The Arcane Lord 2

NOBLE MAGIC

BOOK TWO

ALEX PRONE

MARCUS SLOSS

Copyright © 2024 by Royal Guard Publishing LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Chapter

One

The vision started as always. A sea of blood expanded in every direction Julian’s eyes could witness. In the skies, thunder pierced through the clouds, shaking the very essence of his being … and then came the lightning.

With the lightning, a figure with two wings hovered over his head. The pair of dark wings stretched several feet, and something put Julian’s neck hair on the end. He could feel Rayra and Liz at his side but couldn’t see them. It was the strangest of feelings. Yet, it happened every night. The wings flapped ominously, and when he began to finally discern some of its features, a scream pierced the air.

Julian didn’t know to whom that voice belonged, but its terror made his ears ring with rage. He narrowed his eyes, trying to move, but he couldn’t. He was in a boat, one that drifted through that sea of blood so violently that Julian was surprised he could still be on his feet.

When he finally felt comfortable enough to step to the side, the figure above his head started falling. Another cry threatened to deafen the lord as the dark wings approached his face. Every night, that nightmare haunted him. He woke up when the strange figure crashed against him.

The last thing he could discern in that strange moment was a delighted laugh in the sky, as if the storm itself was pleased by the Lord’s doom.

He opened his eyes wide and felt the heat of sweat all over his face.

“The nightmare?” Liz's voice came from beside him, and Julian was thankful he could actually see her there.

“The same,” Julian replied, wiping his brow.

Liz gently lifted one hand to his chest, letting it land on his chest over his heart. “Breathe,” she said, releasing the air from her lungs.

The gesture made Julian realize how shallow his breathing had been since he woke. The first time he dreamt that dream, he couldn’t remember everything, but now … two weeks of seeing the same images every day had carved them inside his head.

He had become accustomed to the dream. Every time he went there, he tried to look for something new, process the information, and extract something from it. He wasn’t afraid of the nightmare or what it could represent, but somehow, his magical core seemed to be.

It was still strange to Julian how the innate magic in his being could respond to something without his permission. Every time he came out of that dream, he could feel the mana moving inside his body with agitation. That accelerated his heartbeat, increased his temperature, and made him sweat like a pig. Fighting such a strange sensation was exhausting, but with every day, he felt stronger.

“Any clues about the meaning behind it?” Liz asked, caring for his wet hair and removing the long curls from his face.

“I heard a different voice this time, a laugh.”

“Fenrir?”

“I don’t think so…. It was different, not as cynical as him … more maniacal.”

“Like a madman.”

“More like a mad god.”

The words sunk into the air as Liz locked eyes with Julian. She knew how much he was anticipating their trip to the Twelve Isles. The fact that they would finally leave the manor to go to the Realm’s capital today only grew the tension.

“We’ll figure this out,” she said gently, but Julian couldn’t feel that much confidence in her. Still, she was trying, and he appreciated that.

“We will,” he replied with a smile. If he were the one who had to bring confidence to their house, he would embrace the role gladly. “We’ll go to the Capital, talk with the princess, invade another country, and soon we’ll be back home to raise our kids.”

Julian sat up on the bed and pushed Liz gently to the bed. The sheets slowly slid down her features, revealing her beautiful breasts and delicate belly. Julian let one hand travel to the base of her abdomen and caressed her with a smile.

“I can’t wait to see her face,” he said with an uncontrollable grin.

Liz raised her head and brows. “How can you be so sure it’s a girl?”

“I just know,” Julian replied, repeatedly kissing her belly. “She’ll be as pretty as her mother and as brave as her father.”

“I’m not brave?” Liz asked defiantly.

“You most definitely are,” he promptly replied as he moved up to lie beside her, “or else I wouldn’t be with you right now. It needed much bravery to fight Burrowmaws, go to the depths of dungeons, and venture into different dimensions.”

“That’s better,” she replied, seeking his lips for a kiss. “I love it when you boast about me,” she uttered between their kisses and laughs.

The sun pierced the window violently, and Julian felt the heat burning his skin. Rayra always opened the windows so they could wake up with the sun rising. It was Julian’s request, and she did it every day without complaining. It was rare for the fox woman to stay in bed with them until everyone was awake.

Julian quickly learned she needed less sleep than him, but he saw her escaping the bed with the moon still in the sky. It wasn’t a surprise when he found her in their reformed private library, searching for clues about where the Lost Soul would have gone and how she could see her again.

It wasn’t so rare to find Marcella also in the library. His mother clarified that she wanted to catch up on all the reading she lost over the years. Inside the mirror realm, she found tomes with scriptures about the Last and Lost Soul and read a lot about the age of gods and their rule over all lands. That was why she now spent all her time reading romances and adventure stories.

“I’m sick of reality, son. If I stop reading for too long, I start to consider going to rescue your father myself,” she kept saying every time Julian complained about her time reading fiction. Before Julian could protest, she would finish, “I know, we need to wait for the princess…. Let me be, then, my boy. And don’t bother Rayra about her being here with me. I like to talk with my daughter-in-law.”

Indeed, they liked to talk. Marcella’s knowledge and similarities created a bond between his lover and mother. Julian wasn’t surprised to see the two talking for hours, laughing or studying together. Marcella had known Liz since she was a child and had a deep affection for her, making Julian nervous that his mother might prefer one over the other. In the end, all he felt in his home was harmony.

Everything had fit perfectly, and Tarav ensured the day-to-day was working fine. The old butler felt torn between coordinating the rebuilding with Julian and caring for the well-being of the increasing number of members of the Lionheart family. Only one thing was left for them to fix, and their home would finally be complete.

His father needed to come back home.

That was why, even with his body protesting otherwise, Julian parted from his wife’s kiss and got out of the bed.

“We need to finish the preparations. We’ll leave soon,” Julian said, grabbing a shirt, pants, and shoes from the corner and moving toward the door. “I’ll find Rayra and bring her to eat something.”

“Right, I’ll wait for you at the table.” Liz yawned and stretched her arms, preparing to dress and go downstairs.

Julian rushed through the door and went directly to the library. The old office had become filled with books, and the fact that his mother was always there made Julian decide to make his office in another house chamber. He needed way less space than the books and preferred to be alone when he needed to think something through.

He wasn’t surprised to see his mother with her head sunk into a book, her concentration making it impossible for her to notice his approach or the sound of the door creaking.

“Rayra isn’t here?”

Marcella’s eyes went up, and when she realized it was Julian, she smiled earnestly. She got up quickly, her green eyes joyfully sparkling as she hugged Julian. She did it almost every time she saw the Lord. She had been away so long that seeing her son was always a pleasure.

“She didn’t come today. What time is it?”

“We’re in the middle of the morning.”

“Oh,” she said with surprise.

“You were here all night?”

“Maybe? I lost track of time.”

“Mom….”

“I know, son….” She had an apologetic expression, and Julian felt sorry for her. He caressed her hair and smiled.

“I’ll bring him home, and everything will be fine.”

“Is it today?” she asked, suddenly more aware and moving towards the door. “By the Last, I didn’t help you at all.”

Julian moved and grabbed her hand. “Everything is already settled. I’ll discuss the last details with Tarav; you greatly helped.”

“How? I’ve just stayed here reading for the last three weeks while you’ve rebuilt everything.”

“You helped me stay alive, fighting daily for the right to be here now. Soon, you’ll have grandsons and granddaughters. They’ll need you.”

“You’ve grown so much,” she sighed, gently holding his hand. “Go find your wife, son. We spoke yesterday, and she’s uneasy about the trip. She needs you now way more than me.”

“I’ll do that,” he said, moving to the door and turning to look at her again. “I’ll be back soon to say goodbye.”

Julian moved down the stairs without looking back and almost stumbled over Tarav, who held Jet dearly over his chest. The cat had four legs in the air and purred as Tarav caressed her belly fur.

“She really loves you, Tarav,” Julian said with a smile as the old butler made way for him to pass.

“Indeed, young master. Are you searching for Baroness Rayra?”

“You know she doesn’t like to be called that way.”

“I’m sorry, master. She went outside the walls not long ago; she seemed to be in a hurry. I heard her muttering something about an energy shift.”

“Did you?” Julian asked, his brow furrowed and a smile on his face. A good part of Tarav’s job was to be attentive to his surroundings, but Julian could tell the butler liked this nosy part of his job a little too much.

“Yes, master. Everything is ready for your trip.”

“I still need to sharpen my sword⁠—”

“Done.”

“And gather my new cloth mail,”

“Done.”

“See if the Guild Master received the Twelve Isles map he promised me.”

“It’s with your cloth mail, sir. I told you I was going to take care of everything.”

“You’re a blessing in our lives, Tarav,” Julian said, patting the old man’s shoulder. “Did you save something for me to do?”

“I didn’t follow Baroness Rayra.”

“Right, you didn’t. I will. Thanks, old friend. We’ll talk more before we leave.”

“Right, master,” Tarav said with a smile, but Julian couldn’t see his old servant’s face since his steps toward the door were so fast.

It seemed like everyone was preoccupied with Rayra, and Julian knew he was more than anyone else. The beastfolk could be difficult at times, and these last weeks, she had closed herself into her armor again. Julian could break her defenses with some effort, but after a night of sleep, he would find her again, her mood corrupted by the uncertainty of Ranabi’s whereabouts.

With their trip getting closer, he saw her getting more anxious. She knew Ranabi was a necessary piece of the puzzle, and they were walking into the belly of the beast. Whatever Fenrir and the Baron were cooking up in the orcish islands, Julian knew it wasn’t good. If it were up to him, he would have departed the very next day he had encountered the princess at the duchy, but the harsh reality was that getting into the isles wasn’t easy.

He would need connections and information he couldn’t acquire yet, so he would have to rely on the princess’s plan. Thankfully, she hadn’t taken too long to make her move.

Julian had enough time to reform parts of the house, complete the harvest, rebuild the workers’ quarters and stables, and even prepare for the new year's crop. They had even acquired back some of the paintings and sculptures his father had sold before going on his rescue mission.

The beauty and organization of his home were overshadowed in his mind by the duty to find Rayra and comfort her. He could still greet every worker he saw on the way, but his mind was distant.

An energy shift? What was she talking about? he asked himself as he crossed the courtyard gates and looked to the sides.

With the crops cut to the root and the ground leveled for a new batch of seeds, it didn’t take long to find Rayra in the distance.

He started to stride toward the beastfolk while trying to understand what was happening. Rayra was halted in the middle of the crops, with her arms to the side and looking at the sky.

But there was nothing to see in there. The firmament was as blue as ever, and no cloud hovered in the distance. Whatever Rayra was staring at, only she could see it.

“Rayra? Are you all right?” Julian asked as he approached her, but he received no response. He moved closer and talked again. “Rayra?”

When he was three steps closer, she looked over her shoulder and gazed at him.

“Can’t you see, baby?”

“See what?”

“There.” she pointed at the sky before her.

“I can’t see anything⁠—”

Then, the blue portal exploded with a loud THUMP a few feet away from them, and a figure plummeted from the skies directly to the ground.

Chapter

Two

Julian stepped back and searched for his sword, only to find nothing in his belt. Then, he gathered mana in his left hand, ready to destroy any evil creature summoned to defeat him. Away from the mana pool inside the mirror realm, Julian was once again just a novice mage who couldn’t do much magic before running out of mana. But he would use what he had if he were about to fight an enemy.

Still, he felt Rayra’s hand find his arm and lower it with gentle pressure.

“She’s not an enemy,” she said with determination. Julian finally took the time to see who had fallen from the strange portal. On the ground lay a woman with blue hair dressed in brown leather pants and a blue crop top. On her back was a tall and beautiful sword. She had a delicate waist and stunning features. The ground beneath her hid her face, but when she started to groan and turn to face them, Julian saw she was human and gorgeous.

“Shit, I told her that it wasn’t going to work,” she said in a muffled voice as she started to sit up on the ground. “I need to be at least near it,” she said, more to herself than anyone else.

Julian got distracted by the sound of horses' hooves getting closer behind them. With a glance, he noticed Liz approaching them on the back of a horse with a crest tied to it. Liz was dressed for battle, and the strange woman before them realized it as quickly as Julian.

She reached for the sword on her back, and Julian saw a mix of terror and hurry in her stark, almost inhuman blue eyes. Then she drew the sword and struck the air. When she did, the air was ripped apart, and a blue crack was born.

“I don’t have time for this. I need to find a stupid lord,” she said, raising her arm to strike the air again.

“Wait! We’re not enemies!” Rayra shouted, already rushing to get closer. The woman before her threatened to turn and strike, but halted midway.

“Aren’t you? Everyone says that before stabbing my back,” the woman said with her brow furrowed. “That girl coming on the horse looks as much like an enemy as any other I’ve found.”

“I can smell her on you. You know where the Lost Soul is,” she said, getting closer, and the woman lowered her arm to the side and raised one brow.

“Are you talking about the giant bear?”

“Yes!” Julian replied, thankful they would finally have some answers about the god’s whereabouts.

“She sent me to search for a lord, and I told her it wouldn’t work. I had to see the place to jump there, not have some hallucination given by a giant dying bear! Now I’m in the middle of nowhere, close to two kids…. Why am I doing this?” She sighed and raised her arm again to strike the air.

“He’s the lord. He’s Baron Julian Lionheart, the one you’re searching for.”

“The cute one?” she said, pointing the sword at Julian and smiling. “No way. Lords are fat. This one looks … nice.”

“Yes, I was surprised as well.”

“Hey!” Julian chimed in, feeling his cheeks burn. “Don’t talk like I’m not here. Who are you, and where’s Ranabi?”

“Who’s Ranabi?”

“The Bear!” Julian shouted, his patience already wholly lost. “We are the ones you were seeking. Now explain your deal and what’s going on with the Lost Soul. How is she dying?”

“Wait, I need to think a little,” the woman said as she sheathed her sword on her back and looked at the horizon, muttering some words. Julian wasn’t sure if she thought he wasn’t listening, but he discerned almost every word she said. “Should I trust them? She told me they were good people … but why should I trust a bear? If anything happens, I can jump to Farol’s beach, anyway….”

Then, she turned with a smile on her face as Liz approached them, dismounting quickly from the horse with her hands already covered with water magic.

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything, but you must come with me.” Then, in a sudden movement, she drew her sword and split the air again. The blue scars formed a cross, and then a wind whooshed from its center, opening it wide in four directions.

Julian could see reality cut like butter before his eyes and was dumbfounded by it. He had entered magical portals before, but they didn’t appear as magical as this one. He felt the power emanating from the woman’s sword as Liz approached them and stayed by them.

“Who is she?” she asked in a hushed tone, never dropping the fighting position.

“I have no idea,” Julian replied, his eyes not wanting to depart from the blue portal’s view.

“If you’re coming with me, better hurry. The jump will close soon. Where are your weapons? You’re going to need them.”

“I brought everything on the horse, Julian. Are we going with her?”

“Yes!” Rayra chimed in, already moving towards the portal. Her walking towards the blue hue snapped Julian out of his trance.

“Hey, wait. We don’t know if it’s safe,” Julian said, grabbing her by the hand.

“You weren’t preoccupied any of the other times we jumped inside a portal,” she protested.

“But you weren’t pregnant then.”

“I told you, Julian. Liz and I are pregnant, not sick, and it’s just the beginning. Soon, I won’t be able to deal with this. It’s now or never.”

“Are they going to fall from the heights like you did before?” Julian asked the stranger as he pointed to his wives.

“No, pretty boy. It wasn’t a good jump because I’ve never been here. We’re going to my home, so you’re safe.”

“Right. Do you trust her?” Julian asked Rayra, but the stranger replied.

“I don’t personally trust in any of you either, honestly. Still, I received a mission and I just shared details with you. Why would I lie?”

“You may work for Fenrir.”

“I don’t know any Henry.”

“It’s Fenrir … whatever. Do you trust her, Rayra?”

“Ranabi touched her, I’m sure, and she doesn’t have Fenrir’s smell. I don’t trust her, but I trust my senses.”

“Let’s go, Julian. The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be back,” Liz added as the portal before their eyes started to shift.

The Baron looked back and saw a silhouette in the distance. Tarav watched them with wary eyes, and Julian felt terrible for leaving part of his family in the dark again.

“We still need to go to the capital. The princess is waiting for us,” Julian insisted, the last straw of reluctance leaving his body as he heard the stranger’s words.

“We’re going to the capital, lordling. Come on. The jump is ending.” She entered the portal, walking backward. She had a sly smile when she disappeared, but Julian wasn’t bothered by it. This stranger seemed powerful and dangerous, but not a liar.

“Go ahead, boy,” Julian whispered in the horse’s ear after untying the crest from the creature’s back. The beast ran towards the manor with speed. Julian turned his back and followed the strange girl through the portal, carrying his crest with his belongings in both hands. This time, he wasn’t met by darkness or a seemingly endless fall; instead, he was on a brick road in a void.

Julian looked to his sides as he strode and saw an endless purple sky stretching in all directions. There was nothing to be seen besides the brick road and the sunless purple sky.

“Follow me,” the stranger said, rushing before the group.

“To where exactly?” Rayra asked, getting right behind the stranger. “And you still need to tell us who you are.”

The girl with blue hair looked over her shoulder at Rayra with a grave expression for a few seconds. Then she opened a big smile as her eyes narrowed.

“I’m still deciding if I want to tell you my name. I’ll show you my home today. Be glad. Once there, my mission will be done and you’ll be leaving. You don’t need my name,” she replied, already turning her head to the endless brick road ahead.

Rayra, Liz, and Julian traded glances. Of the three, Liz was the most bothered by their company, and Rayra shrugged, trying to calm down her sister-wife's nerves.

Liz was becoming increasingly protective of her family, and since the news that she and Rayra were expecting babies, that had only escalated. Julian could feel the rage bubbling on the woman’s face as he put the crest on the ground and approached her with a gentle touch on her shoulder.

“Breathe. Rayra is sure she’s not an enemy. Let’s trust her,” he said with a reassuring smile, and his wife seemed to calm down as she always did after a conversation with Julian. He held her hand as they resumed their walk, the blue-haired stranger already several feet in front. “It’s better if we keep close to her. I don’t want to be lost in here.”

“Let us help you carry this thing,” Liz said, and Rayra agreed with a nod.

“No need for it; I’m fine.”

“We are not sick, Julian.”

“I’m fine, girls. Relax,” he said as he rushed his steps on the strange brick road. The truth was that Julian was more than fine. He had been working out more than ever in the last weeks and had performed many of his spells several times. The lord had discovered pretty fast that his body composition was oddly changing in the same proportion as his magical abilities became greater.

It was like his muscles could absorb the excess mana he could store in his body. His Arcane ability also showed he could gather much more mana in his core than his fellow mages. While Liz could perform a couple of spells, Julian could do a dozen, and since he didn’t need to perform spells, he allocated his mana to circle his body.

Three deep breaths, holding the last one for several seconds, and one long exhale, and his body was pumping with mana. At first, it was hard to do it consistently, but now he can perform the breathing pattern almost anytime. With the mana traveling through his veins, carrying a crest like the one he had in his hands was easy. It was so easy that Julian started to wonder what kind of strength prowess he could achieve with his magical development. He was still a novice mage, after all. I hope we can find Soul Shards on this trip, Julian thought, eager to get stronger and learn new spells.

He could feel his grimoire lingering in the other dimension when he thought about spells. The book had made little changes in the last weeks, only adding a couple of lines of text describing Julian’s improvements in his elemental skills, but nothing more. Since he had seen the face of his grimoire, Julian was eager to speak with it again. The book had presented itself as a blond, almost angelic being, pure and beautiful. She had displayed great care for Julian’s well-being, even if it was in a passive-aggressive way.

Julian smiled as he thought about how he seemed to have a magnet connecting him to the oddest girls in the world, whether they were shapeshifters, strangers with blue hair, or even a magical book.

“What are you thinking about?” Rayra asked, taking his other side as they walked on the road.

“About how lucky I am,” he said with a smile. She approached him and quickly kissed his lips, not wanting to decelerate their walk.

“You surely are, Baron Julian.” She smiled as she departed from their kiss.

“Are you nervous?”

“Kinda,” she said, sighing and looking at the horizon, “but I’m sure I can make it work with you.”

“Bleerg,” the stranger muttered in front of the group. “Are you guys always so close-knit? I’m about to throw up,” she said without ever looking back.

“We are even closer when we are fighting annoying foes,” Liz replied bitterly, too fast for Julian or Rayra to answer themselves.

The stranger stopped her walk and turned to face Liz, who promptly took three steps toward the blue-haired woman. They were on the verge of a confrontation. Julian was about to drop the crest to the ground and walk toward them when the new group member glanced quickly behind her. When she looked back at the trio, her eyes were wide, and she moved one hand to her back to unsheathe her sword.

“What fucking good timing of yours, pretty lady. Let’s see how good you fight; there’s an invader here.” She pointed at the distance as a dark figure flew towards them.

Chapter

Three

“I thought this place was safe,” Julian said, grabbing his chain mail from inside the crest he was carrying and dressing it under his coat and pants. He checked his sword and bracelet, preparing himself to fight whatever creature was coming their way.

“I never said that,” the stranger replied, holding her sword and waiting. “Other people or beings have access to this realm. I never stay very long because when I’m alone, the jumps take little to no time, but traveling with four people is different. The greater the load, the more time it takes to reach the other side. Sometimes, we can find other people, usually someone doing their business and not wanting to interact. That thing that’s flying towards us, however … it wants to kill.”

“Shit,” Julian muttered, striding to the side of the stranger, with Rayra and Liz at his left. “Are you girls ready?”

“Always,” they replied in unison as an arrow was drawn and magic water appeared over Liz’s hands. A shriek echoed through the strange nothingness, the animalistic and angry sound reaching Julian’s ears and almost making him wince at its shrillness. It didn’t seem to be a dragonkin. If it was, it sounded more like a bird than a reptile.

When the creature’s silhouette became more visible, Julian heard its voice. Strangely enough, it wasn’t in the air, but inside his head, and by the other girls' looks, they could hear it too.

“Julian Lionheart! Julian Lionheart!” The voice had a bird-like shriek but was human enough for Julian to realize instantly that the creature was intelligent. “We came for you! The Supreme Lord wants you! The Supreme Lord has your father!”

The creature kept shrieking inside his head, but Julian didn’t bother to reply. He knew his father was a captive under Fenrir’s allies. The creature’s words only showed that the god wasn’t as powerful as he had assumed before. For all Julian could tell, he was a little step ahead of the enemy.

Julian started to gather his arcane energy in his left hand as it formed a small sphere on his palm. It was the size of an eye, and Julian could even throw it in the air and grab it again without risking it exploding. The sphere was perfect, and Julian was sure it could do some damage to the enemy if it struck true. The magic seemed to trigger a response from the creature, who replied inside his head.

“This is your last chance to come willingly. Others are coming for you. I’m just the first.” The creature shrieked once more, and Julian replied by throwing the ball with force towards the enemy. The creature spun in the air, dodging the energy ball. The arcane magic blasted on the monster’s back, hurling the creature towards them. The bright light that emanated from the explosion finally revealed what the creature was.

Julian had heard about those magical animals when he was a kid, and for a long time, he was eager to see one. None of the books mentioned that the creature could speak inside someone’s head or that an evil and ancient god commanded it. Griffons were known to be reclusive magical beasts, always opting to hunt alone and almost never attacking humans. However, this beast rushing towards Julian was ready to strike. Its eagle face had been corrupted. The left eye had a snake slithering out. One end was inside its mouth, and the other was inside the eye socket. Julian couldn’t see either of its ends, but the strange body was moving up and down inside the griffon, who didn’t seem to care.

Its feathers had become black and red instead of brown and white, and the lion's body seemed to be rotten. The creature looked like a dead animal instead of a mighty beast. Even in its decrepit state, the monster’s wings spread far. The griffon was gigantic, at least five times the size of Julian, with pointed fangs and a sharp beak. It didn’t matter if the creature was alive; the beak would cut through his chain mail if it got close enough.

Julian could still feel magic emanating from the monster and knew he would get at least some Soul Shards out of it, which made his heart pump a little faster as the monster kept turning and turning in the air, assessing their group and deciding how it should attack.

“So be it, then. I’ll show your body to the Lord. That might satisfy him,” the creature spoke again inside his head, and Julian could swear he heard it chuckling at the end.

He would end that laugh pretty quickly. The creature descended towards them, and Rayra released a volley of arrows. Many of them hit the target, but the creature didn’t seem to care. A burst of water reached the monster’s beak, and its head turned to the side; however, its legs were still aimed towards Julian. The blue-haired girl stepped back, rolling on the ground and dodging the attack. Only Julian stood his ground to attack directly. His blade whooshed through the air and hit the monster with force as he stepped to the side.

The strike made the creature lose its direction and miss Julian’s head by inches. He saw some blood flying above his head, but the creature didn’t protest. Julian always liked starting a fight with the sword to test his enemies.

The griffon turned in the air, soaring over Julian as if calculating its next move. Julian didn’t wait for the creature to decide what to do. He swiped arcane energy into his left hand and threw it towards the monster’s leg. This time, the creature was prepared, and as the whip whooshed through the air, it dodged the attack, flying to the side, and descended with its beak toward the blue-haired girl beside Julian.

A second of shock passed through Julian’s eyes as he realized the shift in the creature’s direction, and he didn’t even need to dodge the attack with how focused the creature was on murdering the strange girl. When Julian looked in her direction, he saw she was running for her life and holding her sword with both hands, instead of standing to fight.

“What in the Last?!” he proclaimed as he looked over his shoulders and saw both Liz and Rayra shrugging. Julian could hear the woman shouting something as she ran as fast as she could from the creature, which soared over its new target. Everything took mere seconds, but she kept dashing away as the creature flew towards her.

“Let’s do what we’ve tested,” Julian shouted as he approached the running girl. The next second, an arrow flew in the air toward the creature. Julian looked at Liz and saw the water flowing from her hand and flying toward the arrow faster than the projectile. This was Julian’s cue, and he didn’t disappoint.

As they had practiced, he gathered the smallest amount of arcane energy he could and threw it toward the arrow as well. Just as the water enveloped the flying projectile, the arcane magic hit it, making it glow bright with blue energy.

The arrow accelerated even faster, and just as the blue-haired lady tripped and fell to the ground, the griffon above her was struck by the magic projectile. This time, the creature cried to the skies. The sound seemed to fill the void and shake the reality as it hammered on their senses. Julian winced as he forced himself to focus on the monster.

The monster changed its trajectory to the skies and flew high, still crying and screaming as it disappeared into the strange purple firmament. No clouds were above Julian’s head, yet the monster was hidden behind something. The trio rushed to the aid of their new companion as she rolled on the ground with her sword at her side.

Julian felt quite surprised that she hadn’t been able to cut herself with that sword falling beside her.

“Shit … why did I accept this?!” she shouted, dusting off her clothes as she got up. “The end leap isn’t ready yet. Where’s the creature?”

“Over there,” Julian said, pointing at the sky. “We’ll handle it. You don’t need to run.”

“Pff. Are you crazy? Did you see the size of that monster?”

“I saw the size of your sword as well. Why didn’t you strike it?” Julian asked with an eyebrow raised as the monster’s sounds disappeared in the distance.

“I take back what I said. You aren’t crazy. You’re just stupid,” she protested as she got ready to walk away.

“Hold your tongue!” Liz moved towards them, a finger up and a grave expression on her face. Julian stopped her with a smile and an outstretched arm.

“Fighting is the last resort of a survivor. You can play a warrior with that devil in the skies. If you die, I’ll arrive home earlier. I’m continuing on to the exit point,.” the stranger said and started running on the brick road.

“Coward,” Liz muttered as she turned her back and looked at the skies, searching for the monster.

Julian kept looking at the girl running away and couldn’t stop himself from feeling sorry for her. When he gazed at his side, he saw a similar look on Rayra’s face. The lord had discovered quickly that Liz could be a little overprotective of her family, which could blind her to others' needs. Rayra, on the other hand, had a more clinical eye, like Julian. She stared at Julian’s soul, and he could almost hear her words inside his head.

“She needs help,” was what her eyes were saying, and Julian couldn’t agree more. However, the young baron also needed help. He still had a barony to run, a family to raise, and a god to defeat. The feelings of a stranger could be relegated to a time when he could actually give himself the pleasure to think.

With the monster’s silhouette descending from the skies, the only thing Julian could think about was how to defeat it as fast and cleanly as possible.

“Again, but with more arrows this time,” Julian said, and Rayra started to draw the projectiles and fire them toward the approaching enemy. Doing that technique with several weapons was harder, but it consumed way less energy than a plain arcane blast and much less time than enchanting each arrow one by one. The arrows flew, then the water, and in the end, small balls of arcane magic imbued them with Cerulex’s power.

The creature swirled in the air, dodging several of the projectiles, but not all. Julian saw three of them thrust deep inside the creature’s torso and explode with blue energy. Where they were embedded in the monster, the black fur and feathers crumbled from red to blue, as if Julian's power slowly overwhelmed the corruption inside the creature’s body.

This time, the creature didn’t change its trajectory. It kept flying beak-first toward Julian, not interested anymore in the other girl. The blue energy was clearly weakening its body but not its will. The creature got closer, and Julian saw more details of its grotesque body. It was now clear the real griffon was long dead, and the thing possessing it was just another of Fenrir’s minions. Worms had eaten a good portion of the monster’s head, and the point of its beak was pitch black.

Killing that creature would be, in a way, a mercy strike that Julian could perform. He held his sword at the front of his body and kept looking up, already feeling the blade being enveloped by Liz’s water magic and then by his own enchantment. The blade shone blue, and Julian waited calmly, breathing deeply as he flexed his knees and let the sword rest firmly in his hands.

The monster shrieked louder, and Julian measured its approach. The strike would need to be precise, but it would be enough. His feet slid to the side as he dodged and his blade rose in a quick and large arc. The sword cut everything it touched: air, feathers, fur, skin, and muscle. Julian aimed at the head and cut perfectly through the snake's middle between the creature’s beak and eye socket as he sliced the monster’s face in half.

