of hungry animals at bay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can do that. Just give the word, Mister Laken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just worried larger predators will smell the dead bodies and come searching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, that\u2019s true. The Emperor has a point. What if a bear scents out the carcasses?\u201d<\/p>\n I hear a murmur of worry.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll have to have eyes on the barn, then. But we can\u2019t just let the bodies rot and keeping them buried is just asking for trouble. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n Prost takes command of a few villagers, and I choose more people who either volunteer or who I know have good Skills for the job. No one complains. Everyone\u2019s so full of this\u2014this can-do attitude it almost makes my heart hurt.<\/p>\n Here they are, days after an avalanche that killed their family and friends, and they\u2019re putting their lives back together. Without a word of complaint. Helping one another, sharing all they have. All they needed was a little nudge to do it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it isn\u2019t good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n I mutter the words quietly as I sit in Prosts\u2019s house, repurposed to act as a central hub I can work in.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head at Gamel as he leans forwards to pay closer attention. It\u2019s nothing.<\/p>\n Liar.<\/em> I know what the problem is, and I know I have to address it soon. Today. The villagers are working hard, I know that. They\u2019ve excavated their village, repaired damage, worked together, buried the dead. They\u2019ve performed a small miracle, but\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cBut we don\u2019t have enough food to last the winter. Nor are we ready for a monster attack.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s the situation I lay out in front of Prost and the other older villagers later that day. I hear them talking amongst themselves, but they go quiet when I continue.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got stores of food of course\u2014plenty, in fact. And the harsh truth of it is that we\u2019re benefited by having fewer mouths to feed. But\u2014even so. We lost all the animals, and a number of cellars where the snow and ice smashed everything to bits. And there are other villages that were hit too\u2014what if relatives come? People seeking aid, who weren\u2019t as fortunate as us? What if there are more mouths to feed? And while we\u2019re struggling to make ends meet, monsters could attack us at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never encountered a monster, but Durene and the others have told me stories, and they\u2019re horrific. Monsters, especially smart ones like Goblins, love to attack when people are at their weakest. I\u2019m sure Riverfarm is a lovely target for them, and the other villagers know I\u2019m right.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat should we do then, Mister Laken? Do you have a plan?\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s Prost\u2019s voice again. He seems to speak for a lot of the villagers. I nod at him, trying to project confidence so he won\u2019t be worried. Odd. A few days ago he was trying to tell me what to do. Now\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cI do. If we don\u2019t have enough food here, and we need help, we might as well just buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBuy it? You mean\u2014from a city?\u201d<\/p>\n Consternation fills the room. I wait for them to quiet, and then ask for opinions. Again, Prost is first up to bat.<\/p>\n \u201cPardon me, Mister Laken, but I\u2019m afraid our village doesn\u2019t have the coin to buy enough food\u2014let alone hire adventurers to guard us. We never did. We could buy enough food for a few weeks maybe, or hire a few bronze-rank adventurers for the same amount of time if we pool our coin, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He trails off helplessly. The other villagers mutter their agreement. It\u2019s so\u2014interesting. None of them want to tell me I\u2019m wrong, even when they are telling me just that. It\u2019s like they want to be proven wrong, to know I\u2019ve always got something up my sleeve.<\/p>\n That\u2019s unhealthy. I need to get them to stop thinking like that. Even if\u2026they\u2019re right in this case.<\/p>\n I clear my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cMoney will not be an issue, ladies and gentlemen. I happen to have quite enough coin to pay for whatever Riverfarm needs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n I nod at Mister Prost.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember the gold coin I traded you, Mister Prost? I have hundreds more like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Is it risky telling a bunch of desperate villagers I\u2019m rich? Maybe. And some would say that\u2019s especially true since I\u2019m blind. But I have a good read on these people. They\u2019re honest, hardworking, loyal\u2014even if they are a bit racist. And they look up to me.<\/p>\n My faith in them is not misplaced. If anything, I underestimate their spirit. After the shocked exclamations die down, one of the other villagers, a woman named Teriane, speaks up.