His step was precise enough that the creature collided against the ground, only inches from Julian’s side. This time it looked dead, like any other animal, the stench of death spreading through the void of the bricked road. The young baron gazed to his side and saw the snake’s body cut in half, but still moving.

A voice came from inside the monster’s body. A high-pitched, angry, and painful voice screamed as Julian crouched. He could already feel the monster’s body disintegrating, signaling that it had Soul Shards inside its body.

Julian grabbed the higher part of the snake’s body, as it was the only part moving, and removed it with a sudden and powerful movement. The animal residing inside the griffon wasn’t a snake, or at least not totally a snake. The sticky and scaled body ended not in a reptilian face but in a miniature deformed human’s face. The little voice screamed and screamed, this time not inside Julian’s mind.

“Release me, you wretched human. Let me die in peace!” the little voice pleaded, and Julian released it on the ground, ready to stomp it if needed.

The strange monster tried to move away, but the absence of half its snake body didn’t allow it. It twisted its body from one side to the other, trying to escape. When it finally realized it couldn’t, the monster rolled on the ground and looked directly into Julian’s eyes. The face staring at him was that of a man with big eyes for the size of his head, no brows, no hair, a big nose, and small lips. The creature looked like a caricature of a man, as if Fenrir had tried to create humans but only got this strange homunculus.

“They will come for you, human. If not Father, then General Kael will taste your flesh,” the creature spat as Julian watched its movement becoming slower.

“Who’s that? Your owner?”

“I spit on your insolence, foul creature. Wait and see. The next one will be much more dangerous.”

“I didn’t even sweat with you, monster. When you reach hell, tell your brothers and sisters that after I finish with the ones living, I’ll do my best to destroy your souls as well.”

Upon those words, the creature swallowed dry, life slowly departing its limp body. Julian kept staring into its eyes until there was no light in its gaze. To its left, the griffon body had already dissipated, and three large Soul Shards appeared. Julian was quick to grab them.

“Strong words,” Rayra muttered, getting close to him with Liz at her side.

“They are all too prolific for my taste,” Julian said with a smile as he stepped over the creature’s corpse and walked toward the blue-haired girl, who waited at a distance with her sword already sheathed. “They have even a general now. Do you know anything about it?”

When they both shook their heads negatively, Julian kept walking, wondering what kind of enemy Fenrir’s general would be and why that monster had spoken of this one particularly.

“Thank you for waiting for us to deal with the monster. Is this leap ready, running girl?” Julian smiled, but got no response. Instead, the blue-haired girl unsheathed her sword and made the cross sign over the air again, creating a new portal.

“Welcome to my house. Don’t get too comfortable, please,” she said as she entered it.

Chapter

Four

“Calling it a house is enough of a compliment,” Julian muttered as he stepped through the portal and dropped the crest with his belongings on the ground.

The place was such a mess of clothes, books, and weapons thrown all over that Julian almost didn’t notice the giant bear in the corner. What surprised Julian the most was the fact that they were obviously underground. No natural light was coming into the place, and no door was on any side. They were in a strange circular corridor that seemed to expand endlessly in both directions.

“Where in the Last are we?” he asked, his eyes darting through the place, only illuminated by a few dim lamp lights.

“Under the capital, of course.”

“Under? Like in the sewers?”

“Is that important?” the blue-haired girl protested, pointing at and making Julian focus on Ranabi lying on the ground. “The place is clean enough, and your giant bear is right there.”

She sighed and moved to the shadows of one of the walls, already moving things from one side to the other. She was upset that her home wasn’t the way she envisioned it, and their presence there wasn’t improving it. She hadn’t planned on visitors. Julian released his own sigh as he moved toward the bear.

Liz and Rayra were already kneeling beside the god. Rayra caressed her fur close to her eyes as she gently tried communicating with Ranabi. The elder god seemed to be sleeping or in a trance, and Rayra’s eyes became moist as she looked at Julian with a pleading gaze.

Unfortunately, the young baron didn’t know how to wake up a god. Still, he moved toward his loved ones and crouched at their side.

“She’s dying,” Rayra stated, now avoiding Julian’s eyes as a tear finally dropped.

“Are you sure?” He moved one hand to her shoulder, and Liz did the same.

He waited in silence for a couple of seconds, waiting for Rayra’s answer. Instead, a grave voice came from below, loud but weak.

“My daughter is right, Julian Lionheart. I’m weaker than I thought I would be.”

Julian glanced down and saw the bear’s eyes looking up. Her head was still glued to the floor. The god had no strength even to move a little part of its body.

“What can I do for you, goddess?” Rayra asked, moving her head close to hers. Julian made space for them and gently grabbed Liz by the hand.

“I don’t think there’s something anyone could do for me, darling,” Ranabi coughed and threatened to chuckle, but clearly had no strength left to do so. “Maybe Cerulex if he was still around. Even damned Fenrir could save me if he wanted to.”

They let the words hang in the air as the knowledge of her situation dawned on them.

“I’m sorry. At least I saved your lives in the end.” Her voice, tinged with sorrow, echoed through the strange corridors as Julian felt Rayra’s heart pang. “I’ll ensure that some of your brothers and sisters know what happened. You’ll be able to return home, and I’ll finally rest.”

“What do you mean? If you’re going to die, I don’t want it! We’ll find another way,” Rayra protested, firmly grabbing the bear’s fur.

“There’s no other way,” the god replied.

“There must be! We’ll make Fenrir save you.”

“No, daughter…. You’ll enjoy life while you still can. Soon, he’ll overcome the world. It will be slow at first, but in the end, he’ll control everything. You’ll have some years left, maybe a decade, to see your son grow.”

“I’ll not settle for a decade, Ranabi. I want to grow old beside Julian and Liz. We’ll fix this,” she pleaded, but the god’s eyes showed no sign of changing her mind.

As the silence prolonged, an idea started forming inside Julian’s head. He stepped towards the god with a finger pointed at her.

“There’s a way. Right?” he asked, and the god remained silent. “As someone who was obliged to say the truth for millennia, it’s not a surprise that you’re such a terrible liar.” Julian chuckled as he crouched at Rayra’s side again. She finally had the semblance of a smile on her face as he held one of her hands.

“There’s a chance, a small one⁠—”

“I knew it!”

“But it’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous will be living in a world where all races are hated by their ultimate ruler. Spit it out, Ranabi. We have an appointment with the princess.”

“I’m not accustomed to people talking like that to me,” the god protested, but decided against pursuing that train of thought. “Fenrir can save me, even if indirectly. I can consume one of his Soul Shards and heal myself.”

“And that would inevitably weaken him, even if not directly.”

“Yes,” Liz said, already forming a smile. “We just need to bring the shard here.”

“That will not be easy. One of the shards is at the Holy Isles, and I can feel his presence lingering. If you try to find it, you’ll walk into the lion’s den.”

“Holy Isles? You mean the Twelve Isles?”

“They weren’t always twelve, but yes,” the god replied between coughs as she was finally able to adjust her face on the ground, eliciting a grunt of pain from deep inside her lungs.

“We’re already going to those Isles anyway. My father is there, and I’m going to rescue him,” Julian said, already moving up. “We have nothing to discuss anymore. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll return with this shard.”

“Your optimism is captivating, Julian Lionheart. Still, the reality is quite different. You’ll need a proper receptacle to gather the shard.”

“And where do I find it?”

“With Fenrir, of course. At best, it will be with one of his most powerful minions that were locked up inside the other mirror realms. Only a Golden Box made of Soul Fabric can hold down a Soul Shard without consuming its bearer or with the bearer consuming it.”

“Nothing you’re saying is going to dissuade us, Ranabi.”

“It should’ve. Fenrir was about to kill all of you if I hadn’t intervened the last time.”

“We’re stronger now.”

“I can see that, but not enough yet. Let me bestow upon you a little knowledge,” she said as her paw moved from the side of her body and slowly lifted toward him.

“Are you going to die for this?” Julian asked reluctantly.

“No, fool,” she said as she outstretched her arm and touched his forehead with the point of one of her claws. In any other situation, he’d be worried about the claw scratching his face, but as soon as she touched his skin, he felt a rush of energy.

“I don’t feel particularly wiser.”

“Because you aren’t. Your grimoire learns before you. Read it later, and you’ll be more prepared to face Fenrir or his generals.”

“Right, we can do this.”

“Yes, I’m starting to believe it isn’t impossible.”

“She did the touching thing with you, didn’t she? That was nice,” the blue-haired girl chimed in, crossing her arms and standing at their side. “Now that you’ve finished your little chat, please leave.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Julian replied with a smile as he got up. “Let’s go, girls. We have to save the world.”

“Wait,” Ranabi said as her eyes darted toward the blue-haired girl, who stared back at the god in defiance.

“What?!” she asked.

“You’ll have to go with them.”

“No way!” Liz protested, which elicited a smile from both Julian and Rayra.

“No fucking way, indeed! That was not what we agreed on. I would bring them here, and you would give me what I want. You promised!”

“I know what I promised, little one. Still, if they’re going to try to stop Fenrir and heal me, I can’t help you yet. That would be the same as accelerating the fading of my powers. Go with them; your abilities will be necessary inside the Isles and to get back here quickly. You will get what you desire even if they are unsuccessful. If they are, then your reward will be greater.”

“You lied to me! How can I be so stupid? This is the millionth time this has happened!” the girl shouted, and Julian could hear a gulp forming inside her throat. She felt betrayed, and Julian could sympathize with that.

“I didn’t, darling. The situation was different. I’m sorry. Please understand me. I’ll do what I promised and give back what was taken from you. Accompany them and bring them back.”

The girl stared at the god with angry eyes for seconds that seemed to last an eternity before responding, “I’ll not fight. I’ll not kill. I’ll be safe the whole time away from their fighting and expect nothing more. If you die, I’ll head back home.”

“That’s so brave of you,” Julian replied.

“I don’t need to be brave. I need to be alive. Understood?”

“Understood,” he replied, and she instantly turned her back and started stashing clothes and equipment inside a satchel.

“She has more in common with you than you imagine, Julian.” Then the bear stared at Liz, who still seemed angry with their new companion’s ways. “Give her a chance as well, Liz. I didn’t choose her by chance,” the bear muttered just for them to hear.

“The thing is, Ranabi, with all due respect, I don’t value most of your life choices,” Julian said defiantly, and the god smiled at that.

“Fair enough. Now leave and let me slumber. That’ll probably be the only way I can survive until your return.”

Chapter

Five

“The way out of the sewers was longer than Julian anticipated. He soon discovered that the part where the blue-haired girl lived was the clean part of the place, probably because she made it that way. Soon, they had to dodge the place's rats and filth. She explained they were taking an alternative route, a cleaner one that would lead them directly to the edge of the royal district.

“Why the hell do you live in this place?” Julian asked as a rat ran between his legs and rushed into the darkness of the corridor.

“Because I love sewers, rats, spiders, and filth, of course, Baron Julian Lionheart,” the girl replied ironically, eliciting a smile from Rayra and a grimace from Liz.

“Come on, if we’re about to embark on an adventure together, I need to know more about you,” Julian insisted, ignoring her demeanor and focusing on making their dynamic work somehow.

“You don’t,” she replied, leading the way. It looked like she would remain silent for a couple of seconds, but she finally sighed and looked over her shoulder. “Fine. If you want to know my name, it’s Thalia, and I live here because dangerous people want my head on a stick in the streets above us.”

“And why do you keep living in the capital, then?”

This time, she didn’t reply, and Julian considered that was an answer she wasn’t ready to give. In a way, the girl reminded Julian of Rayra when they met each other before all the mess with the gods had begun. Still, contrary to the beastfolk, Thalia seemed more prone to hide behind humor and irony and was much more closed off to his approach.

Rayra hid her scars well beneath her stoicism; Thalia, on the other hand, couldn’t hide that she was hurt by something only she, and maybe Ranabi, knew about.

“We’re close,” the blue-haired girl said as she turned a corner. In the distance, Julian could see sunlight entering the ceiling through tiny holes. “There’s a ladder there. We’ll be at the edge of the royal district, but it isn’t completely safe. Be aware and follow me all the time.”

They all nodded as they followed her through the corridor and then climbed the ladder fixed to the wall.

“Thanks to the Last, we’re getting out of this hell. Have you ever visited the capital before, Rayra?”

“It’ll be my first time. Sometimes, I wished my clues had led me here, but they never did. I wonder why they call it the flying pearl.”

Before Julian could reply, he heard something move above his head, and the sunlight entered with force through a small hole. The contrast almost made Thalia’s face unrecognizable as he recognized her at the top of the ladder. Still, he could see a smile blossoming on her face.

“You’ll discover pretty soon,” Thalia said as she climbed out from the hole onto the ground, followed by Julian, Rayra, and Liz.

When Julian’s eyes finally adjusted to the new light, he searched his surroundings. They were in the middle of a commercial district, crowded with people elbowing each other and dodging the group that had erupted from the ground as if they were nothing.

Julian saw people from all races on the road, smelled various fruits, and gazed upon the most varied store signs. Still, he couldn’t see why this city would be called a pearl. Until he realized the sun wasn’t hitting them directly. There was a massive shadow covering the whole district. He gazed towards the girls and saw all of them looking up, and when his eyes followed theirs, his jaw almost dropped.

In the skies above their heads, dozens of pristine, shiny white castles soared in the firmament. Julian could see what seemed to be platforms connecting the strange buildings. His hands involuntarily moved up, and Thalia spoke as if reading his mind.

“Those are the streets of the royal district. That’s another spectacle of its own.”

“How?” It was all Julian could ask. He had seen lots of magical places and had been impressed by the architecture inside the mirror realm, but nothing could compare to the beauty of the flying castles.

“No one knows. Legend says that a source of magic keeps the buildings in place. Some believe a great disturbance of mana happened here before, a fight between beings so powerful that the ground was forever imbued with their mana,” she said, and Julian could hear something in her voice—was it pride? “There’s close to no record about it, but for a long time, the place was just a piece of the ground flying in the skies until the First King decided to study it. Some say he flew and teleported toward the ground and the platforms, bringing engineers, wise men, and women to help construct the castles above.”

That made Julian and the girls trade glances. Was the First King of Men an Arcane Lord like Julian? The Silverhold’s guildmaster had alerted the young baron that flying and teleportation could eventually be some of his powers.

“Why didn’t we know anything about it? None of my tutors said anything about a good part of the city flying in the skies.”

“There’s an unspoken rule that people from here don’t speak about it. One or another tale about folks dying after sharing information about the flying pearl definitely helped as well. The First King created the most peculiar legends to keep secrecy over his powers and the kingdom. Of course, Princess Anasthasia’s closest enemies are well aware, but it can be a valuable asset against unknowing enemies.”

“I can see that place not being that secure against a certain kind of enemy,” Julian muttered as his eyes inspected the whole place. Gazing at it from below was impressive. However, most of what he could see were the lower parts of buildings, platforms connecting them, and other parts that looked like tiny mountains flying through the air.

“Are you speaking about the griffon from before? That would never stand against the Royal Guard! They are prepared to deal with that kind of enemy,” Thalia said with an inquisitive glare, as if Julian doubted the princess’s capabilities to defend her castle. Ignorance can be a blessing, he thought as he gently smiled.

“That makes me feel way calmer,” Julian replied while the imagery of all sorts of dragonkin flying toward the capital flooded his mind. “And how do we get up there?”

“Using the elevator, of course,” Thalia said, turning her back and pointing at the end of the street, where Julian could see ropes falling from the skies, visibly connected to something behind the crowd on the streets. Thalia’s gaze changed fast from the rope’s direction to them again, but now her eyes were full of real terror. “Shit! We have to run!”

She said as she moved in the other direction with fast steps. Julian gripped her arm while he searched for what she had seen in the crowd.

“That’s not the way to the castle,” Julian said. “From whom are you running?”

“Danger,” she replied, releasing her arm as she threatened to keep walking. “Please, follow me. I know other ways.”

“Rayra, scout the threats. Liz, get on her side and make sure she’s not fooling us to get away,” Julian said, halting and letting them move to the front. He would keep a few steps behind to be prepared to fight a lurking foe.

“I’m not lying!” Thalia sighed and then started walking, but then she stopped and looked into Julian’s and Rayra’s eyes. “Please, don’t use magic. You’ll attract the trackers.”

“Who?”

“Just don’t use it! One of the gangs will capture us, and your chances of making it to the princess will be slim to none. Not to mention, they’ll kill me. Follow me, and I’ll show you the way,” she replied and started moving fast with Liz at her side.

Julian nodded to Rayra, who went in the other direction. Already moving and blending with the crowd, Julian kept walking, with one eye on the girls in front of him and the other on the threats that could be lurking among the people on the streets.

The sounds became loud as Julian’s senses became sharper. He let the mana flow rapidly through his body as he walked. He wasn’t sure if that increased his ability to perceive the world, but every time he needed to pay more attention to something, mana seemed to help. Changing his breathing pattern to accommodate that mana flow didn’t expend any energy, so he was sure any tracker in the crowd wouldn’t be able to sense him. Unless they came really close and could see his aura, the same way he could distinguish a mage from a non-mage if they were side by side.

Still, he couldn’t sense danger or see anything particularly different about the people surrounding them. Goblins were the prominent vendors on the side of the streets, and they were way more interested in their sales. Elves were also amidst the crowd, some doing the sales but most buying things or contemplating the city. Humans were the majority, going on with their lives, walking to their jobs, eating food, or working. Strangely enough, Julian couldn’t see anyone using magic. Was it because of the trackers Thalia had told them about?

Julian’s eyes fixated on a group of orcs walking on the sidewalk to his right. They were all using hoods and moving at the same speed as Julian. Their clothing wasn’t good enough to hide their tusks beneath the shadows, which occasionally shone against the sun's light. The young man had seen orcs a few times in his life, but their figure left an impression on him. He would bet his coins on those orcs if someone were about to attack them. With the animosity between the princess and the orcs of the Twelve Isles, the chances of them being attacked could be even higher. Had they discovered their plans for infiltration? Was this a calculated measure to ensure Fenrir’s plans would work?

Thalia turned a corner, and Julian followed, his mind full of thoughts but his senses sharp enough to keep on the trail. As he walked, he felt someone bumping against him. The person’s face hit him above the waist and they almost fell to the ground.

“Sorry, sir.” A teen voice came from behind the hood they wore. Julian gazed towards the stranger’s eyes and felt the magical aura around his head. Julian could now see it was a young mage. The teen seemed to recognize Julian as a mage as well. The boy got up fast, almost falling again. “Please, don’t tell the trackers. I’m joining the Twin Snakes, I promise.”

The next thing Julian saw was the boy running through the crowd, trying not to bump into other people but failing. Julian’s eyes followed him for a few seconds before deciding to search for the orcs from before. His eyes hunted for the group of orcs, only to realize they had disappeared. Did they keep walking straight? Julian asked himself as the girls entered an alley with fast steps.

Julian followed, removing himself from the street and constantly looking behind his shoulder. He could feel the tension in the air. There was no sign of Rayra catching up with them. Come on… where are you? Julian wondered if he was curious about Rayra’s whereabouts, or anxious for the enemy to jump on them already.

Julian turned his attention back to the girls just in time to hear the sound above them. A clicking noise erupted from one of the buildings at their side, and Julian’s eyes fired toward the direction. His eyes inspected the roof thoroughly, and a figure fell from above as he finally caught a glimpse of something shining against the sun.

“Arrrghh!” The scream of surprise was quickly muffled by the sound of the body crashing against the ground. Julian heard bones breaking as Rayra stepped from above the grunting foe.

The red-haired kitsune had hurled herself with the pursuer to the ground, landing on the person to cushion her fall. By his body lay a strange device. Metallic and with a long barrel, it looked like the weapon Julian had seen on the roof, but he wasn’t sure how it worked.

“Get to cover! There are more of the bastards!” Rayra said, moving towards the sidewalk wall, searching for an entrance to one of the nearby buildings.

Even surprised by the sudden appearance of Rayra, Liz moved her hand to Thalia and brought her to the other side of the street. The water mage kept her dagger up in one hand, her eyes searching for signs of enemies.

“Where?” Julian asked as he approached Rayra, his eyes scanning the roof above for enemies.

“Two above. The one I dropped was about to use that strange weapon. As soon as I heard a clicking sound, I jumped on him. The others were searching for an angle.”

“Who are they? Orcs?” Julian asked, looking at the body on the ground, tempted to move towards it and inspect its features but wary of an attack coming from the roof.

“They were all hooded, but they didn’t smell like orcs. I can deal with them if I turn into a fox⁠—”

“No, let’s not create more problems,” Julian hushed as he sharpened his hearing. “One of them is just above us. I’ll enchant an arrow, and you … Shit!” He had been a mage for not long, and only now did he realize how much he had become reliant on his arcane magic. He would need to return to the basics to deal with these foes.

Think, Julian … Think.

The young baron stretched his head and looked to the end of the alley. In the way they had come, he could see the street still crowded with people nonchalantly minding their own business, oblivious to the ambush they were dealing with right now. Another muddy and dark corridor awaited them at the other end of the alley. Getting back to the street seemed like the smarter choice, but at the same time, if there were enemies there, they would be now ready to fight Julian’s group.

If only Liz could throw him on the roof with a geyser, he would deal with the enemy in no time. Except he wouldn’t have the time to find a way to the roof.

From a window several feet away ahead in the alley, a figure leaped and dropped to the ground, then was followed by a second and a third one. The three foes wore similar attire: green hoods and capes almost touching the ground, black and green shirts—with an insignia of two snakes intertwined adorning their right pec—white trousers, and leather sandals. Their outfit was simple, but it looked perfectly aligned and clean. They looked more like enforcers of the law or fashionistas than ill-intended criminals.

Except that when they removed their hoods, their smiles were replete with wicked disdain. With their perfect white teeth and almost translucent skin, the strange aggressors looked exactly like porcelain dolls, except the three men before Julian weren’t men or orcs. Oddly enough, the elves, known for their nobility and sense of justice, were the ones waiting for them at the end of the alley.

Julian saw the glimmer of recognition in the leader’s purple eyes as he gazed upon Thalia.

“Who are your friends, sis?” the elf pointed toward Julian and the girls as he asked the question, making Julian blink twice as he realized the foe had a dagger at hand. A second before, he had none.

“They’re not my friends, and that’s not your business, Lok,” Thalia snorted angrily, but Julian could see her feet moving slowly backward. The elf before her could be her brother, but he terrified her.

“Your whereabouts are pretty much my only business nowadays, little sister. I’m just sad more innocent people will get hurt because of your irresponsibility.” The elf darted his eyes toward Julian, Rayra, and Liz as he feigned sadness, but he couldn’t fool a child with that sick display. “I still remember the screams⁠—”

“Shut up!” Thalia snapped, saliva jumping from her mouth as the words were shot at the elf like arrows. He raised one hand to his heart, surprised by the sudden reaction.

“I’m sorry, Thalia. I didn’t know they were that important to you,” he said almost gently, moving towards them one step at a time. “Now I feel even better that they're dead,” he said, flashing a wicked smile so sinister it seemed capable of dripping poison.

That was the last straw.

Julian had no idea what had happened between them, but he could recognize cruelty when he saw it. Those purple eyes were full of it. No matter what Thalia had done, what that man would do was clearly worse. And Julian wasn’t going to allow that.

He grabbed the hilt of his sword with a firm grip as he felt the cobbled ground under his boot. The alley was narrow, humid, and dark, with the Flying Peal’s shadow casting against the muddy walls. Still, Julian felt a gush of wind when he rushed towards the enemy. His speed caught the elf by surprise. He was probably thinking about doing something similar, but the speed of an Arcane Lord trained for years at the Iron Fist academy wasn’t something to expect.

Julian’s blade cut the air close to the enemy’s neck, who dodged it by mere inches. He could almost see the time stopping as the perfect move saved the elf’s life. As Julian prepared a second strike, the three elves before him were pushed away. It was like the wind itself moved them to safety. Their feet were still on the ground, but they slid on it like skaters on ice.

The young baron stopped his second movement as he analyzed the enemy. They were fast and clearly knew how to use magic. Julian saw a glimmer of light beneath their shirts where their bracelets stood. His body called for him to use his arcane magic. No matter how fast they were, Julian’s whip would tear them apart in no time. He searched for Thalia’s eyes but found only terror there.

“Why don’t you use your bracelet’s magic?” the elf said, enlarging his smile.

Julian wouldn’t give him an answer. If he is taunting me to use magic, he knows the rest of the gang will appear to take us out. Whoever these trackers were, Thalia considered them strong enough to impede their quest to the Royal Quarters so that it would be like the old times. Fist and sword would do.

The enemy was prepared this time, and as Julian swung his blade, he dodged to the side, sliding on the ground and coming close to the sidewalk. The other two elves didn’t repeat his movement; instead, they rushed toward the girls behind Julian. He knew Rayra and Liz could handle two enemies, so his eyes didn’t move from the enemy before him. The elf seemed to notice it and smiled.

“I like your confidence. Let’s see how that feels when you’re falling from the sky.”

“What in the⁠—”

Before Julian could say anything else, he felt something pushing his feet from the ground as if someone were trying to lift him using pure force. He lost his balance and almost fell, but he managed to step ahead and feel the firm ground again. For some reason, the elf looked surprised by Julian’s action.

Still, when he tried to take another step toward the enemy, the force beneath pushed him again, this time with much more strength. Julian saw the bracelet under the elf’s shirt shining with blue light as he was hurled into the sky. Not even close to the elegant slide the elves performed in the alley, he was thrown into the air like a kid throwing a toy, expecting it not to break. The enemy, however, seemed delighted with the idea of Julian suffering because he could see the smile on Lok’s face as the air whooshed over his ears.

This was far from the most dangerous situation Julian had been in before. Still, it felt terrible not to have control over his movements. He saw the building’s windows as he went up and up. He would be as doomed as the first enemy Rayra had intercepted if he fell from that height. That was why Julian’s hand searched for something to hold on to. He tried one window, then another, then the cobbled stones that made the capital's buildings. None held him.

He felt his hands sore and getting hurt as he tried to grab anything. The blue sky grew bigger and bigger with each foot he went up. When the last window appeared on the last floor of the building, Julian stretched his hand as far as he could. He grabbed the window ledge, but the force beneath him became stronger. The force pushed him violently, and the window ledge cracked, leaving Julian holding a piece of it as he continued rising.

The young baron suppressed a scream. He had no time to feel pain; he had to survive. He felt the sun hitting his clothes and skin as he approached the roof of the building. He hurled his sword away onto the roof of the building and outstretched both hands.

His fingers connected with the building’s edge, and he grabbed it with all the force he could muster. The stone bruised his palms as the force below him grew. Julian knew very well there was no such thing as an eternal spell. As long as he kept holding on, the elf beneath him would eventually lose strength or deploy the spell altogether before using it again. He just needed to hold on a little longer.

Julian’s eyes darted to the alley as he felt the sweat escaping his forehead and falling to the ground several feet below. Down there, the elf held one hand up into the sky as if he were holding something with immense difficulty above his head.

C’mon … release me! Julian screamed internally as he gritted his teeth and grunted as the grip became harder to hold. Julian could feel sweat profusely escaping his palms, and the salt hurt his bruises. He wasn’t going to hold for much longer. Release me, fucker!

The gush of wind ceased, and Julian almost plummeted. His instincts saved him as his grip became firmer at the last second. His body crashed against the side of the building, and the air escaped his lungs. Julian felt dazed as he tried to muster the strength to climb to the roof. He would need to be fast, or the enemy would throw another one of those devastating spells towards him, and this time, there wouldn’t be any building for him to latch on to.

With his heart pounding against his chest and his fingers threatening to cramp, Julian lifted himself inch by inch to the roof, just in time to feel a gush of wind whooshing where he had been seconds before. He collapsed on the rooftop and breathed deeply as his heart slowed down.

“I’m getting tired of this,” Julian muttered as he analyzed the roof. The place was completely flat and covered with small rocks in its whole extension. There were crates piled close to the corner near him and a door on the rooftop on the far side of the roof, probably leading to the exit. Julian crawled towards the edge of the roof and peeked down. He saw his companions fighting while Thalia ran to the end of the corridor. Right below Julian, the strange elf seemed to be totally concentrated on the young baron’s position. It was probably hard for the enemy to detect Julian as he tried to see against the sunlight, which gave Julian enough time to think about a solution.

He trusted his women to deal with the attackers down there. He could use some extra moments to defeat the enemy in the smartest way possible. He could find a way down back to the fight, but without his powers, he would only be thrown away again. However, if he fought the elf face to face on the roof, he would surely die.

Before deciding to try his luck on the street below again, Julian peeked again just to see the elf slowly soaring in the sky and heading directly toward his position. He hadn’t seemed to see Julian, but the baron refrained, anyway. He had no time to come up with a plan. If he ran to the small door on the opposite side, the enemy would reach him first, and Julian would take a trip to the heavens with no ticket to return to the ground—at least not alive.

He would need to fight, but do it smartly.

Julian got up as fast and silently as he could and moved to the back of the crates in the corner of the roof, taking care not to move the pebbles on the rooftop too much. He slowed his breath to the lowest possible and waited, with one hand on the wooden object and the other on the pommel of his sword, his hearing attentive to every movement on the other end. Fighting like this didn’t please Julian, but he would do what needed to be done to survive. The smug elf deserved the outcome Julian had prepared for him.

Soon enough, he heard the sound of feet crashing gently against the small rocks on the ground. Each step echoed louder inside Julian’s ears. The movements were calm and precise. The enemy had no rush, as did Julian.

“You know, she always finds a way to allure people into her mess. I can’t understand what you all see in her.” The elf had disgust in his voice. If he was Thalia’s brother, they had a deep and open scar in their relationship, which didn’t justify how he treated her in the alley. “Doesn’t matter. You’re just a coward like all the other friends of hers. Hiding behind crates as if you’re not facing a Knot of the Twin Snakes.” The elf snorted as his steps got closer and closer to Julian’s position. The baron breathed deeply, preparing himself to act. The enemy was almost in position. “You almost fooled me with your courageous display back in the alley. Coming up here may have opened a window for my sister to escape again, but I thought fighting would be worth it … only to find you… hidden.”

Julian could feel Lok’s hands traveling through the crates on the other side, slowly approaching one end of the pile of objects. He started to count the enemy’s steps—two more, and he would be in position.

“Your mana core is the heaviest I’ve ever seen. I’m curious to see if you’ll just get smashed like everyone else when you fall face-first on the ground,” the elf muttered as Julian watched his thin fingers appear over the crates’ edge.

“Here you are!” Lok screamed, showing his wicked smile at the corner of the crates.

Julian wasted no time and threw his weight against the wall of crates. He was strong enough to topple it in a single movement and watch them crash over the enemy’s body. Still, the elf was fast, and with a gush of wind to aid him, he dodged to the side.

Julian’s feet moved fast; like a dancer, he slid on the pebbles and swung his blade in a small but precise arc. The elf was exactly where Julian wanted him to be. With the crates falling to one side, the enemy could only move to the side, just within the reach of Julian’s sword.

Surprise flooded Lok’s face as Julian’s blade traveled to hit his body. Julian wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to hit a vital organ, but he didn’t need to do that. He only needed to hit the enemy’s left arm just above his bracelet.

The skin and flesh cut like butter. His sword slashed through the elf’s arm with extraordinary speed. Julian could almost hear the fabric of his body tearing as the blade traveled its way. When he completed the movement, half of the elf’s arm was hanging by a fine muscle and skin thread.

Julian watched as the enemy’s eyes grew more prominent, and the bracelet on that arm shone with light. Shit, he can still do magic? Julian thought as he prepared to attack again, but before he could do anything, a blast of air erupted from the elf’s hand, and he went flying up into the air.

To Lok’s shock, he was not intending to do that. Julian was the target, but the poor connection between the user and the bracelet prevented magic from working as intended. Julian knew there was a way to use magic without a bracelet, but to do that, one should be imbued with liquid mana, and Lok probably didn’t even know of its existence.

Julian walked over to the fallen crates and watched Lok fly through the skies in the strangest patterns. The well-dressed elf looked like a majestic kite driven by the most senile person imaginable.

“Help!” Lok screamed at the top of his lungs. “Someone, catch me!”

The scene was picturesque enough to catch Julian’s attention for a couple more seconds. Morbid curiosity wanted to be resolved. Is he going to crash against a building or the ground? Julian mused before shrugging and rushing towards the small door at the far end of the roof.

He could still hear Lok’s screams as he descended the ladder and accessed what seemed to be an intricate building with quadrangular corridors connected by a staircase that led to the ground.

Julian rushed down the steps, and after a couple of minutes, he was back in the alley again. The first fallen enemy was still on the ground, and close to it was another one drowned in a pool of his blood. More crimson marks were scattered over the ground, but none of his companions could be seen. He couldn’t see or hear Lok’s screams in the skies over the alley anymore.

“Liz?! Rayra?!” Julian shouted and moved towards the end of the corridor.

“Here!” a muffled voice called, and he searched both sides but saw no one. “Here, Julian!”

He discerned Liz’s voice coming from his right side and strode towards it. The voice was coming from inside a window. In a glance, Julian saw Rayra inside, crouched beside Thalia. The place was dark and seemed to be abandoned.

“Let’s go. I dealt with the bossy one. We need to move before they come back.”

“Join us.” Liz waved one hand for him to jump over the wooden window.

“Why? Didn’t you listen? We need to go,” Julian said, already taking a step towards the end of the alley.

“She said we need to stay here. They’re coming.”

“One more reason for us to leave.”

“If you still want to be able to fulfill your mission, get in here!” Thalia called from inside the building. Her watery eyes and desperate voice were enough to convince him.

“All right,” he said as he entered the place, and Liz carefully closed the window. Cracks in the wood allowed light to enter the room, making the place look even more eerie. Julian started moving towards the girls when Thalia’s urgent voice interrupted him.

“Stop! Don’t move! They’re here.”

Chapter

Six

Julian turned his head towards the closed window and back to Thalia. The girl had the semblance of the condemned. If she was scared of her brother, she was deeply horrified by these trackers.

“Please, don’t,” she mouthed without saying the words.

Julian breathed deeply and halted. He was standing with his side to the window, and when he turned his head, one of the cracks was directly on his left eye. He couldn’t see clearly into the alley, but he could most definitely hear the sound of two figures dropping to the ground.

The noise reverberated through the alley and made the wooden window tremble. The sound and movement were imperceptible, but they made the young baron fear for their position to be revealed, nonetheless.

Fortunately for them, the two figures arrived with another that couldn’t stop his mouth from mumbling.

“They were here, masters! I swear! We fought Thalia and two other girls while Knot Lok was after a third one.” The voice was full of despair and anxiety. Julian felt a shiver run through his neck. Even the members of their organization were afraid of these trackers.

Julian closed one eye and adjusted his head position, trying to grasp any parts of the alley. After a couple of seconds, he was finally able to see them.

A few steps away from the building, two immense men stood. They were at least seven feet tall and dressed entirely in dark green robes, covering their whole bodies except for their hands, which were full of intricate white tattoos. One of the men had his face turned directly at Julian’s position. He tried to discern his features, only to discover the tracker wore a golden mask shaped like a snake. The adornment was magnificent and horrifying at the same time. The mask had two immense fangs protruding from the mouth and only two holes in the eyes, making Julian wonder how they were breathing under that.

The elf on the ground was one of Lok’s companions, as Julian had assumed. He kneeled to the ground with his head shoved against the alley as if he wanted to drown in the cobblestones. He kept mumbling words non-stop, as if his life depended on it. Still, the trackers said nothing. They just stood there as if watching the most pathetic display of their lives.

That man had just tried to harm him and his companions, and still, that scene scratched Julian’s sense of justice. The power dynamic was too unbalanced for him to enjoy the scene.

One of the trackers crouched before the elf and moved his chin up. Whatever he saw when looking into the masked man’s eyes made his horror fade away. The elf’s eyes stared deep inside the mask as he described everything that had happened in the alley.

“Tell me again,” a grave and muffled voice came from behind the snake’s mask, and Julian heard the elf swallow hard and start retelling the story.

“Again.” The tracker asked, making the elf’s eyes water profusely. He was probably wondering what he needed to say to satisfy them, not caring anymore if he needed to tell the truth.

When the elf told the same story for the third time, the tracker released his face and got up quickly. The duo walked the whole alley, inspecting the bodies and the trails of blood on the ground.

They spent several minutes analyzing the place before returning to the elf.

“Are you sure they didn’t use magic?” one of the deep voices asked.

“Yes, master.”

The duo exchanged glances for a while, and their rushed voices echoed through the alley. They spoke a different language that Julian didn’t recognize, but that made the elf cry again.

After a few minutes, one grabbed the elf by the shoulders and lifted him.

“The Twin Snakes are grateful for your services. We’ll not require your services anymore. Your family will receive your retirement, and you’ll not be disgraced,” the voice said politely.

The elf before him changed his expression. There was no more fear in the man’s face or even sadness. He was resolute, as some tend to become in the end. The tracker moved his hand to the mask and removed it. Julian couldn’t see his face, but the elf saw, and in that moment, his eyes flickered, and for one second, he had fear again in his complexion.

“It’ll end soon,” the voice behind the elf called, and then the oddest thing happened.

Julian saw the elf’s eyes roll to the back of his head and blue mist leave his body as his jaw stood wide open. The blue hue traveled from the elf directly to the tracker’s mouth. Firstly, it was slow, and then it became faster.

With every second, the elf seemed to dry out like a leaf in autumn. His skin became thin as paper and wrinkled as an elder. His lips shattered into several pieces, and his eyes dried out. It was like watching someone age at immense speed. The tracker wasn’t just sucking mana out of his body; he was draining life itself. Julian closed his eyes, not wanting to witness it anymore.

When he opened them again, the man was no more. His clothes were on the ground, and any trace of his existence couldn’t be found. That sent a shiver down his spine. That was how powerful these enemies were.

They had somehow bent the man to their volition and dried him out. Julian watched the tracker put back his mask and stare at his companion.

“Let’s go,” the one who had eaten said, starting to move. “There’s no track here.”

“Wait,” the other one said and started moving towards Julian's building. His heart raced against his chest, and his hand grabbed the sword's pommel with a firm grip. Julian felt sweat dripping down his forehead with every step of the tracker. The enemy halted in front of the window and seemed to smell it.

Julian saw the tracker get past some of the cracks and stop. Was he looking through?

“What?” the other tracker asked.

“I think I heard something.”

He stayed there for excruciating seconds. Julian looked at the girls and saw all of them grasping their weapons, except for Thalia, who had the same expression as the dead man from the alley. She believed that if they entered the room, she would be as good as dead.

Julian saw the hand moving towards the window, and a loud squeal came from beneath the window. A rat ran between Liz’s legs to the room's end and exited to the alley via a small hole in the corner.

“It’s just a rat. Let’s go,” the first one said impatiently, and the second seemed to consider whether he would abide.

“Right,” he finally said, and Julian watched him turn his back to the window, flex his knees, and jump into the air. He didn’t seem to fly or be driven by the air; he had just jumped with immense force. Soon, his companion followed him, and Julian released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Chapter

Seven

They waited several seconds before words were finally spoken inside the room. Fear was a word too heavy to describe what he was feeling, but it was close enough. Julian was confident in his powers and physical prowess, yet those two men had an eerie and powerful aura around them. Their power to absorb life energy resembled Fenrir’s but seemed more direct than the corruption applied by the evil god.

Something inside the dead elf’s eyes had told Julian they weren’t merely intimidating him with their presence. There was some magic easing the horrified man’s senses.

With those thoughts in mind, Julian was the first to speak.

“These are the trackers, then?” he asked, crouching before Thalia, who was slowly becoming less pale and distant.

“Yes. Now you understand why I was afraid?”

“Not exactly. Why didn’t you run before? They almost found our location.”

Thalia immediately started to shake her head negatively, as if Julian were a child who thought two plus two was five.

“That’s what most people don’t get. Sometimes, trackers can smell your mana even if you don’t use magic. Staying close to the alley, in one way or another, neutralized our tracks. If we moved and left just a trace of magic, they could find us. Since we bled and fought in this alley, our smells were concentrated here … we were in the safest place in the city now. That’s how I’ve been hiding all this time. Do you think I live in the sewers because I like it? My room is just beneath the Twin Snakes' headquarters; my magic easily camouflages under them, and the trackers never found me. Now, my cover is probably done. There’s a good chance of them finding the sewers now.”

“And who are they, anyway? It would be good if you had told us a criminal organization wants you.”

“I have no obligation to tell anything to any of you,” she growled, and Julian saw Liz’s expression slowly turning from soft to rigid again. Thalia wasn’t making it easy for her.

“And Julian’s first question?” Liz inquired as they traded glances for a couple of seconds.

“I don’t know exactly who they are. No one knows. My fa … the gang leader, Prior, brought them to the capital before I was born. They follow his orders strictly and consume the life force of anyone who opposes the Twin Snakes⁠—”

“And their members, as we just saw,” Julian said.

“Yes, they are ruthless. Ropes, who are the lowest members of the gang, are constantly brought to death as punishment. But they still prefer to be a Rope for the Twin Snakes than live on the streets in fear of one of the trackers finding them and eating their life force. Knots have more chances, however.”

“Your brother is a Knot in this gang. That means he’s a leader?”

“Lok is not my real brother, but yes. He’s a leader, and the Ropes under him are his minions to command.”

“And everyone in the Twin Snakes is a mage?” Rayra asked.

“Yes. Mages mostly work for the Twin Snakes, the Mage Guild, or the Princess. The ones flying under the radar can become food for the trackers, so everyone has a job in the city.”

“Why would anyone choose that over the guild or the Princess?” Julian asked, already getting up and moving towards the window.

“The ones who accept have no other choice. You wouldn’t understand.” Thalia replied, her eyes darting to the ground. Memories seemed to hurt the girl deeply, and Julian felt for her, so he ignored her assumptions about him. “I want to … never mind. Let’s go; we’re close to the Royal District.”

The girl strode past Julian. He wondered what she wanted to say, but decided not to ask. Julian was smart enough to know when someone wanted to be left alone, and he would respect that.

Julian was alone with Rayra and Liz when she jumped over the window. He outstretched both hands so they could come close. They stood at his sides as Julian’s hand instinctively traveled to their stomachs.

“Are you two okay?” he asked, expecting one of their reprisals. Still, he couldn’t contain his worry. They carried his offspring, so he and they needed to be careful.

Surprisingly enough, neither of them complained. On the contrary, both smiled. Liz was the first to speak.

“We’re fine. And you’re clearly way better than that fool flying through the skies crying for help.”

“It was quite a show, huh? I had to force myself to stop looking at it. And you?” Julian asked, caressing Rayra’s exposed belly. Her perfect abdomen showed no signs of pregnancy, but she put one hand over his and smiled.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be jumping from buildings.”

“I agree,” Liz chimed in with a smile.

Rayra briefly held her gaze on Liz and seemed to measure her following words for a few seconds before finally speaking. “Don’t be so harsh with her, sister. You were very understanding with me when I met both of you.”

“Yes…” Liz replied, her eyes finding the ground and her cheeks blushing with embarrassment. “I don’t appreciate her constantly hiding things or telling half-truths.”

“We don’t know what happened,” Julian said. “If you had a brother like that prick from the alley, don’t you think you’d be a little wary?”

“Wary … not cowardly and deceiving,” Liz said harshly, widening her eyes and blushing again. She seemed surprised by her own words. “I’m sorry, I’ll try. Besides, I’ll be in a better mood after a shower and rest.”

Julian didn’t reply. Instead, he gave a long and gentle kiss to both of his women before he started moving. He soon realized that sometimes, silence spoke more than any amount of words. Liz smiled at Julian as they followed him, aware that Julian might not understand her motivations, but he loved her enough to give her time to solve it herself.

Those silent agreements shared by the trio had fortified their bond immensely over the last couple of months, and Julian was more than glad for it.

Thalia, on the other hand, didn’t seem glad at all. The girl stood with her back to the wall a few steps away from the window they had just jumped from. He wasn’t sure she had listened to their conversation, but her expression wasn’t amiable.

“Lead us,” Julian said, putting a big smile on his face as he pointed to the end of the corridor. He had no reason to be embarrassed if she had heard them. They hadn’t spoken anything but the truth inside that building. In a way, it would be better if she knew where they stood in this situation.

“Follow me,” she finally said, moving to the end of the alley with long and fast steps.

“Alright,” Julian replied, almost having to run to keep up with her tracks.

The rest of the way to the elevator was calm and uneventful. The streets emptied as the afternoon extended. Julian felt his stomach angrily growling as their walk progressed. The time had flown immensely fast, making the idea that they were inside the Lionheart manor just hours ago seem like something created by the mind of a madman.

In the lapse of a day, they had found a teleportation mage with serious issues, a dying god, crazy elves, and monsters that ate life force from mages and were now ready to climb the elevator that led to the home of the Princess of the whole continent of Alineria.

Contrary to the pompous buildings flying in the sky, the elevator was as mundane as any other Julian had seen construction workers working on—a wooden platform held only by ropes on every side, with other cords used as a safety measure.

“This doesn’t look royal at all,” Julian said as they approached the platform on the ground. The place was guarded by a few figures in white and red armor with sheathed swords and tired expressions.

“This is the service elevator. Only the workers go from here.”

“We were invited, Thalia.”

“There are too many eyes on the main elevator, and I know the guards on this one. Trust me.” She walked directly to the guards, not waiting for an answer.

Julian only shrugged as Liz frowned, and Rayra stood stoically with her arms crossed. The young baron looked at his surroundings. They were just beneath the immense buildings on what seemed to be the most prominent street he had ever seen. On the other end of the street, another set of ropes lay on the ground, with a good part stretched into the skies. That was probably the other elevator’s place, and no soul was waiting for it. Julian, Liz, Rayra, Thalia, and the two guards were the only ones on the street.

It wasn’t nearly a surprise that Thalia was also a little paranoid. Still, Julian smiled as he waited for her to command them to approach.

When the elevator started to move toward the sky, Julian leaned on the ropes and watched the city grow smaller beneath him. He could now see the beach on the left side and the commercial district expanding for several blocks beneath him. The distinction between the living quarters and the commercial ones was clear. The blocks close to Julian had close to no lights, while the blocks away were highly illuminated, even with the sun still throwing some light on the city.

As the blocks extended themselves and the elevator kept going up and up, Julian realized that as far as the city blocks went, the houses became tinier. Julian had seen something similar at the duchy he studied. The wealthier families lived close to their jobs, while the poorer had to travel more to reach the commercial spots.

Near the beach, life seemed to blossom as well. The port district was replete with boats of all sizes, and the streets were lit with lamps. Julian could see the movement and even heard some music being played from there. The sailors were throwing a big party, and Julian smiled at the sight.

He suddenly realized that sight and the women at his side were why he kept fighting. Even with all the world's problems, those moments of joy or the simple fact that all races had found a way to live together in such a big and complex city made him want the sailor’s party to go on.

Fenrir wanted the opposite—a world for the dragonkin where the other races were enslaved or exterminated. A world where one being’s desires were the law, and Julian couldn’t allow that. When he turned his gaze to Liz and Rayra, he found a smile on both faces. Their smiles told him everything he needed to know. They knew what he was thinking about or had a good hunch.

“We’re going to win, girls,” he muttered, and they agreed.

The guards and Thalia seemed slightly confused by the baron’s words, but he didn’t care. Julian had been washed by hope, but not the kind that makes someone wait for something good to happen.

Julian would make it work. No matter what.

Chapter

Eight

Julian still remembered the first time he had gone to Silverhold. The buildings with silver signs seemed too bright for him. He complained to his father that he couldn’t see anything and would go blind. The old man had laughed at his child's complaint and said that Silverhold wasn’t even near the brightest place in the world.

Now, Julian knew why his father had said that. He had to cover his eyes when they passed a building with the sun hitting against the stark white walls. The white buildings varied in size and height, but every single one was bigger than Julian’s manor.

The suspended streets were mostly empty. Still, they could see one or another well-dressed citizen of the Royal District. They wore robes and dresses of fine silk adorned with golden jewelry. None of them seemed to care about their presence; everyone kept minding their business, and most were entering their homes.

“Why are there so few people here?” Julian asked Thalia in a hushed tone, not knowing exactly why he was speaking in such a manner.

“Dinner is almost sacred inside the Capital. It’s an old tradition to dine as soon as the sun goes down. People gather around the table half an hour before it and wait.”

“Oh, that’s quite interesting. It was way different from the duchy I lived in for some years. It was more like the sailor’s district. After the sun went down, people flooded the streets to eat and drink.”

“The people at the port district are mostly foreigners with no appreciation for our traditions,” Thalia said.

Julian realized the girl had her back erect and eyes looking at the horizon. She seemed almost like a different person, more profound and concentrated. Nearly a mirrored image of the guards that walked close to them. Interesting, he thought as they kept walking in silence.

Besides the imposing color of the place and the magic holding it in the sky, the Royal District was like any other district, except for the gigantic castle at the end of the main street. The building’s extension felt out of proportion compared to the other ones. With more than ten towers extending to the skies, gigantic white walls replete with guards, and an immense wooden gate, the place seemed like the home of giants, not of a princess.

The castle didn’t have a pit around it with weapons or hidden traps. Upon close inspection, Julian realized the guards patrolling the streets or walking close to castle walls didn’t even have weapons at their belts, so unconcerned with attacks they were for being in the air.

“Fools,” Julian muttered as the image of the dragonkin flying in the skies once more flooded his mind. “I need to have a conversation with the princess,” he completed as the gates opened.

Surprisingly enough, Julian didn’t have to wait much longer to find Princess Anasthasia. She stood tall in front of the wooden gate, waiting for them. At her side, two immense guards loomed over her—these ones with lances at hand. She wore a magnificent white strapless dress with a black belt beneath her breasts. A beautiful and intricate lace adorned the piece at the edge of all ends of the fabric. Even in simple clothes, she couldn’t hide her regalness. She had a magical aura to her that couldn’t be shadowed even by the silver crown slightly soaring over her head.

Julian couldn’t deny that the princess’s sight scratched something inside him. He was accustomed to being around beautiful women and was more than satisfied with his two wives. Still, the body speaks its own language sometimes, and Julian clearly had something left unsaid about the princess, which he didn’t know exactly. Yet, he liked it.

“Your majesty,” he said, bowing in front of her. All of his companions did the same, and Julian was surprised by the fact that Rayra did it and that Thalia’s face was almost touching the ground as she showed deep respect for the regent.

“Baron and Baronesses Lionheart, it is a pleasure to meet you again,” she said respectfully and then looked directly at Thalia, who kept her eyes on the ground. ‘Thalia of the Twin Snakes’ wasn’t someone I was expecting to see today or ever. I heard rumors you were dead.”

Thalia kept looking down, but her voice was firm. “I didn’t, Your Majesty. I’m here to aid them in their quest and serve you.”

“That didn’t work out the last time, did it?” the princess asked earnestly.

“No, it didn’t.”

“I’m glad you don’t deny it. If Baron Julian wishes to have you at his side, I’ll not protest. Still, don’t run this time, right?” the princess asked, and at that moment, Julian felt some bitterness in her voice. Was that resentment?

“I’ll do my best, Your Highness.” Thalia said, her voice faltering and her eyes still on the ground. The girl was overcome with the deepest embarrassment, and Julian’s curiosity was starting to rise to the roof.

“We’ll see,” the princess finally said dismissively, changing her eyes to Julian and his wives. “You can all stand now. I was surprised when some of my men in the city spoke about the sight of Baron Julian Lionheart in town. My men don’t tend to commit mistakes, but everything has its first time, so I’m still surprised you arrived early. You should’ve left your home early today, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thankfully, we discovered a faster way to reach the capital, and it would be foolish not to take it. We want to find our way to the Isles as fast as possible, but we’ll understand if we have to wait for the agreed date,” Julian said with a slight bow, and sensed Rayra’s irritation at his side. She was well-intended, but the kitsune had difficulty understanding politics. If it were her addressing the princess, she would probably already be asking for a boat and four oars.

The princess measured them for a couple of seconds before smiling.

“Honestly, I’m glad you’re all here early. We have dire news from the Isles. I’ll arrange the trip for tomorrow.” The princess turned her back to them and started walking back inside the castle gates. “What are you doing standing there? It’s time to dine, and your plates are already on the table.”

Those words brought joy to Julian and his companions. Even Thalia was smiling at the prospect of eating a good meal after the day they had. They eagerly followed the princess and the guards as they crossed the gigantic white walls and arrived at the castle courtyard.

Differently from the one at Julian’s manor, there were no quarters for workers here. Everything was designed to make the place more opulent and gorgeous. Immense trees, expansive gardens full of roses of all colors, and even a maze with walls the size of children adorned the place. Statues of the deceased king and queen stood at the side of the stairs leading to the castle's main door. The walk to reach the doors was quite long and provided Julian enough time to admire the architecture of the place. Now close to it, he could see that the rocks of the castle had intricate sigils that resembled the ones inside a Soul Shard.

After a couple of seconds of staring at the walls' fabric and the staircases' steps, he realized they were indeed the same patterns. The first King studied the patterns, Julian thought, realizing he should pay them more attention. Those symbols had led him to find the entrance to the mirror realm and his mother’s location. They could very well hide the secret to another power slumbering inside his magical core.

When he consumed the griffon’s Soul Shards later, he would definitely take a look at his grimoire and see if he could discover anything new.

They finally arrived at the top of the stairs, and Julian was once again awestruck by the place's magnificence. The walls were all lit with beautifully intricate lamps that shone on the relucent fabric of the walls and ground. The place looked almost like an enormous and ornate mirror. The middle of the first room had a gigantic map of the kingdom painted on the ground with immense detail and many colors. In each corner of the room, a pair of stairs led to the castle's second floor, while corridors led to other rooms. Julian suspected the balls held for the nobility occurred in that first room.

They climbed one of the pair of stairs as Julian looked up at the ceiling. There was a painting of an enormous dragon flying through the skies, holding a blue sword in one hand and a book in the other. It looked like the imagery of Cerulex was well known to the royalty who created the flying castles. Julian doubted if Princess Anasthasia and her deceased parents had a real idea of the god’s history.

Julian saw the throne room at the end of the stairs, with another set of stairs leading to the simple yet elegant wooden chair. On both sides of the room, benches extended in all directions, providing seating for the princess’s subjects to express their desires and opinions.

They walked past the throne room and directly to a nearby second space. Smaller than the previous one, this room was filled with intense food smells. Julian’s nostrils were inundated with the different fragrances, his stomach once again growling with anticipation.

“Sit and enjoy. If I had known you were coming today, I would’ve had guests and a much grander buffet, Baron Julian. I hope you’re not offended by the simplicity of my offering,” the princess politely addressed the group as her guard pulled a chair for her to sit.

“Your majesty could never offend me. Everything looks phenomenal.” And it really did. A roast piglet, shining with its greasy, buttery skin, adorned the middle of the table, surrounded by several types of bread, bowls of shiny rice, cooked beans, and a platter full of fried chicken.

“Do you accept wine, master?” a voice came from Julian’s side and almost scared him. A smiling servant looked expectantly at him. Julian nodded, and the butler served him a glass of wine. “I’d recommend a piece of our Honey Bread with the elvish butter. It will be perfect as an appetizer before the main dish.” Julian looked at the far end of the table and saw that the princess was doing exactly what the butler had recommended. If it were up to him, he would’ve started with the meat and only then eaten the bread considering how hungry and tempting it looked, but as a good guest, he would follow his host’s customs.

The butler showed him the appetizers and proceeded to serve the other members of Julian’s group. The mood had gotten way better since they had sat around the table. Yet, Julian had to ask the princess.

“Your grace, you talked about dire news before,” Julian said after sipping the savory and sweet wine.

“Indeed. News has arrived that the orcish king is preparing his troops for something. The army is being rallied at the main Isle.”

“The whole army? That never happened.”

“Yes, it seems that for the first time ever, they were able to unify all the Isles’ troops as a single army, and their common goal is overseas.”

“And Strazz?”

“My spies haven’t seen him for a while now. He’s gone, in search of something in the Isles. And he’s taking your father against his will to wherever he goes.”

Dire news, indeed … Julian thought as his eyes darted to the void. The princess didn’t know half of it. The orcish army would be nothing compared to the dragonborns and all the dragonkin. She needed to know. Julian’s eyes searched the room; besides the two guards behind the princess, the butler, and Julian’s companions, they were pretty much alone.

“I have something to share with you, Your Grace. Something that may shake the beliefs of the weak of the heart and could be catastrophic if heard by the wrong person. Can I speak freely here?”

The princess paused for a few seconds, savoring her wine as her mind processed Julian’s words. When she finished, she cleaned her lips, red with the wine, and replied firmly.

“This is my personal guard. The bravest of our kingdom and my oldest servant. I trust them with my life, so they are here right now. You may speak freely.”

Julian traded glances with Rayra and Liz, who nodded reassuringly for him to keep going. Thalia had a somewhat idea what he was about to say due to their interactions with Ranabi, yet she didn’t have the whole picture.

“Strazz isn’t suffering from any mental or magical illness that made him change his personality. His body is being shared with him and an old and evil entity. Don’t get me wrong, Strazz is probably quite right about going to war with us, but his powers are far stronger than a simple new kind of magic. His power can basically nullify other kinds of magic and use them against the user.” Julian stopped, giving time for the princess to process the information.

“That’s … disturbing. I have the impression you have more to share,” she said, clasping her hands beneath her chin and assuming a grave expression.

“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sure you’re aware of the sightings of strange creatures flying in the skies of several parts of the kingdom. These are not mere fables or tales to scare children. Strazz and this entity released to the world a different kind of evil. The old tales about gigantic lizards flying in the skies are not legends. They are known as the dragonkin and serve Fenrir, the entity inside Strazz’s body.”

“How many of them?” It was Thalia asking now, and Julian could see the fear building in the girl. She was probably already regretting her decision to accompany them.

“We don’t know. How many are in the orcish army, Your Grace?”

“We estimate something between eighteen thousand to twenty thousand troops, varying between infantry, archers, and the ostrich riders.”

“If the orcs gained enough confidence to attack us after the arrival of Strazz, we can expect at least half of that number to be dragonkin. And I haven’t told you about the dragonborn yet. Those are the strongest among the monsters. They resemble humans, but with nearly indestructible armor and complete loyalty to Strazz.”

“This information changes everything.” Anasthasia leaned back against her chair, and for the first time since Julian had known the princess, she looked to be around his age instead of a competent and experienced ruler. When she realized what she had done, she leaned back toward the table and changed her demeanor to a more regal one. “Why am I only learning about this now?”

Julian wasn’t sure if he had a good answer, so he opted for honesty. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I didn’t know if I could trust you when we first met. Fenrir’s tendrils could’ve reached you.”

The words hung in the air, and Julian saw both of her guards gripping the shafts of their spears more tightly. They weren’t accustomed to anyone speaking in those terms with their commander, and Julian could respect that.

“I see…” she replied distantly. “Offense wasn’t taken, Baron Julian. If this foe is that dangerous, I can understand your wariness. We need to cancel the trip now. This power is too great to sacrifice my country's young and promising Lord. I’ll not send you and your companions to a certain death.”

“No, Your Grace. We need to go as soon as possible.”

“Excuse me?”

“We are aware of one weakness of Fenrir. His search in the Isles isn’t in vain. We can fight back if we find what he’s searching for first.”

“Interesting, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has those—as you said—indestructible creatures at his disposal besides being capable of nullifying your magic.”

“They are nearly indestructible, Your Grace. My magic is the only one in the world able to break their armor, and we aren’t planning to destroy Fenrir on this trip. We don’t have that power yet. We intend to rob him, and that’s why Thalia is with us. She’ll be our way out of the Isles with the ticket to fight back Fenrir’s hordes.”

At that moment, Anasthasia’s eyes locked with Thalia’s, and the girl’s gaze immediately searched for the ground. “I wouldn’t be so sure with this one,” Anasthasia said sharply, and Julian noticed she wasn’t particularly enjoying uttering those words. There was pain in the princess’s eyes. The history between them seemed way more personal than he had initially thought.