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Laken, we can\u2019t hardly have you paying for all of us! We\u2019d never be able to repay you!\u201d<\/p>\n The others mutter sadly in agreement. I just shake my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense. No one needs to pay me back anything. I\u2019m your [Emperor], so it\u2019s only natural that I\u2019d take care of my citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n Also, I got the money practically for free. But when the villagers hear this, they\u2019re moved to tears. Literally, in some cases. I feel bad\u2014but I feel worse when they begin to cheer.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLong live Emperor Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor!\u201d<\/p>\n Oh god. This is too much for me. Eventually I get them all to sit down and shut up, and I keep going with my plan.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, money isn\u2019t an issue, but what is<\/em> important is getting to a proper place to spend all of what I have. To that end\u2026I\u2019m going to Invrisil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the only way!\u201d<\/p>\n I talk over their exclamations. I explain as best I can.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take Durene\u2014and Frostwing too, I suppose. The three of us can move quickly, and go to the Adventurer\u2019s Guild and marketplace to buy all we need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut sir\u2014you can\u2019t! It\u2019s too dangerous for you and\u2014and especially Durene!\u201d<\/p>\n Prost is the first to speak up. I can tell he\u2019s agitated, and I understand why.<\/p>\n Durene. She\u2019s always wanted to go to a city, and always been too scared of what treatment she might receive. But this\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cDurene is the only person who can guide me properly. I trust her, and she\u2019s strong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why not let one of us go instead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think you\u2019d be safe, Mister Prost? Even if I sent ten people\u2014what if you were attacked by bandits? Or if someone tried to mug you for the gold?\u201d<\/p>\n They can\u2019t reply to that. I nod seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking this over. Durene might stand out, but she\u2019s stronger than any thug, and I\u2026I\u2019m an [Emperor]. We\u2019d stand more of a chance, and besides, who would try robbing a blind man and a half-Troll?\u201d<\/p>\n Well, more people would try to rob me than Durene. But the villagers still don\u2019t like the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will happen when you\u2019re gone, though? Emperor, sir, we need you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need me.\u201d<\/p>\n I scowl as I override their objections.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, be quiet! You don\u2019t need me. You did perfectly well when I wasn\u2019t here, and I\u2019ll only be gone a few days at the most. And when I return, I\u2019ll have everything we need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n I can hear part of their fear unspoken in their voices. It\u2019s not just the dangers they worry about. It\u2019s that I might abandon them. I mean, it\u2019s not as if I didn\u2019t think of it. What\u2019s stopping me and Durene from just leaving Riverfarm to their fate?<\/p>\n My duty as an [Emperor], that\u2019s what. And if not that, my soul.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost.\u201d<\/p>\n I walk up to the man, and take him by the arm. He starts at my touch, but I look at him. My eyes are closed obviously, but this is as close as I can get to what it would be like if I could see.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost. I will<\/em> come back. Riverfarm is my home, now. This is my empire. I will return. You have my word as an [Emperor] on it.\u201d<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what Prost sees in my closed eyelids, but whatever I say, it works. In a moment he changes from arguing against me to arguing for me.<\/p>\n \u201cTrust in Emperor Laken you lot! No\u2014quiet Melpin! You don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about. If Emperor Laken say he\u2019ll do it\u2014he\u2019ll do it!\u201d<\/p>\n And that settles that. Oh, of course I had to reassure people and tell the others what was going to happen, but once I got the ball rolling, it couldn\u2019t be stopped.<\/p>\n Not that there weren\u2019t a few alterations, mind. In the end it was decided that we\u2019d take a wagon. Durene would be able to pull me, Frostwing, and the gold and some travel supplies along. I objected of course, but Durene was the one who argued against me the most here.<\/p>\n \u201cI can pull you all, Laken! Honest!\u201d<\/p>\n Against my better judgment, I agreed to it, especially, as it turned out, because we\u2019d be getting company. Gamel was chosen to accompany us\u2014as a sort of helper to Durene and someone who could talk to guards and whatnot.<\/p>\n It made sense, and I couldn\u2019t get the villagers to budge, so I let it all pass. That\u2019s how we found ourselves getting ready long into the night, and I drew up some plans for the villagers to follow while we were gone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Day 46<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe cart is loaded?