“I trust her, Your Highness. She’ll not let us down.” Julian said, his eyes locked with the princess, who seemed a little embarrassed. She then gulped more of her wine as she recomposed herself and cleared her throat.

“Great. Expect your trip to start tomorrow after lunch. I’ll be honest with you, Baron Julian … You brought fear to my heart, but you also brought some hope. I’ll prepare to face those dragons and the orcs, but I’ll put all my bets on your success in this mission.”

“Start arming your soldiers then, Your Grace. The fact that your castle flies isn’t enough to protect you when the dragons come soaring in the skies.” Julian wondered if he had gone too far with that comment and even saw Liz moving uncomfortably by his side.

However, the princess laughed hard at his comment.

“Oh, Julian…. That was the first thing I addressed when I sat on the throne. My father wanted to show the world how safe we were by not using weapons inside the court. That wasn’t the cleverest choice, I must admit. Yet I enjoy the fact that everyone still believes my soldiers are unarmed.” She had a sly smile on her wine-red lips, a smile that Julian hadn’t seen yet. She was pleased that she was one step ahead of her enemies. Julian liked it and returned the smile. “Now, let’s eat.”

And eat they did. Julian was relieved he had shared his information with the princess and was glad she hadn’t succumbed to despair. On the contrary, she was ready to reassess the situation and prepare like a leader should, like he would if he were the one sitting in her chair. Julian’s good mood was shared in some measure by Liz and Rayra, who ate and politely spoke with the princess about their lives. Anasthasia was particularly interested in Rayra’s hometown and their customs, and Liz seemed to enjoy learning more about her sister-wife.

On the other hand, Thalia let her fork scramble through the food, only occasionally grabbing something to eat slowly. Her semblance was one of a defeated person, much the opposite of the energetic figure that had arrived at his manor earlier that day. Sitting in front of Julian, she retrieved her hand when she saw Julian searching for hers. He only wanted to catch her attention, but he understood her wariness.

“Sorry. I just wanted to tell you that everything will be fine.” He smiled gently, but her frown remained like a grimace carved in wood.

“You don’t know that,” she said, letting her fork fall to the side of her plate, looking into Julian’s eyes.

“No, but I believe in it.”

“It isn’t enough.”

“No, it isn’t. But it’s the first step. I wasn’t lying. I trust you. We’ll make it back here with Fenrir’s shard, and you’ll get whatever Ranabi promised you.”

“You don’t know me….” She crossed her arms and looked to the far end of the room. When Julian was about to give up the conversation, she looked back at him, and he could swear her eyes were watered. “Thanks for vouching for me. I can’t remember the last time someone did something like that.”

Julian stared deep into her eyes as he smiled broadly.

“Make it count, then.”

Chapter

Nine

Julian’s feet protested as he climbed another set of stairs inside the castle.

“It feels like I ran a marathon,” he groaned as he looked down and saw that Rayra and Liz showed almost the same amount of exhaustion. Thalia, on the other hand, seemed pretty damn good as she darted her eyes to the walls of the castle, looking at everything with eyes full of admiration. “How are you not tired?”

“Because I’ve jumped through this and the other realm a million times. What you’re experiencing is mana fatigue.”

“I’ve never heard that expression,” Liz muttered as she climbed the stairs. It looked like she was speaking more to herself than Thalia, but Julian was glad her voice held no animosity.

“Being inside the void on the bricked road causes that. It’s like the tiniest piece of your body was replaced in a different place. Mana holds you in place, so it eventually takes a toll on the body. Just like when you do some heavy lifting and feel pain the next or the other day.” Thalia had her eyes on the walls, lingering on the military paintings longer than the others, but kept walking without missing a step.

The girl intrigued Julian more and more as time passed. There was something about the way she behaved that felt out of place. The information she gave them was interesting, but Julian couldn’t concentrate on anything besides his sore feet.

Thankfully, they were already close to the top, and the two guardians that climbed in front of the group had already disappeared and were turning to appear again as they got closer to the end of the steps. Princess Anasthasia had excused herself from the dinner to deal with some trip arrangements, letting her guards show Julian’s group their accommodations. They were stern and didn’t seem to keep a grudge after hearing Julian’s words inside the dining room.

I need to find some good guards for my home, Julian thought as his mind traveled back to Silverhold. He had so much to do if he wanted to create a good home for his children to be raised in, but to do so, he would need the world to keep existing. Being exhausted wouldn’t be wise with such a mission at hand.

As they were close to finishing their climb, Rayra and Liz rushed past him quickly, as if they had just acquired high momentum and needed to arrive sooner at their room. Julian started worrying when he realized what they were doing and sighed.

“You don’t need to do this,” Julian said with an outstretched hand, but received only a smile from both of his women. They had done the same when they arrived at the hotel in the duchy weeks ago. The eagerness in their eyes showed this would become a habit.

“What are you doing?” one of the guards asked with his voice tinged with a bit of irritation.

“Securing the room,” Rayra said.

“Checking for any magical disturbance,” Liz chimed in as both walked past the two guards who were positioning themselves before a massive door.

“We did it thrice today, ladies. That’s our job,” the second guard protested.

“And our job is to secure our family’s safety,” Liz replied with an earnest smile as she gently shoved them to the side and entered the room with Rayra at her side.

Julian sighed again and shrugged as the two soldiers looked at him as if expecting backup.

“It will be over soon, soldiers. They’re not doubting your capabilities. They’re just a little protective,” Julian said as he searched for the nearest wall to lean his back and rest a little. Surprisingly enough, Thalia joined him with her arms crossed, looking into the void.

“So, are you a lord?” she asked, feigning disinterest. Julian glanced at her, suppressing a smile.

“Yes … and no. I’m Lord of the Lionheart lands, but above that, I’m now the Baron of Silverhold and all the nearby lands.”

“So, you’re a big shot.”

“I wouldn’t say so. I was lucky to be born into a nice family, and Baron is a title that can be taken as easily as it is given. If I lose it someday, I’ll still be respected by my peers and the people under me, but I wouldn’t say I’m a ‘big shot.’”

“That’s what all important people say,” she replied, still looking at the closed door. Julian could hear his wives moving the objects inside the room and the guards making all kinds of grimaces.

“And you? Aren’t you a member of an important criminal family?” Julian asked, looking more closely at Thalia, who instantly changed her gaze to him with one of her brows up.

“Not everyone is as lucky as you. I’m working my way out of it.”

“Running whenever you can?” Julian asked, and immediately regretted it. Perhaps he had crossed a line, but the girl didn’t reply. Her face was stern for minutes that seemed to stretch endlessly. She was so different from the girl full of life he had seen earlier that day. As if being inside the castle, doing this mission was too hard and made it impossible to show this other side of her.

“I don’t expect you to understand me. Honestly, no one does. You can poke me, that’s fine. For better or worse, I deserve it and more. Today was the day to remember that.” She passed one hand over her blue locks, and Julian saw drops of sweat falling from the roots of her hair. She sighed and looked directly into his eyes. “You’re fun and seem to be a good man⁠—”

“Thank you.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t rely on me.”

“As I said before, I trust you⁠—”

“But you shouldn’t!” she sighed, already moving from the wall. Her eyes traveled over Julian’s whole body, as if considering what to say next. “Let’s do this stupid mission and come back, alright?”

Before Julian could answer, Liz’s and Rayra’s voices echoed inside their room.

“You can come, baby!” they called in unison, and the guards positioned themselves at the side of the big door as if waiting for their dismissal. Julian nodded to them, and they started marching down the stairs.

“Hey! What about me?” Thalia called out, already following the guards.

“Oh, aren’t you with the Baron?” one of the guards asked in surprise, and the girl’s face turned as red as the reddest of roses.

“No, of course not!” she snapped a little too fast, her eyes darting from the ground to the guards as if searching for a place to hide but still wanting to firm her position.

Julian couldn’t contain a small chuckle, and before he could hide it with his hand, the girl noticed and looked at him with inquiring eyes.

“Why are you laughing?!”

“Nothing, nothing,” Julian replied with two hands up in the air apologetically. Then he walked towards the guards, who were also blushing under their helmets. “Can you show her to her room?”

“Of course, my lord,” one of them replied with a nod and moved down the corridor.

“Julian! Where are you? We’re waiting…” Liz’s voice echoed from the room through the corridors of the castle. She had a pleading tone, and Julian could only imagine what they planned for him inside that room.

That made Thalia blush even further; this time, Julian didn’t laugh.

“This way,” the guards pointed towards a door beside Julian’s room, and Thalia promptly followed them.

“Good night, Thalia!” Julian waved at her and got only a slight wave in return, her face still blushing as she entered the room as fast as possible.

Julian looked at the closed door of Thalia’s room with a grin blossoming as he readied himself to enter his room.

The lord opened the door slowly and was greeted with a sight that made his eyes glimmer with desire and his mouth water. He knew every inch of both Rayra’s and Liz’s bodies, but seeing them both completely naked, kneeling on the ground, and looking at him with pleading eyes was on a whole other level. The candlelight illuminating their bodies, the room’s aroma and the moonlight entering through the window with a gentle gush of wind only increased the shiver of desire rushing through him.

“We were starting to worry you didn’t want to see us tonight,” Liz pouted with her hands down to her knees, stretching her beautiful breasts against each other and making her pink nipples pop a little forward. The sight nearly hypnotized Julian.

“I thought we would need to start without you,” Rayra said, embracing Liz from behind and kissing her neck. The girl moaned in a hushed tone, making Julian’s cock fight against his trousers.

Then, they started to crawl on all fours towards him. Liz’s big breasts bounced in full display as she moved, and Rayra’s massive ass became more visible as they got closer. Their eyes were full of desire, and Julian began to remove his coat and shirt, but before he could reach his belt, they were already there, unbuckling the leather strap holding his trousers while his cock throbbed against the fabric. They helped each other patiently, looking into Julian’s eyes the whole time. The blue of Liz’s and the yellow of Rayra’s eyes glimmered in the candlelight.

“Do you want us to suck your cock, my lord?” Liz pleaded, lowering his trousers to his ankles.

“We want to taste your sweet seed again,” Rayra completed, pulling his pants down slowly and making his cock jump from the cloth, promptly rising to the air, ready for action. She smiled at the sight. Her hand traveled quickly to the root of his member. Holding it with a firm grip, she traded a glance with Liz.

“Do you want to taste him, sis?” she asked, her grip getting firmer, making Julian’s cock pump with blood and sending his senses to the roof. The anticipation alone almost made him explode.

Liz didn’t reply. Instead, she kissed the tip of his cock and then licked it from the root to the head, looking into his eyes the whole time but never engulfing it with her wet mouth.

“Are you two trying to make me go crazy?” he asked between groans as Rayra started to stroke his cock slowly, going up and down and biting her lip.

“Maybe…” she said, opening her mouth and moving it towards his cock. Julian could see her almost dripping saliva, but she contained herself to his near despair. She then did the same as Liz and traveled his cock with her tongue from the root to the tip. “Are we succeeding?”

“Yes,” Julian felt his cock throbbing harder than ever and the words becoming hard to form in his mind.

Then, they repeated the movement together. He could feel their tongues touching each other and his cock at the same time as they licked it slower than he thought possible. He could feel his seed already threatening to leave his body, his legs shaking. Liz immediately grabbed the tip of his cock and pressed it with a firm grip. It didn’t hurt at all, yet it made his ejaculation stop, and a gush of pleasure spread through his body.

“Not now! We want more!” she protested with her typical pout. They started to pull him towards their big bed at the far end of the corridor by his cock! The tension and the pleasure of it were unmatched as Julian stepped out of his trousers, pooled around his feet, and let them guide him.

They turned his body around and hurled him onto the bed, making him sit as they once again kneeled before him.

“Now, you’re allowed to cum,” Rayra said.

“But try to hold it as much as you can, please,” Liz completed with determination.

“I’ll try my best, ladies,” he said as they assumed their positions, each close to one of his knees. Liz went directly to his balls, sucking one, then the other, and then both at the same time deep into her mouth. Rayra wasted no time and didn’t kiss the tip of his member this time, instead grabbing his cock and, in a single movement, going deep, making him enter fully inside her mouth.

Julian moaned with the sudden rush of pleasure that inundated his body and almost came when he heard her gagging for the first time. She gagged again, her face turning red as she kept wetting his dick and pressing it further down her throat. Her saliva dripped on his cock and reached his balls, just to find Liz’s mouth eagerly wetting him even more.

Rayra moved up, and a waterfall of saliva erupted from her mouth. Her eyes were full of water, and she looked directly into his eyes. Before he could say anything, she went all the way down again. Her mouth engulfed all of his cock and then went up and down, her lips making his skin stretch and his blood pump. When he was about to explode once more, she released his member and breathed as if she were emerging from a deep pool. Her face was messy, her red hair was all over the place, and her fox ears twitched, but her eyes were joyful.

“Did you like it?” she asked while she stroked his cock with a firm grip.

“Yes,” Julian managed to say. “Do it again.”

“Liz’s turn,” Rayra smiled and glanced towards the other woman.

Liz raised her head and moved it towards his cock. Rayra held her hair firmly and helped her take him all in. The sight and the sensations were almost too much for Julian, but he held firmly without cumming. They were worshiping his cock, treating him like a god, and he wanted more of it.

The brunette was as eager to suck him as Rayra, her mouth reaching his root and staying there for seconds that seemed to last forever. Julian was on the tip of his toes, trying to concentrate on not cumming as the girls didn’t seem to stop whatsoever.

Liz raised her head just in time for Julian to hold back again, and between breaths, she said, “You’re really holding up, baby. Can you handle us both at the same time?”

“You can try,” Julian replied, adjusting on the bed and waiting.

They started kissing his balls and licking them slowly. Julian felt their tongues touching and the shivers running fast through his back. Then they arrived at his cock and started licking it from the root to the tip, one on his left and the other on his right. The feeling was heavenly. They kept wetting him and giving special attention to the head of his cock, their tongues traveling along its entire length.

Then, Rayra held Julian’s dick as firmly as when they pulled him by it, and they started alternating who took all of his cock into their mouths. They started slow, giving enough time for Julian to catch a breath between one suck and another, but after some time, they accelerated the pace. There was basically no time between Rayra's or Liz’s work. He could feel his crotch all wet as their heavenly mouths gave him all the pleasure in the world.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Julian opened his eyes, and when Liz released his cock, he saw their eager faces with almost a pout on them, desiring his seed. And he gave them.

His cock exploded in cum as he groaned loudly. The white liquid went all over their faces, and they eagerly started licking his cock, searching for more of it. Julian’s legs trembled with the hypersensitivity of his member, but he didn’t protest. He let them have all of him they could take.

“So sweet,” Liz muttered as she licked the last drop of it. Her face was a mess, and yet she was beautiful. She handed his cock to Rayra, who sucked it one last time with force, extracting the last drop of him and making his back collapse on the bed.

That night, his cock was their god, and Julian discovered he loved that kind of worship.

Chapter

Ten

Julian had the same nightmare that night.

The soaring wings over him. The malignant entity above them, laughing at their expense. The sea of blood, the thunder, and the screams. Julian couldn’t shake the feeling that he was inside that dream—not as if it was vivid, but as if he was there every time he went to sleep. It was as if a pocket mirror dimension existed to show him this scenario. The fact that he was tired when he woke up only made him more suspicious of the strange nature of his dream.

“Again?” Liz asked, already cleaning his sweaty brow and leaning towards him to check his temperature.

“Yeah. I’m getting tired of it.” Julian sighed. He sat with his back to the headboard. “Do you remember what Thalia said about being tired after doing what she calls a ‘jump’?”

“Do you think you’re jumping while you sleep? You aren’t. I would feel if you entered a portal while I’m in bed,” Rayra chimed in, her expression one of earnest curiosity.

“I don’t believe I’m entering a portal, but for sure, it’s not just a dream. I can feel my mana core disturbed and my body tired, just as I felt yesterday.”

“Interesting,” Liz said, sitting beside him, her eyes distant. “I could message the guild master and ask something about it.”

“No, I don’t want him knowing his baron has nightmares every night. That old man doesn’t seem to be the best at keeping secrets. I’ll ask Thalia; she’s probably the person who knows more about it.” Julian sighed.

Liz furrowed her brow, and Rayra smiled.

“What?” Julian asked, sensing they were hiding something.

“She was listening yesterday.”

“Who?”

“Thalia, of course,” Liz said with a drop of irritation in her voice.

“When we were? You know.”

“Yes, when we were sucking your cock, Julian.” Rayra said slyly, “There’s no need to hold the words.”

“I know. Are you sure she was listening? But why?”

“Oh, for the Last!” Liz raised her hands to the sky. “You’re not going to do this again, are you?”

“She’s into me … I see.” Julian smiled. “No need for irritation.”

“Good. It was kinda obvious after you ran to fight for her honor and then all the ‘I trust you’ conversation,” Liz continued.

“Do you want me to speak with her?” Julian asked.

“No!” Liz protested, and Rayra chuckled.

“I’m not understanding you, ladies.” Julian’s eyebrows were up as his eyes darted from one to the other. “What do you want me to do with this information?”

“Do as you please,” Rayra said with a shrug. Julian already expected that reaction from her, but not the one that came from Liz.

“Same,” the brunette said with her arms crossed.

“I thought you hated her.” Julian’s brow furrowed as he leaned towards her.

“I don’t hate her…. I don’t understand her. It’s different. However, I saw the sadness in her eyes. Maybe she only needs someone to talk to, and you seem to be the only one she shows her true colors to.”

“That’s quite mature.” Julian whistled and sank into the bed with his hands behind his head as his two wives remained sitting. “You don’t cease to surprise me.”

“That’s why you love us,” Rayra said, lying on the bed and embracing his chest. Her tail enveloped his right leg, and the fur tickled his skin. He loved it, as he indeed loved her. He let one hand embrace the kitsune, and Liz slid to his other side.

“I trust you to do the right thing. I’m not her number one fan, but I trust your judgment, Lord Julian.” Liz smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Can’t we just stay in bed for the rest of the day?” Julian asked, pulling them close to his body. Their breasts rubbing against his skin already threatened to awaken his body. Still, as if reading his mind, the door was knocked on.

“Your ship is ready, Baron Julian,” a grave voice bellowed. “The captain is waiting for you.”

“It looks like we can’t.” Julian stretched both arms and got up fast, followed by his wives. Julian once again wore the cloth mail beneath his fine clothes, the Lion symbol covering the back of his coat and being symbolized in a tiny logo attached to the front of it. His sword and bracelet were well-adjusted.

I forgot to check the grimoire, Julian thought as he started walking towards the door. His magical book had been a valuable adviser in the past and was secretly a pretty kind of spirit that accompanied Julian’s life. He tried not to think about it constantly—if the fact that maybe Thalia had heard him groaning last night made him blush. Imagine knowing that someone sees everything you do. He shook his head, searched his pocket for the three Soul Shards still there, and opened the door to the corridor.

Behind him, Rayra and Liz looked as stunning as ever. The first kept wearing a similar attire to the first time they had met: leather pants, a crop top, and a bow on her back. Liz wore trousers, a belt with two daggers, a blue blouse that failed miserably to hide her big breasts, and a golden collar with a sapphire in the middle. Julian couldn’t believe his luck. When the door at his side opened, he realized he was luckier than expected.

Thalia had her blue locks falling over her shoulders, the deep cleavage of her cotton shirt making her perfect breasts pop. She wore nothing beneath it, and Julian could see the shape of her nipples through it. She had taken a bath, and she smelled like flowers in spring. Her giant sword attached to her back gave her a contrasting look that would make anyone look at her. Still, her blue eyes staring at Julian’s caught his attention more.

When she realized Julian was checking her out, her pale face reddened. Still, she didn’t dodge his gaze; on the contrary, she walked towards them.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Always,” Julian replied. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby.”

“All night?”

“Yes, why are you asking?”

“Nothing,” Julian replied, feigning disinterest, and started moving towards the stairs. The guard who had called them was already there, waiting. “Are we going directly to the port?”

“Yes, sir. Princess Anasthasia asked me to express her apologies for not serving breakfast. You’ll have the opportunity to eat when we arrive at the ship.”

“I would like to say farewell to the Princess. Is it possible?”

“Of course, my Lord. She’s going with you.”

“She’s going to the Twelve Isles with us?”

“No, no, sir! Sorry if I expressed myself poorly. That would cause great turmoil at the court for sure. She’s going with a committee to the port,” the guard said in an apologetic tone as he kept walking.

Julian let the words sink in momentarily before finally deciding to speak.

“Can I meet her to ask her to reconsider? What if there are spies at the docks? We don’t want the orcs to know we’re coming for them.”

“The Princess is going undercover. Your committee will also not bear the Royal colors or symbols. No need for worries,” the soldier said with a broad smile that didn’t fit well with his big beard and almost evil face.

I must stop underestimating her. She’s pretty clever, Julian thought as they trailed the rest of the way. The first time he saw the Princess, she walked gangly inside big armor and didn’t look so royal or wise. Now, he knew she was resourceful, intelligent, and liked to be one step ahead of everyone else. Just like he enjoyed it, the people from the kingdom would probably think they had an inexperienced leader at their side. Still, Julian and the Princess’s subordinates knew they probably had the best leader of their ages.

Walking the Flying Pearl’s streets in daylight was almost like torture. Julian was sure if he kept looking up to the elevators, he would be blind before he started descending the skies. Thankfully, as soon as they stepped out of the castle, one of the soldiers gave them glasses.

Julian had never worn a pair. He’d never needed to; besides, he knew they were expensive. It looked like it was for someone other than the residents of the Flying Pearl. He could understand that it was an intelligent trade—the security of living in the skies and having to buy a pair of glasses with blackened lenses.

The world became evident again when he put the object on his face. Only then did he realize the streets of the district were crowded. Julian could identify who the tourists and residents of the place were. All nobles wore light-colored clothes to match the bright spot and were primarily humans. The kingdom of Alineria had people from all races, but it wasn’t strange for Julian that the race that initiated it still made the most of it. He saw one or another elf, as well as some dwarves and even a couple of goblins wearing noble attire, but most of them were humans of all colors and shapes.

On this walk, Julian felt no particular set of eyes on him. They were just another group impressed with the architecture of the Flying Pearl, and the lord was glad about it. They descended the elevator by the service’s lever once more. When they tried to return the glasses, Julian and his companions were instructed to keep and use them in the future. That was a request from the Princess, putting a smile on everyone’s faces. She expected them to return in one piece, and Julian intended to do just that.

Before they reached the streets below, the guards gave all of them capes with hoods for extra protection against spies or assassins. Julian was way more worried about the Twin Snakes, but the hoods would also work fine against them. A small carriage awaited them on the ground. The guards nodded as if to say their goodbyes, and Julian’s group walked towards the vehicle.

The carriage driver glanced in their direction. He wore simple cotton clothes, had a well-trimmed beard, and drew zero suspicion. Yet, Julian knew the man was a soldier. The way his back was well-postured and his eyes darted towards the entrances of the streets showed he was prepared for danger, and Julian was once again grateful his allies were resourceful.

They spent the rest of the way in silence. Everyone concentrated in their minds, trying to picture what would happen in the following days. All Julian had was a map of the Twelve Isles, his wives, and a girl with a magic sword. He had no idea where to go first, but had a good hunch that the Princess had her plans regarding that problem. Julian imagined their travel would take at least thirty minutes, so he took the three Soul Shards out of his pocket and consumed them.

The rush of energy was as good as ever. Using more than one after another left the body with a funny feeling, much like he was numbing limbs one by one. But instead of having difficulty moving, his body wanted to go faster. It was hard to concentrate after eating a Soul Shard, but Julian managed to do it.

When the last one downed its energy in his throat, he felt something breaking inside him, like a chain being snapped in the middle, just to be welded again by the hottest of fires. He looked at his sides and realized the magic aura around the women in the carriage was shining brighter. Liz’s was blue but had a darker tone to it, almost becoming purple, while Rayra’s was green, like the magic done by Ranabi. Thalia’s was a stark blue, just like his own aura.

The world had somehow become different. Julian took some time to realize what had changed until he let his hand travel through the cushion of his seat. He could feel the small parts of its fabric, details he would’ve missed before. The horse’s hooves were almost too loud for him, and he could even hear some conversations on the street. It was like he was energized with mana, but this time, he wasn’t performing any breathing pattern to do so. His body had imprinted the new way to rule mana onto itself.

So, this is how an adept mage feels, Julian thought as he snapped his fingers to make his grimoire appear.

“I hope you’re not mad at me,” Julian muttered as the book materialized. As always, the book didn’t answer him, yet it didn’t protest either. On the contrary, the grimoire suddenly opened and flipped the pages until it stopped on the one that mattered the most.

Owner: Julian Lionheart.

Rank: Adept (0/20 shards).

Magic Affinity: Arcane.

Beneath his basic information were the descriptions of all the spells he knew how to perform. Arcane Explosion, Arcane Whip, and Arcane Enchantment showed the same information. Julian was close to performing those spells at their maximum capabilities, but had yet to do so. The info beneath those was what caught his attention.

Ranabi’s blessing: A powerful enchantment that temporarily removes all the mana from the user’s body. This enchantment requires no special abilities or requisites. The owner only needs to trust in its purpose to make it work. The spell can be used as many times as desired.

Julian thought the spell was useless for a couple of moments, until he remembered Fenrir’s fight against Ranabi. She used this spell! he thought, recalling her losing her magical aura and going against the evil god with her paws and fangs. Julian could see how this spell could be helpful in the future. He smiled and was about to close the book when a new set of words appeared. These seemed to be handwritten, as if an invisible person was writing them at that very moment.

*Hi, Julian. It’s me, your grimoire. I can feel evil gathering on the Isles. He is whispering your name. He’s searching for you as I write this message.

I miss you. Don’t forget about me.*

As fast as the words appeared, they disappeared before his eyes. Besides the day Julian almost died, the book never addressed him directly. The message surprised him in many ways. The grim warning was ominous, but he knew about it already. Did the god realize they were on their way towards the Isles? Or was he just being prepared for that outcome?

Julian appreciated the worry, and the words written at the end of the note even more. I miss you … He never thought the grimoire would care about him, considering what she had written down for him the first time he opened the book.

“I’ll find a way to reach out,” Julian said, and when the words were uttered, he felt the mana in his core shifting slightly. That was his way of ensuring she had understood.

“Are you getting along with your grimoire?” Liz asked with a smile. “Mine is quite pleased with our evolution in the last few months. It doesn’t share much, but the descriptions seem more eager for me to discover new spells.”

“I would say we’re close,” Julian stated with a smile. “Ranabi gave me a spell to deploy all of my mana. This way, I can fight Fenrir without him using my mana against me.”

“That’s incredible!” Rayra said. “Maybe we can defeat him already.”

“I doubt it. I can probably win a fight against him, but that will not imprison him or shatter his soul again. It’s leverage indeed, but not enough,” he said thoughtfully. “Yet, we’re on the right track. I’m eager to fight those bastards again. I feel I’m close to discovering a new spell.”

“Me too,” Liz said. “I’m testing a different kind of water wall that could also throw projectiles at the enemies.”

“That would be quite helpful.”

“You guys have more than one spell?” Thalia asked, her eyes widened.

“I have four now, Liz has four, and Rayra has…” The girl raised seven fingers and smiled. “What? Seven?”

“Most of them are quite specific. Some are used to alleviate pain, others to reduce inflammation in wounds. It looks like a single healing spell when I use them, but I normally use several in conjunction. I’m an Intermediate mage already.”

“You never said anything about that!” Julian protested.

“You never asked.”

“Wait, you only have one spell?” Julian asked Thalia, suddenly remembering her question.

“Yes, I thought only more experienced mages had more spells. Like Rayra.”

“So you thought she was experienced, and Julian and I, no?” Liz asked, her brow raised.

“No,” Thalia said and surprisingly enough chuckled, “the bear told me about you guys, and she said both Julian and you were novices, but Rayra was ‘trailing her road for too long already’ by her own words,” Thalia said, moving her hands exaggeratedly, which made all of them smile.

“So…” Julian started after a few seconds, “you only have one spell.”

“Yes, and I don’t have a magical book like you. Why can’t I get the nice stuff?”

“You have a giant sword that opens portals between different places. What are you talking about?” Julian asked, making both Liz and Rayra laugh hard.

“When you put it that way…” Thalia’s hand caressed the sword on her lap as she continued, “I’m probably lucky to have this. Still, sometimes I feel like the sword owns me rather than the other way around. Maybe I’m not even a mage, and I’m only swinging a magic artifact from one side to another.”

“You’re a mage,” Julian said confidently. “We can also feel the magic in your bracelet and see your aura.” The other girls nodded, and Thalia seemed to reconsider.

“You’re probably right. Yet, since I owned this sword, I never managed to do anything more than jump around.”

“You never used it in combat?” Liz asked, and Thalia bit her lower lip as if preventing herself from saying too much.

“Can we not talk about that?”

“Yes, no problem,” Julian said, and everyone seemed okay. Thalia had opened up a lot in those last minutes, and Julian was glad about it. He was still curious, but at least Liz’s feelings towards the other girl were softening.

The silence didn’t last long. After a few minutes, the carriage stopped, and the driver knocked on their window. They traveled with the small opening covered by a delicate fabric that let some air in at the cost of low visibility, so they hadn’t seen the city change while they traveled.

Yet, they could smell it differently. The smells of food from the commercial district or the flowery scent from the Flying Pearl were replaced by the unmistakable smell of fresh fish from the docks. They were in the avenue connecting the port to the city, and the fish markets were at least two blocks away, yet they could smell the stench as if someone was shoving the fish in their faces.

“Thank the Last, we’re not staying here much longer,” Julian said as he exited the carriage.

“I prefer the sewers,” Thalia snapped, pinching her nose so firmly that her voice sounded funny.

“Why couldn’t the ships set off from another place? Like the lovely sewers?” Liz asked, also covering her nose.

Julian smiled as he started walking towards the far end of the docks, where the ships awaited their crews. Rayra was the only one of them who didn’t seem bothered by the stench. She kept walking with her head held high, her eyes attentive, and a hand ready to catch her bow.

The princess was easy to identify when you looked for the right clues. The tall, hooded figure standing at the far end of a pier with blonde hair escaping the cloak was clearly her. Still, it wasn’t the physical attributes that gave her away; it was how she stood. Like someone who was told her whole life that there was a way royalty had to behave. Julian knew it because his father had told him the same, probably twice as hard as the king.

Julian’s family had come from nothing; they had much to prove in the day. Even walking incorrectly could be an excuse for their position to be contested or for them to be excluded. Now that Julian knew the extent of his family’s beef with Strazz, he understood his father’s insistence on Julian behaving like a lord and going to the Iron Fist Academy even more.

Behind the princess, two other guards stood close to her, but not so close as to draw attention. They wore regular clothes but were the same two from last night's dinner, so Julian recognized them after a close inspection.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Julian muttered as he halted beside Anasthasia.

She nodded to Julian and smiled. “You can call me Ana outside the castle. Not many ‘Your Graces’ or ‘Anasthasias’ are outside the Flying Pearl.”

“Understood. Did you want to say goodbye?”

Her eyes examined Julian’s features for a couple of seconds, as if she were measuring whether she liked how he spoke to her.

“I wouldn’t feel great about myself if I sent you all into such danger without a proper farewell.”

“We could’ve done that back in the castle.”

“Indeed.” She sighed and turned completely towards him. “There’s an old tradition that we always say goodbye at the port to the ones we care about. Most of the battles we fought against the orcs were at sea. Thousands of husbands and wives saw each other for the last time on these wooden boards.” She stomped the ground with one foot and pointed her finger to Julian’s side.

He followed the direction and saw dozens of piers just like the one he was on now, crowded with people waiting to travel on the ships anchored at the port. There were small fishing boats, big commercial ships, and even three war ones. These had griffins, burrowmaws, and minotaurs carved on their bows. The biggest of the vessels was the one with the most people waiting at the pier, and it had several windows along its sides and probably served as a means of transportation across the seas. Julian saw more than one person crying as they said their goodbyes.

“Many people leaving the city?”

“Yes. The orcs who trade in the city speak out loud about their king. That’s enough to scare some people who saw what war is like.”

“Have you seen war, Your Grace?” Julian asked.

“No, and I prefer to keep like that,” she replied promptly, her eyes locked with his. He could feel the determination burning in her. She held the weight of those people’s lives on her back, which made Julian eager to fulfill his mission and give her a victory. “I hope you’re not one of the nobles who doubts my capacities because I’m not married yet. As I said to many, the King issue is being addressed and soon I’ll be crowned queen.” Anasthasia's eyes faltered when Julian looked at her, and he noticed that the topic was sensitive to her.

“I never doubted your capacities. If anything, I’m glad you care enough about us to come here and say your farewell, Ana. That shows you understand why this mission is important.”

“Great, but that isn’t the only reason I’m here,” she said, walking towards the ship anchored before her. “There’s someone here I want to introduce you to.”

Julian let his eyes examine the ship before him as he followed the princess’s steps. The vessel had nothing flashy about it. It seemed to be made entirely of wood. It was bigger than a fishing boat, but smaller than a warship. It had space for oars and a giant sail in the middle. Painted with red pigment on the side, the boat's name was Lovely.

Julian saw in the distance a door laying below the upper deck, where they or the captain would probably sleep and, close to it, an opening on the deck leading to the inner part of the ship. Near the stern, a woman stood with her hands on the vessel’s rudder. Julian assumed she was the captain by her looks and the hat on her head.

He was already walking towards her when Anasthasia called him.

“Where are you going?”

“I assumed we were going to say hello to the captain,” Julian said, pointing at the woman in the distance.

“You can do it later. I want you to meet someone else.”

Julian looked over the princess's shoulder and saw Rayra and Liz moving quickly past her while Thalia took two steps back. Something is wrong, he realized as he turned towards where they were looking. From the hole in the deck, a massive figure rose.

It was a man with broad shoulders, close to seven feet tall, wearing nothing but pants and a leather belt. Yet, his body was painted entirely black, making it look like he wore clothes. Looking at the stranger’s eyes, he understood why the girls had become so alarmed.

This strange man had a golden mask on his face. When Julian saw a tracker the previous day, he hadn’t had a clear view, but now, in the broad daylight, he saw that the mask was somehow glued into the man's skin. There were glimpses of the skin beneath the ornament, which was pale as milk. Julian grabbed his sword when the princess raised both hands.

“There’s no need for that, Julian. He’s with us. His name is Makao.”

Julian kept his feet on the pier, ready to get on the boat and strike the tracker. With his hand still on the sword's pommel, he traded a glance with the princess, who looked at him reassuringly.

“Makao is a tracker; he’ll help you with your endeavor. If what you told me yesterday is true, Makao’s ability can become very useful.”

Julian remained silent as the man kept walking towards them. His presence alone was menacing enough. Combined with his golden mask resembling a snake and his magic aura, the man looked more like a monster than a person. He didn’t seem bothered by Julian’s hand on his blade or by the grim expressions on Rayra’s and Liz’s faces. He left the boat and kept strolling towards them, making the wooden boards of the pier creak and threaten to break under his weight.

He walked past Julian without looking at him, ignored the princess and the lord’s wives, and stopped before Thalia. The girl had her feet ready to run but didn’t need to. The tracker kneeled in front of her, and everyone could hear his muffled voice.

“I’m here to serve.”

Thalia’s eyes darted everywhere, trying to understand what was happening before her. It was the princess again who gave her confidence.

“Since your … incident, he’s been working for the crown. You can relax, Thalia.”

Julian saw her release a deep breath, her shoulders lowering.

“You may rise. You don’t need to do that ever again. I’m not my father; I don’t intend to boss you around.”

“I’ll serve, anyway.”

“Do as you please. Just keep your distance from me.”

“As you command.”

The giant got up and walked back inside the boat. Everyone seemed calmer with his disappearance.

“Are you sure about this?” Thalia asked. “They are loyal to the bone to the Twin Snakes. Makao was always gentle to me, but he’s my father’s minion, nonetheless.”

“He’s proven more than once in the past year that he’s with us now. He disagreed with what happened to you. He repeatedly told me that ‘The Twin Snakes are now on the wrong path’ and that he wants no part in it. He’s not very good with words, but thinks you deserve his gratitude more than your father.”

“I deserve none of it,” Thalia promptly protested, and Anasthasia smiled.

“You can discuss it with him if you want. He’s going to help, I’m sure. Now, I must say my goodbyes to you all. Don't hesitate to return if the dangers prove too much to handle. No one will blame you.”

“We’ll come back when we have weakened or defeated Fenrir and when my father’s safety is secured,” Julian said with determination as he extended his hand to the princess. “I would bow, but I don’t think it’s wise.”

“You’re right,” she said, firmly shaking his hand. “Have a good journey, all of you, and please… don’t die.”

“We’ll try, Your Grace,” Liz said, moving to the boat.

Rayra nodded to the princess as she embarked on the boat, and Thalia halted before her without saying a word.

“I’m cheering for you, Thalia. You may not believe it, but I am,” Anasthasia said, and Thalia lowered her eyes to the ground.

“I’ll try,” she muttered and moved next to Liz.

Chapter

Eleven

“Welcome to the Lovely. This will be a fast trip. I don’t want to be surrounded by Tusks, so as agreed with our fine employer, you’ll be dropped at the nearest island with a small boat, one sailor, and some supplies,” the captain said, still in front of the rudder. She had a sly smile on her face as she looked into their eyes. “Expect to arrive tomorrow morning, so take your time to rest and prepare. The Tusks aren’t as welcoming as we are back in the capital. This might be your last day alive.”

After that reassuring talk, the captain laughed and started walking towards them. She was a mature woman, probably closer to sixty than fifty. Her wrinkles seemed to be the ones of someone who spent too much time smiling rather than the ones of someone aging fast. Her hair was as dark as night, her eyes of the same color, and her skin tanned. When she was about to walk past them, she stopped and put one hand on Julian’s shoulder.

“I’m just kidding. It would be a shame if you died. I’ll be in my chambers if you need anything.” Her voice almost became a whisper at the end, and Julian only nodded. Liz, on the other hand, was shooting daggers with her eyes. He could feel she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue and grabbed one of his hands. Julian reciprocated the gesture, and they watched the captain enter one of the rooms on the main deck.

“Don’t forget that we are trying to reach the islands unnoticed,” Julian said.

“We could get there unnoticed with a captain who doesn’t want to steal my husband,” Liz protested.

“She doesn’t want to steal me⁠—”

“Only fuck him,” Rayra chimed in.

“Rayra!” Julian protested, and both she and Thalia started laughing. Liz still had her grim expression. Her jealousy had become more pronounced over time. Even though it could be a nuisance at times, it was arousing Julian more than anything. “I only have eyes for you and Rayra.” Julian kissed her gently on the lips, and she returned it.

“You know it isn’t true. But I love you, anyway,” Liz replied, smiling earnestly this time.

Julian saw her eyes dart toward Thalia, who promptly avoided the stare and started walking toward the rooms.

“I’ll lay on my bed before I start getting sick of the sea,” she said with her back turned.

“I need some rest as well.” Rayra kissed Julian and Liz on their cheeks and went to find their room.

“Do you want to be alone, babe?” Liz asked.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll rest as well. Come when you’re ready.”

Julian nodded and then walked to the far end of the ship’s bow. No monster was carved on the Lovely, just a sharp, angled edge pointing towards the horizon. When he looked over his shoulder, all he could see in the distance was the silhouette of the city behind them and the Flying Pearl standing tall.

Is Princess Anasthasia already at home? Would she be able to handle the orc invasion if it came to that? Those were some of the questions lingering in Julian’s mind as he laid both arms on the wooden boards and set his eyes on the far horizon, towards the unseen orcish isles.

“I’ll find you, Father,” Julian whispered, watching the sea being pierced by the boat. He could even see some fish swimming around the ship’s hull, utterly unaware of the changes the world could suffer. Julian never thought he would envy fish. Still, he did. “Find food, have sex, and sleep. That’s a good life,” he whispered, looking at the oblivious animals.

“Who am I trying to fool?” He sighed, and his eyes darted again to the horizon, his heart pumping against his chest. After tasting a life of adventures, Julian had difficulty believing he could settle and watch life pass, finding a receptacle to hold a god’s shard, weakening evil, and saving the ones he loved and the god who could help them save the world. That sort of thing that moved Julian forward was his desire to be around his women.

With those thoughts in mind, he turned his back to the sea and walked towards the room where he saw Liz and Rayra entering.

“The breakfast is here, love!” Liz called from the inside and Julian rushed towards the door. It was close to noon now and Julian couldn’t wait to eat and meditate to replenish his mana.

Julian felt his mana regenerating with each breath. He kept filling his lungs and exhaling, concentrating entirely on the flow of mana that surged through his being with every breath. It was hard to maintain the concentration needed for meditation. Julian kept seeing flashes of his house in ruins, his mother waiting for him, or worse, what awaited them when they arrived at the Twelve Islands. Each distraction moved him away from the necessary focus, but he felt his mana regenerating faster every time he regained his center. It was like working out a muscle—meditation was tiring, yet deeply rewarding.

Julian let out one more breath before something disturbed his concentration, so he couldn’t simply return. He opened his eyes and heard the sounds of the wooden deck of the ship being stomped by people running from one side to the other. Julian’s room was below the upper deck, near enough that he could hear when people talked loudly, even if he couldn’t discern the exact words. The tone, however, was easy to detect. The sailors were nervous.

Searching for his shirt and coat, Julian moved to the door, slipping on his gauntlet and readying his sword. Neither Rayra nor Liz were in the room. They told him they wanted to see the sunset, and Julian wasn’t surprised to see them leaning on the edges of the deck. However, they weren’t looking towards the setting sun, but in the opposite direction.

Close to them, one of the sailors spoke with the captain in a calm but desperate tone. She looked at him with narrow eyes, trying to hide her fear but failing miserably. Julian could see the sailor’s despair leaking out and consuming the captain.

“They’re too fast, Captain. Probably using some magic to move faster,” the sailor, a fat but bulky man, said, wiping his forehead and pointing toward the direction Liz and Rayra were looking.

Julian followed the sailor’s hand and finally saw what he was talking about. On the horizon, approaching them at an impossible speed, another ship cut through the water, creating a wall of white foam behind it as the water splashed in all directions. The vehicle was still far, but its speed and black sails told them everything they needed to know.

“Fucking pirates!” the captain shouted, trying to contain her frustration. The words escaped like a curse aimed at someone she hated.

Julian gave the woman only a glance and moved towards his wives.

“What are you seeing?” he asked Rayra, who lay with her elbows on the wood of the edge, with no fear in her eyes.

“I can’t say for sure. I’m not an eagle hybrid like some of my family. I see more than five on the deck, holding the edges of the boat so as not to get thrown. They’ll be here in less than five minutes.”

“What do you say?” Julian asked Liz, who grinned from ear to ear.

“I say they chose the wrong boat to attack. I could throw daggers at them all day with all this saltwater here.”

“I love you, girls,” Julian said, hugging them and smiling. They were a strange sight amidst so many desperate sailors. They looked into each other’s eyes, smiling as they internally prepared to fight again. With them by his side, Julian was sure he could fight all day and not even complain about being tired after.

Their silent moment of affection was suddenly interrupted when the door to the below deck was violently opened. The door crashed against the wooden frame, and Julian heard it cracking. A little more force would have broken it.

Julian wasn’t surprised when he saw Makao exiting. Julian couldn’t be sure what expression the man had beneath his golden mask, but he could bet it was not happy. The captain, so full of herself when she presented the boat to them, flinched when the giant man’s figure erupted on the deck. But a sudden recognition hit her, and she moved towards Makao with her hands up towards him.

“Mister. Sir. Mister Tracker, can you help us?” she said between stutters, her hand slowly moving towards the man’s chest.

Makao’s face lowered towards the woman, and Julian suspected they were trading glances at that moment. It was almost as if he was daring her to touch him. She cleared her throat, put on the fakest smile, and said, “Pirates are coming towards us.” Once again, the word “pirates” seemed like the worst offense in the world as it exited her lips.

“I can smell them,” he said ominously and moved towards Julian without saying another word to the captain, who stood there looking at Makao with widened eyes. What a marvelous set of sailors, Julian thought as he watched the giant strolling towards them. From the door of the below deck, Thalia moved in a wary motion, as if holding her breath. Her fear was almost palpable.

“It’s you! I saw you fighting burglars in the market last year. You were with the Royal Guard. Please, help us,” the captain said, moving towards the blue-haired girl. Julian had no idea what she was talking about, probably mistaking her for someone else. “We can fight, but we’re not mages.”

Thalia said nothing, rapidly moving back inside the below deck as if the captain’s words had confirmed her worst fears.

“What is wrong with her?” Liz asked, and Julian heard more worry than annoyance in her voice.

“I wish I knew,” Julian said as Makao approached them.

“One water mage and one amplifier. The others are all orcs,” he stated promptly, as a soldier would, waiting for a commander’s order.

Julian stared at the golden mask for a second, trying to understand what the man expected from him. If he had been sent by Princess Anasthasia and had helped her in the last months, he would probably listen to him, considering he was the head of this mission. Not wasting any time, he addressed the tracker.

“Can you determine their race from this distance?”

“Twelve orcs and two humans. The orcs are all regular pirates, and the humans are enslaved mages.”

“Enslaved?” Julian asked, his brow furrowed.

“The orcs don’t care about the anti-slavery laws of the mainland,” Makao replied promptly.

“It’s common for orc pirates to do this with the people they capture. Some mages are hard to deal with; others are easy. The ones on that boat probably know only one spell and are now hostages,” the captain said, approaching them with wary steps.

Julian’s blood boiled at the idea of people being enslaved by the orcs. He was instantly reminded of his father’s situation. Makao must have caught it in Julian’s expression because he pointed at the approaching boat with his thick hand and asked in a grave tone, “Do you want to go there and kill them?”

The question was more an invitation than an honest question. The giant stood there waiting for an answer for a few seconds until Julian realized he was serious. Julian didn’t doubt he could handle eight orcs alongside Makao, but there was no anger capable of making him take that stupid decision.

“We don’t need to do it. Our mission is the priority. They’re coming for us. When they are close, we’ll attack. Everyone.”

“Are you sure? I can throw you,” Makao said, his serious tone contrasting with the absurdity of his words.

“What?” Julian asked promptly, without thinking. “Never mind. I’m sure. They’re near here, anyway.” Julian said, turning his back to Makao and looking at the horizon.

The boat approached faster than Rayra had anticipated. On the boat’s stern, a whirl of water moved it, and from time to time, Julian could see the magic becoming stronger, only to reduce again. The water spur spun at immense speed when the boat was close until the black ship was beside theirs.

Sailors from the Lovely were scattered across the deck, their eyes full of fear, but Julian saw determination burning in more than one of them.

Julian could now see the pirates clearly. Their leathery skin was as dark as night, their bulging eyes red as if infected with a blood disease, and their tusks protruding from their lower lips. They all had the point of one of their tusks cut, which Julian assumed was a way to identify them as members of this particular pirate crew.

“For the one true king, wipe the floor with the blood of these vermin!” came the voice of the pirate Julian assumed to be the captain. He was more significant than the others, close to six feet eight, while the others were several inches shorter. As soon as they settled wooden boards to invade Lovely’s deck, Rayra’s arrows and Liz’s daggers started to fly.

The movement was so fast that they didn’t even try to dodge. Two orcs fell into the sea, and two others reached the Lovely’s deck, avoiding the arrows and daggers by pure luck. When they met Makao’s fist, they weren’t as lucky. The giant man punched them as if they were dolls. Julian heard the cracking of bones as the creatures fell to the ground. The colossal man only had to duck one swing of an axe from one orc, and then he was ready to strike again. They lay on the deck motionless as another pair of orcs reached the boards.

Julian dashed towards them, swinging his blade as one of them leaped towards the deck. The monster was quick enough to deflect the first swing, but not the second. Julian carved his sword into the monster’s neck with a powerful strike, already making a whip of Arcane Magic in his left hand.

The magic exited his body fast, cutting the air and the bodies of two orcs arriving on the deck. Their insides were sprawled on the deck, but Julian didn’t wait to see. He rushed to the wooden boards, but before he could strike the fourth orc, Rayra put an arrow in his right eye, and he fell into the sea.

When Julian arrived on the enemy boat’s deck, the orcs’ expressions had changed from fierce hate to utter fear. Three sailors and the captain were waiting for Julian, and he even saw them gulping as Makao arrived at his side.

Julian dashed towards the captain, while Makao rushed towards the other three enemies. Julian saw out of the corner of his eye two of them being driven by a wave created by Liz and then being hurled high into the sky and away from the boat. Julian heard their screams as they fell, but his attention was on the pirate before him.

Maybe this one will be a challenge, Julian thought, gritting his teeth and striking. The enemy defended himself with his sword and pushed Julian away, but he didn’t have enough force to avoid another strike. Julian hit, aiming at his head, but the orc deflected and grunted. Julian felt the metal trembling in his hand, making it travel through his whole body. He attacked again, and the orc kept defending himself but never striking back.

In truth, the orc couldn’t strike back. Julian was too fast.

“Time to end this,” Julian said before striking once again. When the orc defended, Julian didn’t thrust or swing his sword again this time. Instead, he made a blast with his left hand and struck the orc in the belly, putting force from down to up and sending him into the sky.

He watched curiously as the limp body of the pirate flew high, waiting to see when the curve of its ascent would become a fall. When the orc reached the clouds, Julian saw its shape seemingly change, and just for a second, Julian imagined he saw wings amidst the clouds. However, the orc plummeted into the sea below, and when he did, it was just a dead orc: no wings, no tail, no extra evilness.

Julian looked at his surroundings, trying to see where the enslaved were, but found no one. Makao stood behind Julian with his arms crossed. Not a trace of the orc he had been fighting before could be seen. Did he consume him? Julian asked himself, moving towards the Lovely’s deck.

All sailors had their eyes wide open and jaws almost touching the ground. The captain was no different.

“There are two innocent men inside that boat. Find them, feed them, and offer them a job on your ship if they want. They can be useful,” Julian said, moving to his room with Rayra and Liz close behind. The sun was almost set, and the sky's orange made the blood on the deck look strangely funny. Julian did not mind it; he needed to meditate more and replenish his mana again.

Chapter

Twelve

Julian opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Their bed wasn’t as big as the one they had in the manor, so when Julian stretched both arms and didn’t find Rayra or Liz, he knew they weren’t there. Besides, even in the darkness, he was sure he would be able to see their magic auras floating in the air.

The only light entering the place was the one coming from the crack beneath the door. However, the hue wasn’t the bright white of the moon or the bright yellow of the sun. It was a piercing red light that seemed to intensify only when he looked at it, bringing no absolute clarity to the room.

He had seen that light only in a particular situation. He stood up and rushed to the door, stopping only to find his sword in the corner of the room before striding towards the main deck. As he suspected, the dark sky had been replaced by a red one. The sea didn’t seem to be made of water anymore but of the most crimson blood. Lightning pierced the skies between the dark clouds in the sky, and thunder roared, threatening to deafen Julian. Still, no sound was louder than the flapping of wings in the distance.

His shoulders lowered, and he felt the rush of energy slowly dimming inside his body. He readied himself to observe the dream again; maybe he would learn something new this time. Upon close inspection, this was probably the time Julian felt most awake during the dream. Still, that eerie feeling about it kept soaring close to him, like a swirling aura rolling before his eyes.

Now, he could see that the boat deck in his dream was the Lovely’s, and its bow aimed towards the Twelve Isles. He could even see silhouettes forming in the distance of the red sky. Once again, Julian searched for Liz and Rayra, only to find no one nearby. It felt like being on an abandoned ship. It was just him, the roiling sea of blood and the flapping wings in the distance. He walked towards the center of the deck and looked toward the loud sound on the horizon.

At that moment, he finally saw the pair of wings. In the middle of them, a humanoid body approached. A dragonborn, he realized. Except this one wasn’t the size of an average human; it was as big as the creatures he had fought inside the mirror realm. Not as big as the giant reptile he had killed with Rayra and Liz before facing the horde of dragonborns, but still a massive humanoid creature.

Julian could feel the malice emanating from it as it slowly approached him. He felt something touch his shoulder and instantly looked in that direction, only to find no one at his side again. Strange, Julian thought, as a dim light shone at his side. He was sure that if ghosts existed in the world, that was probably how someone would feel them. Then, Julian felt the same sensation on his other side, and another flash of light erupted.

He realized the presences at his side represented Liz and Rayra in his dream. Now, it was clear. He saw and felt their magic auras every night, but they were invisible.

“Liz? Rayra? Are you there?” he asked, but got no response. He tried to gather his magic in his left hand, but nothing happened. The wings got closer and closer. With them, the annoying laughter started to pierce the sky.

“I’m here, little lamb.” The voice echoed through his mind simultaneously as it pierced the sky.

“Who are you?” Julian asked out loud, his voice no match for the volume of the thunder.

“The beginning and the end,” the voice replied ominously, with a joking tone. The creature was enjoying itself while approaching Julian. “I’m waiting for you.”

“You don’t need to wait. I’m here. Come and face me, monster.”

“Not yet. I didn’t come for you this time, little lamb. Your time is yet to come.”

“I thought your boss wanted me,” Julian replied, remembering the creature he killed while jumping through space with Thalia and his wives.

“Plans change.”

“Yet, I can feel you want me now. Why are you entering my dreams?”

Julian heard the monster licking its lips and popping its tongue against its mouth. A small chuckle echoed through the skies; the creature was having the time of its life.

“Your innocence amuses me. How I missed humans…. I wonder how sweet your flesh will be.”

“Answer me!”

“I’m not in your dreams, little lamb. You’re in mine.”

Then, Julian felt Rayra’s and Liz’s touch again on his shoulders and felt a shiver run through his skin at a speed he didn’t know was possible. He tried to attack, only to see the blackest of roots sprouting from the deck’s floor and lacing his legs to the ground. They grew exponentially fast, crawling up his limbs, reaching his knees, and flexing them. Suddenly, Julian was fighting the strange power to stay on his feet.

Then he heard the scream.

Now he recognized the voice echoing. It wasn’t Rayra or Liz but Thalia, whose voice tore the skies apart. Julian mustered all his strength and swiped his sword at the roots on his ankles. He felt it cutting the plant and piercing his skin and muscle.

Thalia’s voice started to disappear as Julian tried to free himself and wake up.

“Come to me, little lamb. I have what you want. And now I have her, too. Find me, and we can fight over it. I think it’ll be quite fun.”

Julian felt his feet finally moving from the deck as he pulled them again. With gritted teeth, he was able to cut one last root finally. The flapping of wings became distant, and contrary to what always happened at the end of his dreams, the monster went away instead of coming right at him.

Then, Julian felt something pushing and pulling him back and forth. For an instant, he felt like a toy being hurled by an angry kid.

“What in the⁠—”

The world changed before Julian’s eyes.

“Wake up, lord. We have work to do again,” the masked tracker, Makao, called in front of Julian.

Chapter

Thirteen

Julian moved his head in all directions, trying to understand what was happening. To his left, Rayra nocked one arrow after another towards something in the sky, while Liz did the same with water projectiles. What are they trying to hit? Am I sleepwalking?

Julian’s eyes followed the direction they were aiming for, and his heart raced faster. Near the clouds, the gigantic creature from his dreams flew toward the horizon. He wasn't dreaming anymore. Looking at the masked giant before him, he saw mist escaping his mouth. His expression must have betrayed his intention to remain calm because Makao stepped back and raised both hands.

“You're not dreaming. That thing in the sky took Thalia. Are you going to help?”

Julian looked at the deck and saw no roots. There was no sea of blood at his side, and the sky was as clear as any other summer night, with stars and a massive, bright moon.

“Let's do it,” Julian said, and before he could do anything else, Makao grabbed him by the shoulder and hurled him into the sky with an amount of force Julian didn't know a man could possess. He suppressed his urge to scream and focused on the target above. The cold wind flapped his trousers and shivered the hair on his naked chest as he violently traveled through the air. Makao had probably done it before because Julian flew precisely towards the creature in the sky, the shadow becoming larger by the millisecond. Julian took a glimpse below and saw the boat also getting smaller. A pang of nausea hit his stomach, but he suppressed it and fixed his eyes on the target.

If he fell, Liz and Rayra would find a way to save him, and Makao probably had a way to get back to the boat. He only needed to rescue Thalia; his companions would help with the rest. As the air got colder and the sounds of flapping wings grew louder, Julian stretched his sword hand to the sky and prepared to attack. The blade would easily hit the monster if he didn't lose momentum.

It was a shame he couldn't enchant his weapon with arcane magic without a conduit. Still, if the blade didn't cut the enemy, he had an Arcane Whip ready.

The monster's silhouette became more visible, and Julian started to discern patterns on it. It was full of scales, like any dragonborn in complete transformation. This one looked exactly like a coral snake, with shades of red, black, and white mixing in circular patterns covering its entire body. Julian could now see that the creature had an immense tail, and Thalia was tangled in it. The tail resembled that of a giant snake, covering Thalia’s mouth and gripping tightly around her back, suppressing both her arms and locking the big sword at her back.

He could hear her muffled screams, and rage boiled in his heart. He shouted as if it would give him more momentum and swung the whip towards the creature's tail.

The monster predicted the movement and changed direction rapidly, showing its side to Julian. The darkness of the night didn’t allow Julian to see all of the creature's features, but he saw a smile. At that moment, he became confident the monster was the owner of the voice in his dreams.

Julian felt the momentum of Makao's throw finally ending as the monster flapped its wings violently. From the Dragonborn's shadow, three small creatures erupted. Julian wasn't sure if they had been born from the creature's body or had just been hidden behind it. What he knew for sure was that they were rushing towards him with speed and violence.

The monsters resembled vultures, but their plumage was mixed with green scales. Around their necks, bones erupted as if they were a collar. Their long necks extended high, and even though the creatures were the same height as a toddler, they looked menacing with their fangs and mouths full of sharp teeth.

With the loss of momentum, they could’ve just watched Julian fall through the sky. Yet, they attacked. Where the hell is Makao? Julian asked himself as his body plummeted towards the ocean and the flying reptiles rushed against him.

“Don't kill him!” the Dragonborn shouted from the skies, flying towards the far islands.

You better be sure they won't! Julian gritted his teeth and swung his blade. One monster dodged, and the second flew at his back with claws pointed towards his left shoulder. Julian tried to dodge, but dodging while falling through the sky was hell.

The claws dug deep into his skin and muscles, and he had to suppress the urge to shout. With his free hand, he swung the blade over his head and hit true. The monster's wing was nearly cut in half, and its fall slowed. The third creature came from his side with claws pointed at his other shoulder. This time, Julian was faster and hit the beast right in the face before it could fix its claws on him.

The vulture's scream of pain echoed through the sky as Julian concentrated on the other enemy at his shoulder. Still, he felt his shoulder being grabbed again before he could hit it with his sword or the arcane magic already gathering in his left hand.

Makao had somehow jumped from the boat towards him, and Julian didn't even glimpse it. The immense man didn't stop midair to grab Julian; instead, the momentum of Makao's jump helped him roll Julian like someone does when trying to throw something far away. Then he threw Julian again towards the giant dragonborn, flying away.

One of the vultures still had its claws in Julian’s shoulder. As it realized it had no control over the flight, its eyes widened, and the grip on Julian’s flesh became firmer. They were flying too fast for the monster to stabilize its wings, and alongside Julian, it went at immense speed towards its master. As the speed increased, the grip of the creature's claws softened on his shoulders, and he felt it tearing his flesh as the beast finally released him. The monster fell in the opposite direction, and Julian flew towards the giant creature in the distance, almost as if a thread connected them.

Julian could feel the blood pouring from his body and falling into the sea, but this time, he didn’t look down. He rubbed his sword as fast as he could against his shoulder and used the blood to infuse it with arcane magic. This time, the monster wasn’t going to dodge. Julian kept flying in a straight line, with his sword at the ready. The speed didn’t seem to slow, and the creature only got closer.

It didn’t seem to notice Julian’s presence, and he didn’t try to warn it.