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrostwing\u2019s secure in her nest?\u201d<\/p>\n I hear her shrill cry and nod.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene? Are you sure about this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPositive! Look, I can pull this so easily!\u201d<\/p>\n Durene demonstrates and I wobbled and nearly lose my balance standing on the wagon.<\/p>\n \u201cOh! Sorry Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNevermind that. Okay, it\u2019s time!\u201d<\/p>\n I turn and wave to the villagers. They cheer and call out my name. Durene pulls the wagon, Gamel shouts and hollers back at his sweetheart, and we set out down the snow-covered road. The villagers worked all night to clear it so we can travel on, and the ride isn\u2019t nearly as bumpy as I thought it would be.<\/p>\n I sit back down in the wagon and feel the comfy, warm blankets around me. The villagers really spared no expense giving me the luxury accommodations.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene, just let me know when you get tired. If you can\u2019t pull us all the way, I\u2019m more than happy to get out and walk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, Laken! I could even pull Gamel!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine Durene. I like walking. I could\u2014help pull if you need it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I got it!\u201d<\/p>\n We move onwards. I feel the fresh morning air in my face and sigh.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is so weird.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t it exciting?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene\u2019s voice is filled with delight and apprehension in equal measures. I can just tell she\u2019s twisting in place as she walks to stare up at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so nervous, Laken! We\u2019re going to a city! Not just a city, the city! <\/em>The City of Adventurers!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been there myself. Is it amazing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n Both Durene and Gamel chorus at the same time. I grin.<\/p>\n \u201cBut neither of you have been there before, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n Practically none of the villagers have. Invrisil is a huge city, and the people of Riverfarm trade with the local town rather than go all the way there. But the city is the dream of all young folk.<\/p>\n Including me, I guess.<\/p>\n \u201cLaken?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n I can hear the worry in her voice as she pauses before speaking.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think it\u2019ll be alright? I mean\u2026for me?\u201d<\/p>\n I take a while before I reply. That was my worry too. But\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere might be some people who just look at you and judge you from first glance, but if there are, I\u2019ll deal with them. I am an [Emperor], after all. And you are my lovely subject.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat makes me relieved. I mean, I\u2019m just so nervous! We have a fortune in the wagon! What if someone finds out?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene says it again, but I can tell she\u2019s feeling better. I tease her as we go up a small slope that apparently leads out of the village.<\/p>\n \u201cHow will anyone find out? Unless you shout it to them, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just saying! There could be bandits, or monsters\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll just have to defend me, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe!?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you! You\u2019re my [Paladin], after all, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh come now. Don\u2019t worry, Durene! What\u2019s the worst that could go wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Frostwing squawks in my ear, and Durene giggles. I sit back as Gamel starts talking about being an adventurer and maybe even going to Wistram, and Durene excitedly asks him what magic he\u2019d study, and turn my face up to the sky.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t tell whether it\u2019s cloudy or clear skies above me. And maybe that\u2019s a good thing, because I can always imagine that there\u2019s a blue, clear sky overhead and the sun is shining bright. I\u2019ve never seen blue, but I imagine it\u2019s the color of adventure, of a new day.<\/p>\n Of hope.<\/p>\n Of course, I\u2019ve always thought green was a rather hopeful color as well. But who ever heard of a green sky? Ah well, it\u2019s all the same to me.<\/p>\n The wagon rumbles on as I, Laken Godart, [Emperor], prepare to go to Invrisil, the City of Adventurers to save my poor village from starvation and monsters. I lie back, breath in. And at last\u2014<\/p>\n I begin to explore this vast world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I think I have a concussion. The world is spinning and I want to puke. Then again, maybe that\u2019s just how being thrown across a room by an explosion always feels. I don\u2019t know. I haven\u2019t had much experience with that up until now. And I hope it never happens again. \u201cAh.\u201d I try to […]<\/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-2883","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
\n