Almost there, Julian thought, feeling the grip of the sword’s hilt in his sweaty hand. The moonlight made the scales of the dragonborn shimmer. A primitive part of Julian wanted to see it shimmering with blood, and his sword seemed to enjoy the same.

He raised the blade over his head and swung it just as he got close enough to Thalia. The girl’s eyes widened as his blade cut the air. She thought she was in the line of the blade’s cut, but Julian knew what he was doing. Like before, when he was about to hit, the monster dodged to the side, the same smile on its face. Julian smiled back.

He concentrated all his mana on the tip of his blade. The arcane infusion made the blade shine with blue light and then extend. His simple but effective sword, primarily used with one hand, acquired the size of a two-handed blade and cut the monster’s tail as if it were made of the thinnest paper.

The creature’s blood exploded from the wound. The monster thrashed in the sky and cried out loud. Thalia plummeted towards the sea with mounting speed. The tail around her slowly released her body as it thrashed in the sky like it had a life of its own. The girl screamed in panic. Julian started to plummet above her, the connection between him and the enemy severed.

He had no more momentum and couldn’t see Makao anywhere. He looked at the sky and saw the monster disappear through the clouds. The only thing Julian could see was the place where it had entered as he slowly turned his body to face Thalia.

What am I going to do? he thought, as Thalia’s screams grew louder. The fight in the skies would be worth nothing if he saved her, only to be smashed by the water wall below. He couldn’t even see the boat from where he was. That was how far and fast Makao had thrown him. And where the hell is that giant freak?

Thalia stopped screaming, and Julian realized she had a plan. Of course she did. She grabbed her sword and unsheathed it, holding it with both hands and piercing the sky. It was like she was cutting it wide open, and it was somehow exerting force against the blade. Julian heard her shouting as she forced her way through the fabric of reality and made the second cut. She formed a cross, and the portal opened.

It sucked her inside, and then Julian. He closed his eyes just before something hit him hard in the face. He hated the idea of opening his eyes, only to discover he was near death again. Yet, when he slowly opened his eyes, he quickly realized he was on the deck of the “Lovely.” The smell of wet wooden boards and the salt in the air were clues enough.

Near his face were two big feet wearing sandals. The owner of the feet helped Julian to stand, and he didn’t need to see the mask or tattoos to realize it was Makao. From behind the golden mask came an excited, muffled voice.

“Ha! I knew you would make it!” The tracker patted Julian’s shoulder several times, making him ask himself if the giant had any idea how strong he was.

“Where the hell were you? Why didn’t you help rescue her?”

“Because I knew you would make it, small one.”

Julian raised his brows and was about to protest. However, he quickly realized it wasn’t going anywhere. Makao’s plan worked, no matter how stupid it would sound, when Julian told the story to Tarav. The butler would probably spend a good couple of minutes laughing at Julian.

Thalia! he realized and turned to search for her. She was leaning against the wall of the ship, catching her breath. Rayra and Liz were at her side, the first using her magic to heal wounds on her skin while the former held her hand and said comforting words. Thalia seemed lost, only nodding occasionally and thanking the other girls.

Julian slowly approached and crouched before her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, moving her hair out of her eyes and checking if she had been hit in the face.

“Yes,” she replied, not complaining about his touch.

“The creature. Did it say something to you?”

“When it dove into the boat and got me, it laughed like a maniac. It dropped me from the skies three times and grabbed me again before flying nonstop.”

“Bastard,” Julian said through gritted teeth.

“It kept muttering loud enough for me to hear. I think it was a ‘he,’ anyway…. It kept saying the horrific things he would do to me unless I told him everything I knew about the sword and how to use it. He called me a fraud and a lie.”

“Do you know why?”

“Maybe. The sword has some history.”

For the first time, Julian took a good look at it. The blade seemed to be made of silver, and when he looked close to it, he realized its extension was utterly covered in Soul Shard patterns that slightly shone a dim light. The hilt of the sword was completely black. The blade seemed made out of arcane magic, and when Julian touched the metal, his magical core responded to it. The blade shone bright, and Julian’s hair stood on end.

“This is an Arcane artifact,” Julian whispered, then looked directly into her eyes. “Are you an Arcane mage?”

“That’s how the sword called me—” She shut her mouth as if she had just uttered the worst of all curses. Before Julian could ask what she meant, the dragonborn’s voice pierced the sky.

“LITTLE LAMB!” it called from a distance. Julian couldn’t see the monster anywhere. The dark sky was now clear of clouds. “THAT WAS … FUN.” The creature seemed to rejoice in those words.

Julian didn’t reply. Instead, he moved across the boat’s deck, searching for the source of the voice. However, the voice seemed inside his head. Just like it had happened inside the realm, Thalia entered upon using her magic.

“I BEEN WAITING FOR YOU. I CAN’T WAIT TO TELL YOUR DADDY THAT YOU’RE ALIVE AND COMING TO RESCUE HIM.”

The world became silent again before a mutter appeared behind Julian’s ears. “He’ll cry so very … much.”

The monster chuckled, and then he was gone entirely. Julian’s teeth started to hurt from the pressure he was exerting on them. His knuckles were white as he held the boat’s edge.

“I’ll find you, and I’ll kill you, demon,” Julian angrily muttered as he felt a gentle touch on both of his shoulders.

“Calm down, babe. We’ll find your father,” Liz said, her hand sliding to his back and pressing him slightly. Rayra did the same, but said no words. She didn’t need to.

“Thank you,” Julian said as he hugged both of them. “I would be lost without you two.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Rayra replied, hugging them tightly. “We all know you always find a way to do the right thing.”

“Thanks. You are probably right. Still, the faith you put in me is encouraging.”

“We don’t need to have faith when you’re the one who accepts being thrown into the sky to rescue someone you barely know and return safe and sound,” Liz smiled as they parted their embrace.

“To be fair, I didn’t know Makao would throw me like that.” They all chuckled. “What the hell happened, anyway?” Julian asked, raising his brows.

“We heard the sound of wings and rushed to the deck. You were already there, swinging your blade at nothing. Thalia was close to the ship’s bow, just standing there. Then, the dragonborn appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her with its tail. She seemed to wake from the trance at that moment while you stayed there,” Liz said, her eyes reliving the horror. All the time she spoke, Rayra performed her healing magic on Julian’s shoulder, alleviating the pain from the wounds inflicted by those strange draconic creatures. The rush of energy made all his hair stand on end, and a euphoric yet calming sensation washed over him. He had to force himself to remember Liz’s words and restart the conversation.

“Yes … he made it look like the nightmare I had every night. I don’t know if he already knew what would happen or if my mind filled the gaps, but it felt like I was dreaming again and not in a hallucination.”

“I see…” Rayra chimed in. “I’ve heard about that kind of magic among my people. It’s mostly used to cure people with mental illnesses. The mage enters their dreams to help process a difficult memory, sometimes even changing the dream to construct a new memory. The monster was probably doing something similar to you. Preparing you for the moment, he was going to strike. But why grab her instead of you? Aren’t you the real danger to Fenrir?”

“I don’t think that monster cares enough. He came here because he thought it would be amusing. Maybe he wanted to mess with me, trying to push me to the edge.”

“And what was all that talk about Thalia’s sword?” Liz asked.

“I always thought her magic's hue was similar to mine. Still, everyone we met who knew about Arcane magic said it was one of the rarest kinds. I didn’t believe we’d find another user so soon, if at all.” Julian’s eyes started to search his surroundings, and he realized the blue-haired girl was nowhere to be found.

Makao lay with his back against the wall of the dorms, near a door that Julian assumed to be Thalia’s room. The big man was standing guard as if he were protecting the princess herself and not the daughter of a gang leader.

“I better check on her. Maybe I can dissuade her from opening a portal and returning to the capital.”

“Go ahead,” Liz spoke, and Rayra nodded in agreement. “I don’t think she’ll go anywhere. But please talk to her. Can you at least give him a coat, Rayra?”

The other girl nodded and removed one from her magic satchel.

“Thanks, babe. I’ll talk to her.” Julian strolled toward the center of the boat as he checked his hands. They weren’t shaking anymore like they always seemed to after a gritty fight. His shoulder’s bleeding was gone. Only a marred scar told the story of the day he flew into the skies to fight what seemed to be a mad general of Fenrir. Julian entered the door to the deck below, where Thalia’s, Makao’s, and the other sailors' rooms were.

The narrow corridor was dark, hot and humid. Only a few lamps illuminated the place. Julian’s eyes searched for Thalia’s room, but Makao’s presence in front of one the doors told everything he needed to know. When he approached the door, he felt Makao’s head following him.

Julian looked directly at where his eyes were supposed to be and found two completely black eyes in the mask's holes. Iris, pupil, and sclera were utterly dark. He thought his eyes were closed for a moment, but then the moon shone against them, and Julian realized Makao was looking straight into his eyes.

“You fought well,” the giant said. His words halted with his arms crossed as if he was going to say something more … except he didn’t.

“Thanks,” Julian replied before the silence became awkward, even if he doubted the giant would feel bothered. “Couldn’t you help?”

“I threw you.”

“Yes. But couldn’t you ensure we wouldn’t smash ourselves into the water? You arrived at the boat safely.”

“I could’ve.”

“Alright,” Julian replied with a dismissive hand gesture as he moved his hand toward the door to knock. The tracker was a man of few words, and, by what it seemed, he wasn’t prone to giving excuses, so Julian wasn’t going to insist. After he knocked on the door once, the giant spoke again.

“She’s broken,” Makao muttered, and Julian could swear the giant had some sadness in his voice. He raised his eyebrow, but before he could say anything else, Makao continued. “When she was a kid, she was the light that shone brighter.”

“And now?”

“Now, only sparks remain.” Then, Makao slightly moved toward Julian and inclined his face to be at the same level as his. “Don’t hurt her.”

The man’s pose was menacing, and his eyes were wide open, seeming to try to elicit a reaction from Julian. The lord, instead, held the look and knocked on the door again. If Makao wasn’t one to give excuses, Julian wasn’t either. They kept looking at each other until they heard the door opening with a crack.

He let the silence speak for itself. Julian knew the man he was and didn’t need to convince this strange tracker of his character.

“Everything alright?” Thalia’s voice came from the small crack she had opened in the door.

“Yes, of course,” Makao replied with his grave voice and returned to his position against the wooden boards of the dorm outside.

“May we speak?” Julian asked with a gentle smile, and Thalia seemed to consider for a second. She bit her lip, her blue eyes glimmering in the moonlight.

“Yes, we can. I think I owe you some explanations,” she finally said, then put her head outside the door and looked straight at Makao. “Go sleep, Makao. I can take care of myself.”

The giant let the words linger for a few seconds, and Julian could see he was about to protest. However, he only grunted and nodded as he turned his back and moved to the lower deck.

“He cares about you,” Julian said, gesturing toward the hole the giant had just entered.

“It seems like it. Maybe I should stop complaining. There are many people out there who would like to have a bodyguard.”

“Even the ones with magic swords?”

“Mostly, the ones with magic swords. However, I don’t need Makao to help when you save me twice on the same day.”

“I do what I must.”

“So, enter, Lord Julian. My sword wants to meet you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“More like a blessing for a date,” she said with a sly smile, and Julian entered the room.

Chapter

Fourteen

Thalia’s room was just like Julian’s, except her bed was smaller. There were lamps on two of the four walls, a small table nailed to the ground in one corner, with a chair before it. A crate was on the floor close to the bed, and a small window showed the sea view in the distance. Julian took a few seconds to look at it before hearing Thalia’s voice again.

“I always feel sick when I’m close to the sea. Still, I never thought I could feel as awful as I did flying with that creature. I screamed until my throat was sore, but his grip was too tight,” she said in almost a whisper. The experience had clearly carved itself into her heart, and Julian felt sorry for her.

Thalia sat on the bed, her eyes traveling along her hand to the blade on her lap. The metal seemed to respond to her touch, its patterns shining brightly as she caressed it.

“How did the blade feel about it?” Julian asked, and Thalia’s eyes pierced him with annoyance and anger.

“I’m asking genuinely. I know seemingly inanimate objects can have personality, even a spiritual body.”

“You are?” Her expression softened, and her shoulders seemed relieved of a heavyweight. “It’s funny how, in a world filled with magic, I was more than once ridiculed for saying that my sword spoke with me.”

“By whom?” Julian asked, moving slowly toward her.

“Everyone in the gang. But mostly Lok and my father. They always told me I was going crazy or seeking their attention. Lok threatened to throw me into the skies if I spoke again about the sword talking with me.”

“That’s terrible.”

“For a long time, I thought I was indeed crazy and ignored everything the blade told me to do, dismissing it as the ramblings of my head. Until I was tired of denying it.”

“And what does the sword say to you?” Julian asked, halting before her. She patted the bed beside her, inviting him to sit.

“It depends. In the beginning, it asked me a lot of questions. You see … this blade is ancient, but does not remember when the previous bearer had it in hand. It only knew it was an honor for me to own the blade, and when I refused to reply to its questions, it became silent for a long time—offended by my manners. However, with time, it spoke again. It never approved of what we did for Father. When they discovered I could open the jump portals with it, they made us steal a lot of gold and help the gang’s expansion through the capital until I couldn’t take it anymore. We plotted together my escape from Father’s headquarters. It taught me how to fight, and we discovered how to hide our tracks from Father’s trackers. When I decided to join the royal army, the blade shone bright blue for a whole week!” she said with excitement, and Julian smiled at her, happy for her to share some of her history. However, he knew the story didn’t end well.

“Now, it mostly asks me to use it again… to fight and be brave.”

“But it’s difficult?” Julian asked, his hand slowly traveling through the space between him and Thalia, searching for her unoccupied hand.

She found him in the middle of the way and held it tightly.

“You have no idea,” she replied. Her voice was full of pain with her eyes pleading for something Julian didn’t know what. His heart ached for her, and they locked eyes for a couple of seconds.

“Let me help you. You can share with me,” Julian muttered and let his fingers caress her hand gently. The blade seemed to respond to that, shining blue several times.

“I can’t. I’m sorry. It still hurts too much,” she said, her eyes now avoiding his. He moved his other hand towards her chin and gently made her look at him again.

“That’s okay. I wasn’t joking when I said I trust you. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

“You can’t promise that,” she protested with her eyes, threatening to avoid contact again.

“I can. I always keep my promises.”

“I’m not questioning your honor. The people I care about tend to die around me,” she said, her eyes watering. The blade kept glowing fast, as if it represented an accelerated heart.

“I’ll not die,” Julian replied promptly. His voice was firm and confident. He wasn’t going to give up on her so easily. It was true that he barely knew Thalia. Still, Julian knew very well how to discern the people worth fighting for, and the girl looking into his eyes now was worth every second of it.

“Thank you,” she finally said, a single tear dropping from her eye, only to be wiped away quickly. Suddenly, a smile blossomed on her face, and she outstretched the blade to Julian, holding it with two hands. “Do you want to touch it?”

“I think so,” Julian replied with an awkward smile. “Do you think that’s going to be okay?” Julian’s experiences with sentient magical objects were quite particular, and he was sure his grimoire wouldn’t like it if he handed it to other people so lightly.

“Of course, the blade wants it.”

“Alright, then,” Julian said, grabbing the blade by the hilt and holding it high. He got up and moved aside from Thalia, spinning the blade in his hand while feeling the weight of it. The weapon was made to be held in two hands during battle. Still, Julian was strong enough to handle it with just one hand. It was heavier than his sword, and its shining patterns gave it a charm like no other.

Still, he wouldn’t trade his blade for this one ever. Handling a sword that wasn’t his own felt wrong to Julian. He was more than pleased with his mother's gift, but holding this blade could answer some questions. So he gladly did.

Julian stopped and looked at the patterns again; they had stopped glowing and were now still. “Hello, I don’t know your name, not even if you’re a he or a she. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m the Baron of Silverhold, Lord Julian Lionheart, and an Arcane Mage.”

The blade glowed once again in quick succession, and then stopped. Thalia started to laugh and rolled in the bed.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“It called you stupid. ‘Why in Cerulex’s name would a sword have gender or a name?’ it asked.”

“My grimoire is a girl.”

“The sword called you a pervert.”

“Hey! What? I’m not joking.”

“It said it won’t shame your preferences, but that doesn’t make it less strange.”

“Whatever,” Julian said as Thalia kept chuckling. “And the other questions?”

“The blade said it’s an Arcane Artifact, that it can give someone the power to become an arcane user if the bearer pleases it, or it can be handled by someone who is already an arcane mage.”

“So, if I wanted, I could create a portal right now?” Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, the blade only answers to one person. We’re bonded, so no one can listen to or use its magic.”

“Interesting,” Julian said, spinning the sword again before giving it back to Thalia, who gladly took it.

“It said you can open portals like the one I do in the future, but it’ll be way harder than just tearing the space and time with sheer strength and will.”

“Everyone keeps saying I can do incredible stuff with my powers, but no one can teach me how,” Julian said with frustration. Magic was about discovery, curiosity, and testing; however, most mages had other people to talk about the same branch they used while Julian was alone in the world. Except that I’m not anymore. “I’m right to say that you’re an arcane mage, since you’re the bearer of this sword?”

“Yes, you are. The blade told me long ago that its mission is to supply the honored with the power to fight evil. I never considered myself honored; most of our work wasn’t honored. Yet, the blade understood it as the path we had to travel.”

“You can do more than open portals with the sword, then! I can teach you how to use arcane magic. You have no idea how strong those powers are against the enemy inside the isles.”

“I have no enemy in the Isles. I’ll not fight.” Thalia replied quickly, still too hugged with her insecurity.

“You may not consider them your enemies, but one of the strongest amidst their kind flew from the Isles just to kidnap you. It’s better to be prepared.”

Thalia looked at Julian and then at the sword. After a couple of seconds, she sighed.

“Now I have two of you telling me what I should do…” she let the words linger for a few seconds before moving towards Julian. “Fine. I’ll do it. However, as you’ll never be able to open portals as easily as I do, my powers are borrowed, so I can’t use them as efficiently as you.”

“That makes sense. Anything more?”

“It says you’re approved. That the mana chose well.”

“Thanks … blade,” Julian said, not knowing how to handle the situation well. “You really should give it a name.”

“Don’t you think I tried? It doesn’t like names. When I call it by a name, it doesn’t work. We were almost caught more than once because I had discovered a new nice name for it.”

“It looks like all magical objects are a little temperamental.” Julian chuckled as Thalia sheathed the sword and put it into the corner of the room.

“It looks like it. The blade is going to rest now.”

“I think it’s best if I let you rest as well. Tomorrow will be an important day.”

“What are you talking about? You just told me you can help me do some of this fancy magic you do. I want to learn.”

“Now?”

“Of course!”

“Right,” Julian replied and started walking from one side of the room to the other, trying to picture how he would teach something so natural to him. He tried to remember how hard it had been to learn to control the magic in the first days, and a smile appeared on his face. He had heard more than once that doing magic was like flexing a muscle, and even agreeing with it, Julian knew now that wasn’t entirely true. Doing magic was like breathing, but done the right way.

Thalia’s eyes followed Julian through the room. She sat with her hands on her knees while waiting for him to say something.

“Are you already teaching me magic, and I’m too dumb to understand?”

“No, you’re not.” Julian chuckled. “I’m trying to think of the best way to teach you. In reality, there’s no easy way. I’ll have to show you.”

He grabbed the chair on the other side of the room and sat before her. He gathered energy inside his palm with his left hand outstretched towards Thalia. He inhaled slowly, held his breath to accumulate the power, and slowly exhaled, forming a small ball of arcane magic in his hand. He repeated the process thrice until the ball was as big as a human heart.

Thalia’s eyes were wide as she looked inside the thing. It resembled a Soul Shard, but without the strange glass around it. Now, it was easy to keep the ball of light stable. Before, the room they were in would probably have been destroyed already.

“How did I do that?” he asked.

“How in the Last should I know?”

Julian laughed at that, slowly dissipating the ball of energy into the air. “What did you see?”

“You breathe in a particular pattern, and the ball slowly forms in your hand. I saw nothing magical about it. No magical words or runes flying in the air.”

“Because there’s little to no magic behind it. Liz likes to speak when she does some of her magic, but that has close to nothing to do with the magic working or not. It just facilitates her connection with it. The truth is that magic is natural to the ones who can perform it. I discovered that there are ways to make it easier to perceive, but the power to use it must come naturally from inside. Like flexing a muscle or breathing.”

She waited a few seconds and then started to repeat what he had done. She inhaled, held her breath, and exhaled almost in perfect timing. Yet, nothing happened. Her outstretched hand kept lying there in the air with nothing above it. She sighed and tried again to be even more frustrated when nothing happened again.

“Maybe the sword is wrong, and I can’t do this.” She said, already heaving herself up from the bed.

“Wait.” Julian gently grabbed her hand and pushed her back to the bed. “Picture this: mana flows through your body, just like blood does. When you’re cut, blood leaks out of you. When you perform magic, you’re making a hole for the mana to escape, and you can control it. The more you put into the magic, the more perfect it will look. You just need to concentrate and create a perfect image of what you’re desiring into your mind. Try to picture the mana flowing from your body to your hand. I’ll show you again. Put your hand on my chest.”

“What?” she asked, blushing slightly.

Julian opened the first three buttons of his coat. “Put your hand right in the middle of my pecs and tell me what you feel when I perform the spell again.”

“Alright.” Her voice trembled a little, but she moved her hand, anyway. The cold touch on his bare chest made him feel good. He smiled as he outstretched his hand and started breathing in the correct pattern. As he did the first round of inhaling and exhaling, he felt his heart pumping and a shiver hitting his chest as the mana escaped his core. It was like Thalia’s hand had a magnet connected to it. He could feel the mana on the palm of her hand pulsating, responding to his mana escaping his body and becoming a beautiful ball of energy.

“Are you feeling it?” Julian asked, looking at the sphere forming in his hand and then at the girl. Thalia was sweating on the forehead and blushing even more. Her eyes darted from his pecs to his eyes, and when he dissipated the spell, she sighed with relief.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, catching her breath. “I felt something strange. A euphoric feeling going all over me, making my legs falter and making it impossible to breathe…. It was … great.”

“I see. And you felt the mana forming the spell?”

“Yes! I did. I could feel every string forming the sphere like a ball of wool being made thread by thread.”

“Do you want to try again? I can try to feel if you’re doing it right.”

“I … I do,” she replied, a mix of eagerness and wariness in her voice. She then leaned her chest towards him. She was still wearing the same blue cotton shirt with a deep cleavage that accentuated the curves of her breasts. Her nipples were so hard that he could see their shapes perfectly beneath the shirt. With her leaning towards him in that position, it was impossible not to have his mouth water, yet he kept his posture. He was helping her to perform magic, not checking her out.

She didn’t seem to notice his gaze and waited for his touch. When his hand reached close to her, she opened her cleavage for his hand to fit entirely inside the shirt without the palm touching the fabric. At the point of his thumb and his little finger, he could feel the edges of her breasts, and as his hand touched the middle of her chest, it seemed he was glued to her skin.

The sensation was immediate. An energy pump traveled through his body, directly to his brain and down. He could already feel his body waking up. With or without mana, it would be impossible not to have another response to the beautiful woman in front of him.

“Do the spell,” Julian muttered, and she started to breathe. Julian didn’t feel the mana gathering in her core the first time.

“Again,” he said, and she obeyed. A shiver ran through her as she hit the right spot with the mentalization and the breath. Julian could see her hair rising and the pores of her skin becoming more apparent.

A blue hue formed on her hand, and Julian realized she was trembling.

“Again,” he said and pressed some of his energy towards her chest. At that moment, he felt a pump of blood traveling through his body. Something strange was happening. She made the same movement again and almost couldn’t hold her breath. Her inhales and exhales became more frequent, and she closed her eyes.

Julian started to feel some of what she was feeling. The strange, euphoric, yet perfect sensation traveled through his body.

“Again,” he said.

“Are you sure?” she asked between breaths, and Julian got closer, pressing his other hand on her waist, holding it tightly.

“Again,” he repeated, and she obeyed once more. She breathed, and when she held it, an explosion of feeling traveled through Julian. He could feel the tip of his cock wet with desire. She, on the other hand, couldn’t hold it anymore. The energy in her hand became a strange sphere that kept changing shape every millisecond, and Julian realized she was having trouble breathing.

Then Julian pumped the energy again, and she groaned so loudly that it could wake the whole boat.

“I can’t take it anymore. It’s too good!” she pleaded as the ball threatened to explode.

“Hold it,” Julian said, his cock already throbbing violently against his trousers. “Do it again.”

Another groan erupted from her throat, as primal as any other he had heard. She opened her eyes wide and looked into Julian’s. She was utterly in shock that she could feel that amount of pleasure.

Julian looked down and saw her pants were soaked with her juices, and for a moment, he almost forgot she was holding a big ball of energy in her left hand. The thing became more volatile as Thalia lost control, her legs trembling and her forehead full of sweat. Julian was about to cum himself, the connection between two arcane mages being too much for them to handle.

Yet, he couldn’t let the boat explode for him to have his pleasure. He mustered all the strength he had, released her body, and grabbed her hand between his.

The energy exploded.

Julian absorbed it with his bare hands, preventing it from escaping the room. They stayed silent for a few seconds, looking at their hands connected and waiting to see if they were safe.

After a while, they locked eyes again, both sweating and tired.

“What was that?” she asked between breaths.

“I have an idea of what happened, but not why.”

“It was … amazing,” she finally said. “I’ve never felt anything like this. Can we do it again?”

Chapter

Fifteen

As Makao rowed, Julian read his grimoire with the waves crashing against the hull of the little boat. The book explained that he could now enchant weapons without using a conduit like water or blood, and that his enchantment had been upgraded. He could now use a spell called “Conjure Weapon,” which could modify an existing weapon or create a new one when he learned how to do it.

The first one was in some manner what he had done to release Thalia from the grip of the dragonborn the other day. He still used the blood as a conduit, but unconsciously his mana core already knew he didn’t need it anymore. That was the thing about magic: one only learns by trying to do something new and different. Julian had never thought about that spell precisely, but at that moment in the sky, he knew what he needed to command the mana to do, and the energy obeyed his commands gladly.

Another thing he had learned was that he was now able to share magical energy. The grimoire called it an “Arcane Tie.” It was a spell unlocked when two arcane mages of different genders connected their magical cores. It was an easier way to recharge one’s mana using the friction between the energy of the two magical cores. At first, the spell could only be used by two arcane users, but with the right proficiency, any mage could connect with an arcane one.

Besides the connection between the users, the spell was also used for a very peculiar reason. The Tie ensured the offspring of the mages connected by the tie would bring a new mage to the world and increased the chances of it being an arcane one. Upon reading that specific part, Julian closed the book with a slight blush and looked at the waves.

They floated in a tiny boat that barely fit them all. He felt Thalia’s eyes on him, but as soon as he glanced in her direction, she turned her head. Julian could feel she was a little embarrassed about what had happened last night. He, for sure, was. Still, her eyes and her words couldn’t lie. She wanted it again and wanted more. Julian shared the feeling.

Liz and Rayra traded glances and little smiles. Not even a grimace from Julian was enough to dissuade their fun. The whole story seemed absurd to them when he told it before they went to bed, but they believed him. When they read the description of it in the book, they were also eager for him to understand more about the spell so they could use it with them.

The idea of sharing the climax of an orgasm and recharging their mana pools at the same time? That sounded amazing to them both. Yet, they couldn’t contain their jests about Julian’s and Thalia’s awkwardness.

“She’ll never look at my face again,” Julian had said last night, already in bed with his two wives.

“Nonsense,” Rayra had said, turning to the other side of the bed and catching one of Julian’s hands to caress her belly.

“She was crazy about you before. She’ll be more now that you share this connection,” Liz said, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek. “You better learn how to do it with me, or I’ll get jealous.”

The words from the previous night lingered in Julian’s mind as the islands’ shape became bigger and bigger. Makao sat on the stern of the small vessel, rowing with both hands toward the target. The captain, so quick to flirt with Julian, was even faster at ditching them a mile away from the place they were supposed to land. She gave only the boat and the oars to them, saying that none of the sailors wanted the extra coins to ferry them to the isles. The dragonborn attack had been too much for them to handle.

Julian wasn’t angry at them. The sight of one of those creatures was for sure frightening, and the idea that many more waited for them there only made it worse.

“Didn’t you know the dragonborn was coming for us? Isn’t that what your magic is about?” Julian asked Makao, whose mask was staring in Julian’s direction.

“How can I track a power I never smelled?”

“Couldn’t you know that any kind of magic was coming?”

“No.”

“Another great conversation.” Julian sighed, leaning his arms against the side of the boat. He couldn’t wait for the time he was going to part ways with the giant. Thalia chuckled close to the tracker and chimed in.

“They can only track magic they are at least a little familiar with. Makao told me once that magic smells like any other smell.”

“The fox girl smells like the forest on a rainy day,” Makao said, and Rayra smiled.

“And the others?” Julian asked.

“Water magic smells like roasted fish, and yours,” he pointed with the oar towards Julian and Thalia, “like fresh-made bread.”

That doesn’t sound very impressive, Julian thought as his mind wandered.

“And the creature that we fought?”

“Old blood. The kind that rots with time. Terrible stench.”

“That means it will be easy to find, right?” Julian asked.

“Probably. I’ll be able to locate other sources of power similar to the monster that attacked us. What are we searching for?”

“A piece of a god. The master of the creature we fought. Then, we’ll search for the general. He has two things I deeply need.”

“I can find all of those things,” Makao replied promptly, his voice full of certainty. Julian nodded to the big man as they waited for the wind and his rowing to get them to the beach before them.

“What is waiting for us?” Julian muttered as his eyes were locked on the horizon.

“Doesn’t matter,” Rayra uttered, with one hand on his knees. Liz followed the gesture.

“We’ll deal with it.” Liz smiled, and Julian felt once again he could do anything as long as he was at their side.

He caught a smile at the corner of Thalia’s mouth. Then they locked eyes for the first time that day, and she didn’t let her gaze wander this time. Her grin became larger, and she nodded positively as if saying, “We got this.” Julian looked at them one by one and smiled. He was so close to danger and yet couldn’t be gladder.

The beach stretched out for a large distance. They could see the end of it and then another island, both on their right and left. The place was considerably small, yet they would need some time to search it thoroughly. Looking at the map, Julian realized they were on the smallest of the islands. Little red points with crown shapes sprawled throughout the whole design of the place. In the corner of the map, there was a legend that said the red dots meant that a tribe of Rust Orcs lived on the island.

“What are those Rust Orcs?” Julian asked, pointing at the symbol on the map.

“Powerful and reclusive creatures. They use blood magic and rarely commune with other orcs or anyone.” Makao grunted, pulling the boat up onto the beach.

“Can you smell them?”

“Yes. I never saw one of them, but their stench was part of my training. There are several of them around us. I suspect some are near enough to have seen our arrival. I noticed their presence when we were at sea.”

Julian's hand instinctively traveled to his face, pinching it in annoyance. That man was starting to get under his skin. He sighed and asked, “Can you at least explain why you didn’t tell this half an hour ago when we decided to land here, then?”

“Because the thing you’re searching for is here.”

“Are you sure?”

“The foul stench is coming from here. I can smell something similar to the creature we fought, not as powerful and not as much alive. The piece of this god you’re searching for is on this island.”

“Guide us,” Julian said, and the big man nodded, already moving ahead. “Keep your eyes open, Rayra. Liz, protect Thalia. If things start to look bad, make sure she has an opening to open a portal. We now have a direct connection from this island to the Capital. There’s no need to be in danger. This is mostly a recon mission. Let’s see where the shard is and ensure we’ll be able to gather it when we have the vessel.”

Rayra turned into a fox and rushed to the forest. She would make sure no one would sneak up on them while helping find other useful things. Julian followed Makao with Thalia at his back, the sword at the ready, with Liz at the end of the line. The woods near the beach were sparse; it wasn’t difficult to see what awaited them ahead. If those blood orcs were going to strike, it would be quite hard for Julian not to see the attack coming.

The sun pierced the tree canopy, the sea wind making their trail through the vegetation almost a pleasure. There were no mosquitoes and no signs of big animals. The only ones Julian saw were little piglets all covered in mud running from one side to the other. One of them even approached Julian’s leg and sniffed it.

For a dangerous place full of foul creatures, the animals seemed not afraid of humanoids. Julian gripped the hilt of his sword with his gauntleted hand and kept walking, wary of any sign of attackers.

After minutes of walking, the forest became thicker, and the first insects started to appear. Julian heard something on his left side and pointed his sword towards the sound. He saw Thalia’s shaking hands as she held the sword as tightly as possible, and when Rayra’s fox shape appeared before her eyes, she was clearly relieved, the sword almost touching the ground.

“I spotted movement, but every time I got closer, they ran. They’re preparing something,” she said, turning back to her normal form and assuming a position beside Julian. She had her bow and arrow at hand, ready to shoot on sight.

“There’s something ahead. Behind that rock.” Makao pointed with his tattooed hand.

Several feet away, a giant rock stood tall. The boulder was almost all covered in mud, and fallen tree trunks leaned against it. The thing was probably ten feet tall and seemed to be out of place. Almost as if a bored giant had thrown it in there.

“Prepare to attack,” Julian said, focusing on his sword and enchanting it with mana. He would do the same with the others' weapons if necessary. He had learned upon reading his grimoire that he only needed to command a simple string of arcane magic to the object he wanted to enchant, and it would do it. Hence, enchanting the others would be fast, and he could save the energy for now.

Makao popped all his fingers and twisted his neck into position, prepared to fight.

“Do you want me to throw you in there?” he asked gravely.

“No! You don’t need to throw everyone⁠—”

“I’m joking.”

“Right, you are,” Julian replied and heard a small chuckle coming from beneath the mask. Julian smiled as well and assumed the front of the line. A little humor before a fight wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. He breathed deeply and let the mana flow through his body, sensing his surroundings and listening to nature around him. Behind the rock, he could hear steps moving the leaves and an unsettling movement of hands scratching the big rock.

With slow steps, he approached the place. His hands were ready to swing at the first sight of an attacking creature. The sound of leaves crashing near the rock was suddenly interrupted, and Julian strode towards the rock. He would be the one catching the creature by surprise, not the other way around.

As he reached the corner of the big rock, an immense silhouette erupted from it. It expanded to at least fifteen feet tall, making Julian’s eyes search immediately to its edge. He couldn’t identify exactly what he was looking at, but it didn’t seem to be an orc.

Leaves and branches covered the entire extension of the monster, making it almost blend with the trees behind it, except for the several arms that it possessed stretching towards them. They seemed to be made out of wood and moved desperately from one side to the other. Julian couldn’t see feet underneath, but at the top, a couple of big red eyes glimmered in the sunlight piercing through the trees.

The creature’s eyes shined heavily, emanating a strange light. He saw no mouth or nose, just the big and odd eyes. Julian wasted no time. He swung his blade and found only leaves and branches within his reach. The monster flinched back in time to avoid most of the damage. The creature didn’t bother to look down; instead, it started to scream as loud as it could. The scratching and high-pitched sound made several birds fly from the trees, and Thalia covered her ears.

Julian rushed once more, and this time, the monster reached him first and struck his stomach. Oddly enough, he was struck by something that exited the creature in a seemingly impossible way. From inside the mounted leaves and branches in the middle of the creature’s torso, a small crimson arm had just erupted to punch him. It didn’t even hurt, but made Julian flinch three or four steps.

The monster kept screaming and shaking its strange arms. Beneath all the crying noise, Julian heard what seemed to be mechanical scratches, like the ones someone can hear with their ears close to a clock.

Rayra released a volley of arrows at the monster, and they heard more than one voice screaming inside it. Had this creature eaten others who were still alive inside it? Upon hearing the sound, Makao threw himself into the creature. He tackled it to the ground with a firm and tight embrace, his arms almost not being able to surround the monster.

Something broke inside the creature as it collided with the ground. Pieces of metal and wood flew into the air as several voices started to scream again. Julian rushed towards the giant, striding past Makao and forming an Arcane Blast in the palm of his hand. He strode towards the end of the creature, where the eyes were, and with gritted teeth, he prepared to release the energy.

“Please don’t kill us!” a high-pitched voice came from behind those red eyes. The sound was almost childish and immediately shook some of the anger from Julian. Soon, other voices followed.

“You’re above me, stupid!” one called.

“Get off my leg!” another snarled with anger.

“I told you these were different! We are doomed!” a third one almost cried, desperation filling its voice.

Realization started to dawn over Julian as the first voice spoke again.

“Sir, can you excuse us? Please, don’t kill us. We were just trying to scare you away.”

“Who in the Last are you?” Julian was able to ask, and from the middle of the big red eyes, leaves, and branches, a face appeared. It was small and round—the same size as one of a toddler—with small tusks leaving the lower part of its jaw. The creature had a smile on its face that strangely seemed fitting to its small eyes and round nose. The creature’s skin was somewhere between red and gray.

“My name is Ubu. I’m the Shaman of Rust Island. It’s my pleasure to meet you. Can you now leave our home and forget you ever saw what you just did?”

Chapter

Sixteen

Julian sat on a rock in the middle of a glade with a clay pot filled with the best-smelling pork soup he had ever seen. Beside him were his companions, and wherever he looked, the strange Rust Orcs surrounded them.

After the odd meeting with the disguised orcs in the forest, others appeared from holes in the ground, the tops of trees, and some were even hidden beneath leaves in plain sight. The creatures were very good at camouflage and seemed to be even better at being curious.

More than one passed their hands over Makao’s crossed arms, touching his tattooed skin. Some orcs, who seemed to be children, kept running after Rayra’s fox tail as she sat eating her soup, not seeming bothered at all by their curiosity. Liz talked with a female orc at their side, but Julian couldn’t hear their conversation. His attention was devoted to the orc sitting in front of him. Thalia, like Julian, didn’t eat. She was too wary to do it.

Ubu, the shaman orc, didn’t lose his smile even when he was eating. His ragged red robe reaching the ground made him look different from his kin, who wore simple trousers and shirts. Some of them even had nice clothes that didn’t seem to match at all. One of them was wearing a silk blouse made by the elves while wearing farmers' trousers. The orcs looked much more like scavengers than devious and dangerous creatures.

“People normally flee when they see our Blood Orc, the Third,” the shaman said.

“We’re not like most people,” Julian replied with a smile.

“Indeed. Now that you are all fed and we’ve shown we are a peaceful people, can you go?”

“What guarantees you’ll not attack us as soon as we reach the beach?” Julian asked, more to get to know the orcs than to have a real answer.

“If we were violent, we would have already attacked. We outnumber you ten to one. That punch Klurk gave you was probably the most violent act done on this isle in decades.”

“That’s hard to believe. My friend Makao here told me you are known for being users of blood magic.”

“Lies,” the little orc snarled, seeming offended. Julian saw other orcs looking at him with reproachful looks as well. “We used to do it. A long, long time ago.”

“Why you don’t do it anymore?” Makao asked.

“Because…” the shaman started, but then looked towards the masked man and retorted, “I don’t need to explain myself to you. I’m grateful you didn’t hurt us, but I see no reason for this conversation to go on.”

“The problem is there’s something on this island that I’m searching for,” Julian uttered the words with caution, trying to catch a glimpse of the orc’s reaction.

“There’s nothing here besides my people, piglets, and mosquitos.” The orc grabbed a spoon of soup and ate it fast, with his eyes lowered. Julian saw his smile falter for just a second. Makao turned his masked face towards Julian to show he had caught it as well.

“I’m having a hard time believing you, Ubu. However, I do believe you’re well-intended, and you’re no danger to me or my companions.”

“We’re not. But they are,” Ubu muttered. “Only the gods know what can happen if they feel there’s magic up here.”

“Who, Ubu?” Julian asked, leaning towards the small creature, who adjusted himself on the rock he was sitting upon.

Ubu seemed regretful of saying the words, but he didn’t refrain. He locked eyes with Julian, no more trace of smiles on his face. “The Eaters,” he said ominously.

“They are guarding Fenrir’s shard?” Julian asked, his eyes never moving away from Ubu’s. The orc instantly flinched upon hearing the god’s name.

“You are his servant, aren’t you? We saw the monsters flying above our dear island. It will pain me, stranger, but I’ll use the forsaken magic. I’ll not let you take it,” the shaman said, dropping the clay pot on the ground and raising both of his hands. Previously covered by the sleeves of his robe, Julian now saw two bracelets with red gems shining brightly. He didn’t need the orc to show his magic to know there was power inside them.

Julian felt the tension in the air. Makao was still sitting, but Julian could see the balls of his feet sinking into the ground. He was prepared to jump at the orc at the first opportunity. Julian, however, raised both hands to show he meant no harm to them.

“I’m not his servant, Ubu. If anything, I’m probably his worst enemy.”

“I’ll not fall for this trick, human! Fenrir is the god of treachery. We were enslaved once. The other orcs forgot about that. They are gladly jumping into death once more. Not us. If I have to use the power once more to protect us from the Devil and his minions, so be it,” Ubu said through gritted teeth. He was going to attack.

Julian had no other option. He outstretched his left hand and made the ball of blue energy appear there. It was the biggest Julian had ever done, but he wanted it to be large enough for everyone in the glade to see. The eyes of all orcs were fixed on his hand, and he saw more than one fall to the ground.

Ubu kneeled instantly with his hands now on the floor and his forehead touching the muddy ground. When he raised his head, his voice was full of emotion.

“I’m sorry, Lord! You’ve returned. All is not lost!”

Then the world trembled.

Chapter

Seventeen

“They felt it!” one of the orcs screamed as it started running and then jumped into a hole Julian hadn’t seen. Others followed as the ground shook and trees fell. Julian stood up and looked around. Ubu was still kneeling on the ground, too absorbed in some rambling to do anything else.

Julian’s companions, on the other hand, were all standing and looking for danger. A tree fell close to Makao, but the giant only slapped the tree trunk, saving the lives of the orcs that were gathered close to him. The forest was in complete turmoil, birds flying from the tree canopies as the ground revolted against the people above it.

“What’s going on?” Julian asked, his voice loud enough to be heard by everyone close.

“The eaters!” another orc cried, and Julian moved in the direction of the orc, just to see the creature disappear into one of the trees. As fast as they had appeared, they vanished.

Julian unsheathed his sword and prepared to attack whatever these eaters were.

“Ubu? Are you all right?” Julian asked, looking at the orc behind him.

“Should I make a jump?” Thalia asked, her sword already in hand, ready to provide an escape.

“Ubu?!” Julian asked again, and the orc finally looked up.

“Just wait. If they aren’t here yet, they won’t come,” the shaman said, and Julian waited.

Still wary of a fight, Julian halted in position. The eaters never came. The earthquake stopped suddenly, and Julian almost fell to the ground. Slowly, some of the orcs started to gather again in the glade.

Ubu rose to his feet and walked toward Julian. With clasped hands, he pleaded, “Please, don’t use your powers again. We were lucky they didn’t come.”

“Who are they?”

“The ones who feast upon the god’s remains. The ones we were able to lock away.”

“They have eaten the whole shard of Fenrir?” Julian asked in disbelief.

“I don’t think so, honored one. Still, they’ve eaten a good part of it. They’ve been locked with it for centuries now. Their love for the shard only equals their hate for mankind and the enemy—” The shaman raised both of his hands apologetically before continuing, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend Cerulex.”

“No offense was taken,” Julian said. He wasn’t understanding most of what was going on, and being offended wouldn’t help. “I need you to explain to me exactly what’s happening. I need to ensure this shard is delivered to the one who can fight Fenrir.”

“That’s not possible! They will kill whoever approaches.”

“I fought Fenrir himself and lived to tell the tale, shaman. My companions and I are capable. Still, we need to know what we are fighting.”

“I’ll show you, honored one,” the shaman said.

Julian let his eyes wander through the glade and could now see that several of the orcs were kneeling just like Ubu had done before. Some even had tears in their eyes. He saw relief in the creatures' expressions and didn’t know how to feel about it. No matter where Julian looked, it seemed all he found were more people relying on him.

That’s the burden of the strong … helping the ones in need, he thought resolutely as he followed the shaman through the woods. Julian’s companions were close behind, and another dozen orcs followed as well.

After a couple of minutes of trekking, they started to climb a small slope. The vegetation grew sparser, and the grass on the ground was slowly replaced by rocky terrain. Soon, Julian could see where they were going. At the top of the slope, an archway made of red rocks awaited them.

“I’ll ask for your companions to wait here,” Ubu asked, waving one hand for Julian to follow. They all seemed upset when Julian nodded for them to wait, but no one protested.

“Why am I here?” Julian asked.

“You’ll see.” Ubu grabbed a stick from the ground and traced a line from one edge of the archway to the other, then waved one hand to the skies and moved back to Julian’s side. “Here is far enough for the eaters to not feel the magic. I’ll explain everything to you, but I think it will be better if you know what is at risk.”

While the shaman uttered the words, a cloud of gilded dust started to fall from the top of the archway to the ground. As the first grain reached the ground, an image started to form in the archway.

“There are others like this one on the islands. It was used as a means of communication even before the god’s war. Now, it’s broken. We can see what lies close to the other archways, but they can’t see us. Do you understand what I’m afraid of?”

Julian understood. Before his eyes, he saw a slope similar to the one he was on now. Close to it, Baron Strazz stood. Or at least the carcass of him. Julian doubted if there was still any part of the man left inside that body. One of his sides was nearly destroyed now, the cracks on the skin resembling the scales of a dragon instead of human skin. It was sitting on a throne made of silver and his hands were clasped below his chin, as if he was bored. Someone approached the god in long and anxious strides.

An orc in full armor with a menacing axe tied to its belt stopped and kneeled before Fenrir and looked at the ground. Julian couldn’t hear the god’s words, but he assumed he had commanded the orc to look up because he promptly did. The shaking of the creature could be seen from the distance. Fenrir grabbed a knife from the inside of his well-tailored robe and seemed to rip a part of his skin. Julian didn’t see blood or any major wound on the god’s body, but he knew a part of him had just been removed.

The orc opened his mouth, and Fenrir deposited the piece atop the creature’s tongue. He swallowed it gladly, and then Julian saw the horrific transformation.

As if mirroring Fenrir’s image, the orc started to change. First, he thrashed on the ground, shaking all his limbs in a violent dance. For a moment, Julian thought he was going to die, but then the creature suddenly stopped with one hand grasping its heart as if suffering from a heart attack.

Then, the creature’s clothes tore and its skin cracked. Julian saw it screaming, and even without hearing it, a part of him wanted to cover his ears. The monster's back grew larger, and bones erupted from its shoulders. No, not bones … dragon horns. Julian saw the creature’s trousers seemingly shrink as the monster increased in size.

The orc’s tusks grew larger, and exactly where Fenrir’s face was shattered, the orc’s face shattered as well. Julian saw blood pouring from the wound as the glimmer of red power erupted from it. The orc remained on the ground, slowly catching its breath.

Fenrir waved his hand for the creature to rise, and when it did so, the orc was at least ten feet tall. Its back moved violently with each deep breath the creature took. The god put one hand on its forehead and then waved his other hand for it to move.

The changed creature started to descend the slope as another one approached. Julian moved to the side where Ubu was waiting, and realized he could now see the slope from another angle. He caught a good glimpse of the edge of the slope, mirroring the position where his companions waited on his side of the archway.

What he saw almost made his heart jump out of his chest. Amidst the tall trees, a sea of orcs saluted their new member. They were all changed—dragon horns adorned their shoulders, red cracks tore their faces, and they couldn’t seem happier or stronger. Above them, dozens of dragons flew through the sky. Some were small, others big, but all seemed eager to kill. A shiver ran through Julian’s neck.

“Do you understand now?”

“The ones locked with the shard on this island are like them?”

“Worse, way worse. Fenrir didn’t do that the last time. We were merely pawns in his army. It seems now he’s not saving resources to do what he wants.”

“You speak as if you were there.”

“I was,” the shaman said, sadness stamped on his watery eyes. “I saw everything unfold and decided to stay here and try to avoid it from happening to my people ever again.”

“How is that possible?”

“Blood magic. When the war was over, we were exiled to these islands. We were outcasts among our people. We were before the war and still are. It was luck that the shard of him fell right here. Still, it will not be long until they search here. I saw his general go from island to island searching for it. Ours will probably be the last, but it will be hit.”

“We have to ensure they will not get it, then. I am your best chance.”

“They’re too powerful, I’m afraid. We protected the shard for many years before the first of us was tempted by it.” Ubu sighed and sat on a rock. On the other side of the archway, Fenrir kept doing his dark work, transforming the orcs into devilish draconic creatures. “We found the shard inside a dungeon. The first who were tempted brought it to the surface, only to be consumed by it. We lost most of our people fighting them, and we never won. One of us sacrificed himself to throw the shard back into the dungeon, and the eaters were eager to follow. I sealed the dungeon in the hope that they would die with time, but they are still there. My people renounced the magic; that was what connected us to Fenrir. The other orcs know this, and that’s why we are still safe here. The ones inside the dungeon … they have his powers and the magic.”

“I have no other choice, Ubu. I thought you were happy a bearer of Cerulex’s powers is here to fight Fenrir.”

“I’m happy that there is a chance for us to survive.”

“I’ll not settle for survival!” Julian snapped. “I’ll only rest when Fenrir is gone forever. If you want to help me, I’ll gladly accept it. If you don’t, I’ll find the way to the dungeon myself.” He started to walk down the slope when something caught his attention.

On the other side of the archway, a set of wings soared above Fenrir’s position. The colors on the creature’s body were distinct enough for Julian to realize it was the general he had fought in the skies. He flapped his wings above the god’s position, his tail already growing again like that of a lizard. Close to the point of it, a rope was tightly tied around him, and from it hanged a body, tied by the hands and feet, like a pig being transported to the firepit.

The dragonborn lowered the stranger to the ground and then walked towards Fenrir. The god had a severe and disgusted expression on his face. The grim grew deeper as the general started to speak. Whatever he was saying, Fenrir wasn’t liking it. The dragonborn, on the other hand, had a sly smile hidden on his lowered head.

Fenrir raised two fingers towards the general as if saying that only two of something were left. Is he speaking about the islands? He’s coming here now. The general nodded positively and looked into Fenrir’s eyes, who waved his hand in a command for him to go ahead. The dragonborn looked at the ragged man on the ground as if asking what to do with him.

Julian didn’t understand what he said, but whatever it was, it elicited the dragonborn to kick the man right in the stomach. The wretched creature rolled on the ground, his face stopping with the eyes directed towards the archway.

“Father!” Julian shouted. Lord Lionheart wore ragged clothes and was as thin as a man could be without being dead. His always-shaved face had been replaced by an enormous white beard, and his eyes were devoid of any emotion. Julian’s heart pounded against his chest.

The dragonborn reached for something inside his scales and brought it to Julian’s father’s eyes. It was a cube, the size of a human heart, gilded with soul patterns all around it. Julian knew instantly that it was the vessel capable of holding Fenrir’s shard.

He was showing it to the old man as a provocation. Julian could already imagine what he was saying, promising that Julian would die for it and his father would see his son dying in front of him. Julian’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists, blood threatening to escape from his palms as he pressed firmly.

“I’ll kill you,” Julian muttered, and as if hearing his words, the dragonborn took flight abruptly, making his father’s body rock violently in the skies. “They’re coming here, Ubu. They only have this and one other island to check. I need the shard now!”

Ubu looked into his eyes. The determination burning inside Julian’s soul couldn’t be ignored. The small orc sighed.

“I’ll show you. Come.”

Chapter

Eighteen

The entrance to the dungeon was hidden in the middle of the forest. They had probably walked above it without even realizing it. It was near the glade and even closer to the big rock they had found before. A square door stood on the ground, barely big enough to fit a man. Julian had doubts that Makao could enter it. At the edges where the rock connected to the muddy floor, red patterns seemed to hold it locked. They glowed intermittently but were dim enough to be hidden by the leaves and branches above it.

“This rock was on the slope before. One of the Eaters threw it here when they consumed the shard’s power,” Ubu said, caressing the rock with one hand. “The other orcs, they’re not old like me. They didn’t see what they could do.”

“We’ll deal with it, Ubu,” Julian said confidently. The orc’s fear was starting to annoy him, yet it was increasing his will to prove him wrong. “Tell us what they can do.”

Julian’s companions surrounded the shaman and waited while he clasped his hands, seemingly trying to find the right words.

“There were five before. I don’t know how many there are now, but it’s more than one. They were bigger than your tattooed friend and stronger. They were all well-versed in blood magic. Expect them to have inhuman strength, total resistance to pain, and endless fury. Blood magic is normally used to fuel one’s natural strength, but one can extrapolate it. I doubt they’re still intelligent enough to use everything a blood mage can, however, I would be careful with blood spells and blood conjurations. I’m sure that’s not all—they’ve spent too much time inside this place. Yet, that’s all I can tell you.” The shaman’s eyes were full of fear. “If you want to reconsider⁠—”

“We’ll handle this, Ubu. Trust me, please,” Julian interrupted Ubu, turning to Makao. “Do you think you can do your absorbing thing on them?”

“Probably, yes. I doubt I can bend their will to mine, but if they are restrained, I can probably consume them.” The man’s voice was firm, nonetheless. That was the kind of ally Julian wanted at his side.

“I can’t see a better plan than entering that place and smashing their monstrous faces before the dragonborn arrives here. If we can incapacitate them for Makao to use his powers, we’ll do it. If it’s easier to kill them, we’ll kill them. Thalia, at my command, you open the portal and get us out of there. Teleport us to the archway on the slope.”

“Wouldn’t it be wiser if we just waited for the enemy to come and see them fight over the shard?” Thalia asked.

“No, young lady. They are servants of Fenrir. Consuming it will not be as pleasant as seeing the shard back to its original owner. If one of those monsters comes here, they will follow gladly,” the shaman said firmly, his voice starting to be filled with urgency. “Even with my doubts, I’m sure you’ll be better off fighting them separately. Fenrir is building his army to invade your land. This is the perfect moment to strike.”

“It looks like our shaman here is not a coward,” Julian chimed in, patting the small orc on the shoulder.

“No, honored one. I’m not. I’ve just seen enough.”

“Open the door, then. We’ll defeat them and ease your mind.”

The shaman’s eyes darted from all members of Julian’s party, searching for any sign of fear or insecurity. Still, not even Thalia showed it now. They were determined to deal with whatever was inside that dungeon and get back safe and sound.

With no more words, Ubu crouched beneath the rock and started passing his hands around the square shape. The red glyphs closing the door slowly faded away.

“You’ll have no problem finding them. The stairs lead to the only room in the place. They’ll be waiting.” As the last light disappeared, the shaman rose and walked back to his position. “Good luck. If you are successful, don’t touch the shard directly. If you need to transport it, cover it with anything and don’t let the same person carry it for too long. And please, don’t let it near my people.”

“Right, Ubu. Thank you,” Julian said, and all the girls and Makao nodded thankfully to the small shaman. They had met the Rust Orcs not long ago, but it was hard not to feel sympathy for them. They were simple people, and their mission was as honorable as the one they were trying to accomplish.

Makao grabbed the entrance with his two massive hands and pulled it with all his strength. It resisted his pull once and then twice, but as soon as the giant man gave the third pull, the door gave out, almost making him fall on his back. Darkness covered the insides of the cave.

Julian circled the hole in the ground, trying to find a different angle to see the shard, but he only saw darkness.

“We’ll have to enter. Close the door as we pass, Ubu. I don’t want the creatures escaping.” Julian said with determination as he entered the small entrance. His feet fell on a set of massive stairs. They extended for what seemed to be eternity, with one end connected to the wall and the other ending in complete darkness. Julian approached it, but couldn’t see the wall on the other side and neither the bottom of the stairs. He let his eyes travel through the darkness, trying to get accustomed to it. It took some time, but he finally saw it in the distance, far away and below.

“There it is,” Julian muttered. The thing shone similarly to the shard they found inside Ranabi’s mirror realm. The difference between them was that the glow from this one was stronger. Julian could even see the ground surrounding it. There was no orc near it. Were the eaters dead and the earthquake only a coincidence? Julian mused as he prepared to enter the dungeon.

Rayra removed a torch from inside her magical satchel and lit it up. The magical object could fit anything inside it as long as it passed its entrance. The beastfolk was the most resourceful person Julian had ever met and never disappointed when he needed something.

She handed more torches to the others, and Julian waited before starting to descend the staircase.

“Let’s do it,” he said with confidence, receiving nods of confirmation from all his companions. “Ranabi is relying on us. The world is relying on us.”

Julian wasn’t sure how much Makao cared about that or if he cared about anything besides his duty to Thalia’s family and, by consequence, his duty to her safety. He was ready to fight the unknown under Julian’s command, nonetheless.

With a deep breath, Julian descended the steps one by one, his hand outstretched to show the way ahead. After centuries, he wouldn’t be surprised if many of the steps were broken or deteriorated.

“Three broken steps ahead,” he muttered to Liz just behind him before jumping them and resuming his walk. Where are you? He wondered as the room became more illuminated. With each step their company took towards the bottom of the dungeon, their torches revealed more of the path. “Are you seeing anything?” Julian whispered, but no one replied.

He would be better off silent. If the eaters were really waiting for them like Ubu had warned, talking out loud wouldn’t be wise. They kept descending through the darkness for several minutes, jumping broken stairs here and there but never finding the end of it. When Julian was starting to get tired of the uncertainty, he finally saw the last step and a hundred feet away. The light of the shard illuminated its surroundings clearly at the same level as their feet.

Julian lowered his torch close to the ground, trying to see footprints or any clue that someone was down there. What he found near the wall of the staircase, was an amalgamation of bones twisted into a corner. Julian identified a femur, a skull, and a radius. The creature was humanoid, but the size of its bones was disproportionate to an orc or human. All the other bones were unrecognizable. It was like new ones had appeared to envelop the original ones, making the creature twist into a strange shape. The skull, however, remained small, about the same size as Ubu’s head. Close to it, another set of bones waited. This one was another mess of unholy shapes. Julian was disgusted by it, imagining the pain that had occurred during that foul transformation.

Maybe they are all dead, he thought as his companions joined him at the foot of the stairs. The walls revealed nothing to them. They were just like the ones in Julian’s mining dungeon. A couple of steps ahead, another set of bones lay there. No meat could be found on the bones, not even a single vermin feasting upon it. It was almost like the bones had been cleaned by the most meticulous of butchers. Time had transformed those strange monsters into only pristine white bones. None of Julian’s companions could hide their disgust upon seeing the transformed creatures. However, their eyes were more interested in the glowing red shard lying at the far end of the room.

Julian kept one eye on the prize and the other on the ground. His companions had assumed positions on every side of him, trying to illuminate as much of the room as possible. Ubu had warned them about five of the creatures living inside the dungeon. Three were dead, but they couldn’t see any more remains. They were there somewhere.

The air in the room was cold, and from time to time Julian felt a gust of wind rubbing his neck. He couldn’t guess where the air was coming from, but it wasn’t from the entrance they had used. Their steps echoed through the room as they walked by the third dead creature. Small debris was scattered around every time they stepped ahead, and even the smallest sound made them wary. That was why Julian felt something was wrong when he stepped and felt his foot slightly sinking into the ground, as if he had just come across a button.

The ground shone a bright red beneath his feet. A pattern expanded, increasing in size and taking up the whole room. His response was immediate.

“Run! Back to the stairs!” Julian shouted, and his companions promptly obeyed. They weren’t far ahead. It would be faster than Thalia opening a portal. The slowness of their steps was quickly replaced by long and fast strides. Julian knew that whatever was going on beneath them wasn’t good. The pattern kept increasing and shining brightly; Julian felt debris falling from the roof. A small rock hit his head, eliciting a sharp pain in his forehead, but he kept running.

His companions reached the stairs first, and just as Julian reached them—jumping every step he could—the pattern stopped increasing in size. It glowed one more time and then stabilized, the red of the symbol illuminating the whole room. There were no creatures there. It was just the ground filled with strange magical symbols and the Soul Shard at the far end.

Then realization struck Julian. Something was falling from the ceiling. The silhouette of two massive shadows appeared above them and the pattern on the ground exploded. He didn’t know what to look at. On the ground, the magical lines started to pour blood, and as it touched the rock, Julian could hear the hiss of something burning. It wasn’t just simply blood. It was clear that it would kill whatever it touched.

The blood covered the strange glyph, and as darkness took the room again, the two creatures falling from the ceiling crashed against the ground with a splash. They shrieked as they touched the liquid. They are being burned by it as well, Julian realized, his eyes trying to understand what was before him.

Enveloped by the smoke of their flesh being burned, two anomalies stood on all fours. Where their necks should have been, there were only their small orc heads. Still, they weren’t alive at all. Their eyes were devoid of any light, the pupils almost closed, staring at the ground and nothing more. Their skin was all ripped apart by bones that erupted from all places and in all directions. One of the monsters only had three limbs with the resemblance of joints. The other one was completely outstretched and moved strangely.

Close to the upper body, the bones that left their body were dragon horns, encircling themselves and hiding any semblance of humanity the monster had in the past. When one of them raised a limb, Julian saw their fingers had been replaced by long and sharp claws made of the whitest bone. The pristine structure, contrary to their skin, didn’t burn in contact with the blood at all. Julian saw more of the red patterns sprawled on the parts of their bodies that weren’t pure erupted bones. The blood magic was keeping them alive and capable of fighting. Julian had no idea how these monsters fed themselves or if they did at all. Their heads just seemed to be carried with them.

When they shrieked, their mouths didn’t move, and when their skin burned, they didn’t seem bothered at all. They fell close to the shard, and for a couple of moments, they encircled each other as if measuring what they should do. One of the devils swung what Julian assumed to be one of its arms towards the other, who dodged by mere inches.

The second didn’t attack back. It flinched steps away and waved its long and deformed body towards Julian. Another inhuman sound left its body, and Julian understood immediately what it was trying to communicate. They weren’t friends at all. The other three had probably died fighting each other; however, they had invaders now. If they still had any semblance of intelligence inside their minds, they knew this was their opportunity to escape. To spread their dark work. The second one understood.

“Go to the top and make a portal, Thalia. We’ll hold our position and fight as we climb. Whatever happens, keep as close to the wall as possible and don’t fall from the stairs. That blood will melt anyone that touches it. If you can’t fight, enter the portal immediately,” Julian said and didn’t wait for anyone to reply. He heard them climbing and heard the monsters splashing the blood on the ground and rushing towards them. A whirl of limbs sprawled the burning blood everywhere, making Julian concentrate on climbing as high as possible before engaging in the fight.

Rayra nocked several arrows in the meantime, releasing them towards the creatures between every step she gave up. When her thrown torch found the pool of blood below, she had already shot more than twenty arrows. Julian let a string of mana rush into her quiver and bow climbed the stairs as fast as possible. As soon as the spell touched the weapon, the beasts screamed at the skies as if they were sniffer hounds. It was a primal cry. As if the existence of Arcane magic was an offense too great for them to take.

Fury washed over the monsters, and they rushed fast. In the blink of an eye, the first creature was upon Julian. Its claws swiped, trying to cut Julian in half. He jumped a few steps and dodged the strike, but as the creature recoiled its claws to strike again, Julian felt it pulling his ankle and making him lose balance. Julian felt his forehead crack against the stairs, and darkness came.

Chapter

Nineteen

Julian felt his body being hurled from one side to the other. He tried to open his eyes, but when he did, he saw nothing. The fog in his sight was such that all he could see was a red blur. He tried to shake his head, but the movement combined with the thrashing of his own body only made everything worse.

He felt his body being lowered, and screams erupted from the distance. He breathed deeply and felt the mana rushing from his core into his limbs and then into his brain. His senses became sharper immediately, the pain in his head eased, and he was finally able to see.

The world was upside down. Julian saw Thalia rushing to the top of the stairs at full speed with one hand on her sword and the other on a torch. Makao was close behind her, ensuring her safety while Rayra kept sending arrow after arrow towards … Julian. Or at least, that was what he thought initially. Then he saw what waited for him below.

One of the creatures fought Liz at the edges of the stairs. She kept throwing water shots at the monster, which had its attention torn between Julian and her. Right below him, he saw why the other monster was so eager. The transformed orc holding Julian lowered him towards the inside of itself.

Where the stomach of the creature should’ve been, two lines of sharp and long bones formed a hole that resembled a mouth. Inside it, another set of bones moved in the same rhythm as the creature’s organs. The vision was straight out of hell.

Any semblance of confusion left Julian’s mind and heart as he saw what awaited him. The monster lowered him slowly, as if savoring every moment of its sweet victory. Not today, Julian thought, gathering an arcane blast in his left hand. The monster grunted in confusion, only now realizing Julian was conscious.

It didn’t have time to react. Julian threw the blast inside the creature’s body and watched it close its mouth by instinct. Julian had no time to waste. Independently of what the spell did to the creature, he would probably fall into the pool of blood. He needed to get back to the stairs fast.

He waved his hand in a whipping motion and watched as the magical whip at his hand reached the creature’s limb just below where it held Julian’s ankle. He felt it enveloping the monster’s arm, and as it cut through the bones and muscles, he heard the explosion.

What transpired in the next seconds was a blur in Julian’s eyes. All he saw clearly was Liz making the largest wall of water he had ever seen before, the creature she was fighting and pushing it to the opposite side of the room. In the next second, Julian was the one being hit by her magic.

A wall of water protected him from the explosion and another one protected his back and skull from being broken against the stairs as his body was thrown back. He felt it all as he watched the explosion tear the monster’s body almost in half. Pieces of it flew throughout the room, some hitting Thalia and Liz, who were quick to clean themselves.

Just as Julian’s body crashed against the stairs, he felt the explosion’s inertia still pushing him. He felt his feet touching one of the steps, but in the next second, they were being hurled towards the darkness below. He gripped the edge of the stairs and started pulling himself back to safety, with Rayra helping him to stand.

He panted and looked at his surroundings. At the top of the stairs, Thalia was tearing the air to create a portal, and Makao was returning to the fray. Julian had serious doubts if the tracker would be of great use in the fight. Julian didn’t see a way to get him close enough to the creatures without putting him at risk of falling into the burning pool.

They had to keep fighting on the stairs, making the monsters keep burning on the ground. If they didn’t kill them directly, Julian suspected they would eventually succumb to the blood below. It wasn’t clear if the strange magic was their doing or simply a trap that Julian had activated by pure luck.

Rayra nocked an arrow and glanced at Julian.

“You alright?” she asked, already aiming at the enemy in the distance, who started to approach them with its hind leg sprawling blood all over.

“Yeah. Keep climbing,” Julian grunted, this time walking up the stairs with his back to the exit.

On the ground below, the exploded monster started to thrash. Is it still alive? Julian mused as he prepared another arcane blast inside his left hand. Smoke from the creature’s body being burnt by the blood started to envelop its body. All Julian could see was the other one rushing towards them.

Julian threw his blast towards the running enemy. The monstrosity sidestepped abruptly, making a wave of blood touch one of the walls. Even the rock seemed to melt in contact with the liquid. Still, the creature’s will suffered nothing. If anything, it looked even faster after dodging Julian’s spell. He threw another one and then another. The creature dodged some blasts and was hit by others in its extremities, but nothing stopped it. It kept coming, picking up its momentum after every pause after each time it was hit.

Rayra and Liz kept throwing spells at the creature. Julian even saw one of Liz’s water walls shoot their own daggers, as if she had just learned how to do the spell she had been working on. An idea flashed through Julian’s mind just as the creature approached. It raised one of its enormous arms and crashed it against them. Julian had to jump to the right, while Rayra and Liz dodged to the left—the stairs becoming too narrow for them to keep dodging. The second arm of the creature descended and hit Julian’s left side again, making him go down a couple more steps.

The creature was trying to separate them. Julian couldn’t allow it. With his sword in hand, he swung it towards the creature's exposed arm. The monster's bone was able to survive the blood magic, but it wasn’t a match for his arcane powers. He cut it as if it were made of paper. Julian watched the monster’s hand being severed and the bones cracking in several pieces. The mana glimmered on the blade, seeming to enjoy being used to destroy that creature.

A shriek erupted from the creature’s hidden mouth as its arm fell limp to the side. The monstrosity wasn’t screaming in pain but in frustration, and Julian had plenty more frustration to serve it.

The creature decided not to attack a second time, stopping mid-air and turning on its heels. Julian took advantage of the brief moment to speak about his plan.

“Try to use the blood from below, Liz. Stop making your own water and use what’s in the pool. It will hurt them,” Julian suggested as he positioned himself close to the girls. The creature twisted its body from one side to the other, seemingly trying to understand what they had just discussed. The creature had more intelligence from its previous life than Julian had expected.

“They don’t seem to care if they are hurt,” Makao stated gravely.

“But I doubt they can still fight if they become just bones. The ones that were lying on the ground certainly couldn’t.”

Liz heard his words and gathered the energy in her hands. Julian saw the blood and water below swirling with her magic. The creature’s body twisted in that direction, and then it acted. Clasping both hands together and burning them in the process, the creature gathered blood in the palms of its clawed hands and threw it at Julian and his companions.

Instantly, Liz made a wall of water to stop the creature’s attack. However, her magic down in the pool died. The creature snarled in pleasure.

“Stand your ground and find windows to use the water in the pool,” Julian said, trying to find a good angle to shoot a blast at the monstrosity. The second creature lay silently amidst the smoke emanating from its body. It looked dead, but a part of Julian didn’t believe it.

With every couple of seconds, another splash of blood was sent in their direction by the creature, which wasn’t able to stop them from climbing. Fueled with frustration, the monster threw a last handful of the crimson liquid and then hurled itself toward them. Julian saw the creature’s gargantuan body approaching them behind Liz’s water wall. He swung his sword up, but before he could enlarge it with his magic, he heard a loud THUMP and then a high-pitched cry.

“DIE!” Makao screamed, leaping onto the creature and grabbing one of its bones. The immense man started punching it everywhere he could find skin. Julian wanted to scream that what Makao did was foolish, that he had the monster in his reach, but there was no time.

As Makao collapsed on the ground still above the creature, at the edge of the stairs, the second monster erupted from the white smoke. The transformed orc was now more bone than flesh. It crawled towards the stairs, its intact hand and the severed one trying to pull it up. Julian could see some of its organs falling from the inside of its torso, most of them melting with the blood running freely inside it. And somehow, the monster was kept alive. The bald-headed creature frantically climbed the stairs, its bones crackling with each step, its flesh plummeting and tarnishing the stairs. Death was on its door, but it didn’t seem to care.

“Push it back to the blood!” Julian screamed to Liz, who started once again to gather the bloody water beneath and throw at the monster. He descended the steps, his sword completely enchanted by the mana shining blue in the red room.

The first dagger of bloodwater hit the monster right in its old orc face. The skin melted, along with its dead muscles. The creature didn’t stop.

Julian swung his blade, making it grow at the last second. He felt it crushing against the monster’s skull and severing it in half. The creature didn’t even flinch. It launched itself toward Julian with a terrifying, gurgled growl. He fell back to dodge and when he found his feet, Rayra dashed to his aid, aiming her enchanted arrows at the monster on the stairs. These seemed to hurt the creature. Julian saw it flinching several steps back.

“Water!” Julian screamed and watched the whirl below as he descended the steps, swinging his enchanted blade and forcing the monster down more and more steps. A small wave formed in the pool below. “More!”

Liz screamed with effort, and Julian watched a gigantic wave forming in the red light of the room. He stepped back, already gathering the arcane energy as the creature was hit by the wave of bloody water. The monster cried again, but when the arcane blast reached it, it became silent. The explosion turned the room blue, and Julian had to brace himself not to fall backward.

From the stairwell, they heard the second creature shrieking in protest as Makao kept grunting and punching. The sound of his fists crashing against the creature became the loudest in the silence after the arcane blast.

The blue slowly dimmed as Julian watched Makao holding two of the creature’s limbs by the joints where its shoulders should have been. His feet were holding the monstrosity’s mouth closed, and from the creature’s orc face, the mist of its life started to fade from within it directly into Makao’s mask. Against all odds, the man was indeed sucking the life out of the creature.

“We need to get the shard,” Julian muttered, his eyes fixed on the strange sight far ahead. At the edge of the stairs, Thalia’s portal had disappeared. The girl was descending the steps, coming back to them.

“How do you plan to get it?” the blue-haired girl asked between breaths, pointing at the shard ahead.

“Can you make a jump there and back here?”

“There’s the freaking blood.”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes, I can but⁠—”

“Liz, you know what to do.”

Liz nodded, and Julian looked at Thalia.

“I told you I trust you. It’s your turn to trust us. We survived this already; we’ll get the shard.”

Thalia seemed embarrassed for doubting them again and, without a word, unsheathed her sword and made the cross symbol in the air. Rayra was already retrieving something from inside her satchel. When she handed it to him, he saw it was some kind of chainmail, the holes in it almost invisible.

“That’s why I love you two,” he said with a smile as he jumped inside the portal Thalia had just opened.

Again, like when they fell from the skies, the jump was immediate. When he landed, he landed on a water platform beside the strange god’s shard. As a cautionary measure, Liz also moved the blood away from the shard’s surroundings with a small wall of water, making the place completely safe.

Julian finally took a good look at the strange object before his eyes. At the far side of the room, the monster Makao was fighting seemed to be dying a painful death. The object in front of Julian pulsated with life. It was similar to the one he had found in the mirror realm, but this one didn’t pulse like a heart. It was a heart.

Floating a few inches from the ground, Fenrir’s heart pumped like one of any other living being. It was as red as red could be and didn’t seem eaten at all. The arteries connected to the muscle were the only parts that seemed somewhat severed from its totality. Julian had expected to find just half of the shard inside the dungeon, but if the creatures had been able to consume only such a small part of it and still transformed themselves as they did, he couldn’t imagine what powers Fenrir would gain with it.

Julian opened the chain-mail with both hands and covered the heart, being careful to make several wraps around the object before finally hugging it.

As soon as he touched the thing, his mind was flooded.

“Vengeance. Vengeance. Vengeance.” Julian felt Fenrir’s voice whispering in his ears with each heartbeat. He had to muster all his strength not to release the organ and let it go. Hold on, Julian. He encouraged himself, but his internal voice wasn’t as loud as the god’s in his chest. “Free me. Free me. FREE US!”

Julian shook his head and entered the portal again. He fell on the other side, still clenching the heart in his hands. He knew the girls were talking to him. He even saw Makao jumping from the creature’s dead body back to the stairs and imagined he had just made a smart and monosyllabic remark about his killing, yet Julian heard nothing.

All he could hear was Fenrir’s pleading for him to consume it. And how Julian wanted it. The power he felt in his hands was terribly… sweet. The god’s voice echoed within the heart inside and the one outside his chest. Yet, Julian kept silent.

“One step at a time,” he muttered. The girls seemed confused, as if he had screamed at them. Maybe he had.

One step and then another. He only needed to keep climbing. He felt hands trying to reach the thing in his arms, but he was quick to elbow them away. He only needed to keep going. He looked at the package in his arms.

“When did I open it?” he asked, but didn’t hear his voice, his hand already moving to the exposed heart in front of his eyes.

A portal appeared in front of him, and someone shoved him inside it. The heart fell from Julian’s hand as he fell through the jump. When he collapsed on the ground of the slope, he realized that seconds ago he wasn’t hearing at all. Now, the birds chirped and insects creaked as if nothing had happened in the world.

“Julian!” He heard all the girls screaming his name. He looked up and saw the sun in the sky and couldn’t hear Fenrir’s voice anymore. Abruptly, Thalia’s face appeared on the side of his sight, and then Liz and Rayra as well. “Are you all right?” they asked in unison.

“I think so. What happened?” Julian asked, getting help to sit up.

“You—” Liz started to say, but couldn’t go on.

“You started to mumble … like a madman,” Thalia said.

“You were talking like Fenrir. Mumbling about vengeance,” Rayra chimed in, her eyes full of worry Julian wasn’t accustomed to seeing in her. “It was scary, love. Are you truly all right?”

“Where’s the heart?” Julian asked, turning his head to the sides. They were at the slope near the archway, and the heart was nowhere to be seen. Just below the red arch, Julian saw Makao standing still, his back to them. Before him stood the heart of Fenrir, and the big man crouched to get it.

Chapter

Twenty

“No!” Julian shouted, heaving himself up as fast as he could. He rushed towards Makao at lightning speed, both arms outstretched. If he had almost succumbed to the foul power even with his core full of arcane magic, what would become of Makao after consuming Fenrir’s evilness?

Just as Julian saw the points of the giant’s finger touching the pulsing heart, his arms tackled the tracker. They rolled to the ground in a whirl of black tattoos, wet coats, dust, and branches. Thankfully, Fenrir’s shard wasn’t falling with them.

Not even the pain of Makao’s body smashing his bones and muscles could suppress the relief of not seeing it being consumed by an ally.

The fall seemed to have no end. The top of the slope was narrow, but the way to the ground was a bent and rocky road. When they finally stopped rolling on the other side of the slope, Julian’s mouth was full of dirt, his hair a mess, and his clothes all out of place. Makao, on the other hand, looked like … Makao.

The girls’ heads appeared at the top of the slope.

“Are you guys okay?” Liz asked.

“I’ve got eyes on the shard, Julian! I’ve got it covered!” Rayra shouted down before she disappeared back over the edge.

“You could’ve talked with me. I didn’t know the throwing thing would get you that mad. Attacking from behind? That’s dirty…” Makao said, dusting off his shoulders. “I guess I deserved it.”

Up ahead on the slope, Julian heard all the girls laughing at Makao’s misunderstanding. This time, Julian wasn’t annoyed at all. On the contrary, their happiness made him smile broadly until he couldn’t take it anymore, and a laugh erupted from his mouth.

“Yeah, Makao,” Julian tried to say between laughs. “my vengeance is complete now,” Julian said, grabbing his belly and trying to control himself.

“You are all strange,” Makao said with a chuckle and a grunt. “I like you, anyway.”

“I like you as well, Makao. You didn’t need to jump on that monster, though.”

“I wanted to smash it.”

“Fair enough.”

“Besides, it was trying to kill Thalia,” he said, crossing his arms as if thinking of his next words. Julian was getting to know the big man, but it was still hard to read someone who wore a mask all the time. “I’m confident she’ll not need me when we return to the capital.”

“How so?”

“You can take care of her. I’ll head back home. I have some unfinished grudges to address. With you by her side, my presence is not required to keep her safe. Just like before that poor girl died.”

“What girl?” Julian asked, with his eyebrows raised.

“She had a friend. Her name was Ariel. Thalia, Ariel, and the princess were really close. They even joined the Royal Guard to protect their friend. I didn’t expect Thalia’s father would do what he did … I wasn’t part of it, though.”

“What did he do?”

“Julian!” Liz’s voice came from above, interrupting them. “Julian, they are coming!” Julian didn’t need to ask who was coming. Above the slope and far out to sea, he could see the silhouette of the dragonborn general flying with his father attached to his severed tail, and behind him, several other dragons flew close by. On their backs, the transformed orcs held weapons high in their hands.

“Launch me,” Julian asked, and before he could finish the words, Makao already had his grip on Julian’s clothes and the lord was flying towards the top of the hill.

By mere inches, the lord didn’t crash against the archway. His mouth was once again full of dirt, and he had even breathed dust into his lungs as he fell. Julian coughed as he heaved himself up, dusting off his coat and adjusting his belt. The other man arrived at the top seconds later. A laugh could be heard beneath the mask.

“You have a terrible, terrible sense of your strength,” Julian grunted. “Besides that, I thought we were even.”

“We were,” he replied, and this time Julian didn’t wait for an answer. He already knew the big guy well enough.

“What’s your plan, babe?” Liz asked, her hand searching for his.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the small Rust Orcs in the distance. They gathered on the edge of the hill, still surprised the monsters hadn’t risen from the dungeon. Their faces were a strange mix of despair and hope. Ubu’s complexion shone amidst the crowd. He had lost everything once. He was seeing everything happen again. Yet, on his face, Julian saw no despair at all. Only hope. The shaman nodded to Julian, who smiled and turned his face towards the approaching danger.

“First, let’s try to find a way to dispatch the shard or hide it in safety while we take out the trash. After that, it will be the same as always. Kill all the bastards, save my father in the meantime, and then head back home. I’m missing Tarav’s food already.” Julian smiled as he faced certain death.

Five small dragons flew towards them. On their backs, the transformed orcs chanted their war cries as loud as possible, and in the middle of all of them, the coral dragonborn stood with its gigantic wings flapping against the sky. They flew nonchalantly; Julian and his companions were still too far for them to notice. Of the twelve islands in the archipelago, who would have thought they would find the right one on the first try? Not even the dragonborn would have thought that to be probable.

Still, they were there. Fenrir’s Soul Shard stood on the ground below, again covered by the chainmail and several other fabrics. The thing still pulsed beneath all the layers, but it was almost imperceptible. Rayra removed her magic satchel and put it over the thing until it was inside without her directly touching it.

They waited for a couple of seconds and then the thing jumped from the inside as if it had just been pulled by an invisible and incredibly mighty hand. With it, several of the layers covering it were also pulled off. The heart now pulsed bright red against just the chainmail again.

“There goes my plan of delivering it to Ranabi now. We must use the special Golden Box Ranabi mentioned… which is held by the dragonborn general,” Julian sighed, his hand sweating against the handle of his sword.

“And we would leave the Rust orcs to their fate?” Liz asked, her expression showing a bit of surprise.

“No, I would send you, Rayra and Thalia. Me and Makao would fight.”

“You would die.”

“I don’t think so,” Julian lied. “Cover it again and hide it away from everyone. Including our Rust Orc friends. They will soon see us and rush to get here.”

The girl’s face became grim. Only the idea of Julian making an ultimate sacrifice in their names seems outrageous. Yet, they did what he asked.

Thalia got closer to him, her hands visibly shaking around her sword.

“Everything will be alright,” Julian assured her, who tried to smile but failed miserably.

“Sorry for having my doubts.” She was able to mutter, looking directly at the ground.

“Are you going to fight?”

She stared at him, eyes wide open and mouth trembling. “I don’t think I can⁠—”

“Listen,” Julian said, firmly gripping both of her shoulders. “Whatever happened in the past … it needs to stay in the past. You are not the same person as you were. Don’t suffer for the mistakes you made or the things you wish you had done. Do better. Not for me, Makao, or anyone else. Do it for yourself. Make the Thalia from one year ahead of us proud. Kill the Thalia you despise.”

As the words left Julian’s mouth, he saw Thalia’s eyes shimmering with unreleased tears. Her eyes darted from the ground to his eyes more times than he could count. She let her sword drop and when her eyes downed for the last time, Julian heaved her chin and fixated his gaze on her.

“I trust you. Remember that.”

Then she kissed him. It was a fast, almost desperate gesture. As if she couldn’t hold it anymore. Her lips pressed against his with force, and he even felt one of her teeth crashing against his own. He ignored the pain, too absorbed in the softness of her mouth against his. Her eyes were shut tight and when she opened them, she seemed surprised by herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said, in a hurry.

“Don’t be.”

“Your wives⁠—”

“We have an agreement. You did nothing wrong.” As to assure her, he kissed her again. This time, more gently, he savored her lower lip and then kissed it again. When he parted from her, she was breathless.

“You never did any of this, right?” Julian asked, and she nodded negatively, her face red with embarrassment. “It’s a small reason compared to the end of the world, but one more reason couldn't hurt. I need you to fight if you want this to happen again. Remember what I told you, and be ready to open the portal when the time comes.”

“I’ll try,” she was finally able to say. Even the semblance of a smile blossomed on her face.

“All right.” Julian looked to the horizon, seeing the wings getting closer and closer. If they hadn’t realized Julian was there before, they for sure did now. The monsters flapped their wings violently against the air, as if wanting to hurt instead of being driven by it.

“Me and Makao will close the gap between the enemies. We’ll end as much of them as possible still in the air⁠—”

“Can I throw you again?”

“Yes, Makao. You can throw me.” Julian sighed and then looked directly at the girls. “You’ll be our help from the ground. Keep firing water daggers and arrows at them. I already enchanted all of your weapons. Thalia, don’t try to use the Arcane Blast from a distance. You’ll just waste mana and there’s the risk of hurting someone here on the ground. Rely on your sword and use the arcane magic only up close, preferably with your hand inches away from to the enemy.” They all nodded in agreement and when Julian pulled his sword from the belt and pressed it against his gauntlet hand, he heard the steps on his back.

“I want to help,” Ubu said in a low and resigned tone.

“Are you sure? If you fight and we lose, your people will probably be seen as traitors.”

“I better be seen as a traitor than be treated as a nobody. They ostracized us for generations and now are allied with the one responsible for our doom. I’ll not take it lightly.” The shaman said, his hand glowing with a strange and beautiful red pattern on both of his palms. He then waved his head towards the edge of the slope. Most of the Rust Orcs had been gone. Less than half were there now, but the ones that stayed had bows and arrows, swords and knives at hand. “We’ll fight to right our wrongs.”

“That’s honorable, Ubu,” Julian said, outstretching his hand to the shaman, who took it gladly.

“Thank you, sir.”

“What can you do for us? The monsters on the ground were indeed strong, but we haven’t seen much of their magical displays.”

“You’ll see it.” Ubu had a smile that said everything Julian needed to know. The orc was now confident in their chances and that made the Lord’s heart race in his chest with the excitement to fight.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Being thrown into the skies was a sensation Julian didn’t think he would get accustomed to. Still, this time, he was actually enjoying it. There was a kind of freedom in being in the air. Flying towards battle was even better. Julian looked over his shoulder and saw Makao approaching and gaining speed. The impulse the gigantic man had given himself created a crater on the ground below. Julian suspected he was way stronger now after draining the monstrosity, but he hadn’t had the time to ask.

The coral dragonborn passed on Julian’s side and became a large blur in less than a second. It didn’t try to stop Julian and didn’t even halt in the air. The old Lord Lionheart was still in the tight embrace of the rope, his eyes closed and a serene expression on his face. Next time you open your eyes, I’ll be at your side, old man, Julian thought, focusing on the target ahead.

The plan was simple: aim for the two dragons and their riders on the left side of the offensive while the fighters on the ground slowed down the other attackers. They were counting on their leader seeing Julian in the air and changing his target to him, but he didn’t. However, now that Julian was already flying towards the other enemies, there was no going back.

Julian slashed an arcane whip with all the speed he could muster and made an upward movement. The mana cut the air with a powerful whoosh. The dragon rider was oblivious to the attack, but the experienced dragon had a keen eye. The creature’s body was a complex mix of white feathers and dark scales—and lost half of it with the whip’s swing. The monster was as big as a lion and even being fast and keen, it wasn’t enough to save it from all the damage. The creature shrieked at the skies as it spun in the air, its wings violently trying to regain control but failing miserably.

The orc on its back wasn’t chanting war cries anymore; instead, all he uttered were scared sounds. Julian hit them from a great distance, giving him enough time to change his weight to the left and slightly redirect his trajectory. There was something about these throws Makao could perform—Julian definitely wasn’t flying, but he wasn’t just being hurled either—It was almost like there was a force connecting him to the thing he was aiming at, except that this force was conditioned by Makao’s power and slowly diminished as Julian traveled. Even magic binds to the laws of reality, eventually.

He crashed against the creature, and his sight became a blur of white, black, and red. The orc grunted in confusion as one of Julian’s hands found a grip on the creature’s armor and the other on the dragon’s feathers right on the edge of its wing; the orc sitting on its back almost losing balance. As soon as Julian’s weight heaved on the dragon, it started to fall to the ground below. With a side glance, Julian realized they were now over the open sea, but still close to the beach. In the distance, the coral dragonborn had halted and looked directly at Julian, as if measuring his next step.

As if in a hurry to punish Julian’s lack of attention, the orc struck Julian’s hand with a firm punch on the joints of his elbow. The pain seared his bone and muscle, and he had to grit his teeth not to shout. The dragon stopped spinning, its wings outstretched. Despite the heavy weight on its back still driving it down, the creature stabilized its flight and fought back.

Julian was in a bad position, hanging by his hands with the enemy in a better position to fight. However, they didn’t have his magic or his ability with the sword. The monstrous orc above the dragon raised one hand to grab an axe, and at that moment, Julian grabbed the armor with a firmer grip and pulled with all the strength he could muster. The monster almost fell to the side, but his blade didn’t have the same luck. The weapon fell into the sea, and with a smile, Julian gathered the energy to perform a small arcane blast.

The explosion hit the creature just beneath its armpit. The monster didn’t even have time to scream. The blast reached its heart, and it fell off to the side with no sound. The dragon sensed the weight change and moved its large neck to the side, catching a good glimpse of what was happening on its back. The monster wasted no time and started to flap its wings to make Julian fall. Its fangs snapped at him but found only air.

Julian could kill the creature easily. One more blast and it would be put down. It didn’t have a way to escape. Except Julian didn’t know how to fly. Stay with the plan. He forced the idea into his mind, dodging another bite from the creature and swinging in the air, grabbing the creature’s scales and feathers as firmly as he could. The monster had full control of its flight; the wounds Julian inflicted were not enough to slow its fury.

You can do it, Julian. He told himself as he released one hand and searched for the next hold. The creature sensed it and spun around on its axis. Julian held on by the fingertips of one hand. The dragon kept flying upside down, trying to spin and drop Julian. Still, the young lord was too stubborn to let go. I can’t kill you, but I can hurt you. He grabbed the sword from his shirt and thrust it into the creature’s back, hoping not to hit the creature’s spine. The monster cried to the skies, turning instantly upright and thrashing its body. The blade was well fixed between the monster’s muscles, and Julian used it as leverage to get up onto its back. Soon, Julian was riding the dragon and had a good vision of the battlefield.

Makao had done something similar to his dragon. The rider was nowhere to be seen, and the flying beast suffered the strangest rear naked choke Julian had ever seen while Makao consumed the creature’s vital energy. The dragonborn in the sky remained halted, looking directly at Julian’s position. The dragon beneath Julian stopped in the air, bleeding and crying.

Julian could see his father slowly swinging by the fine thread on the dragonborn’s tail. Somehow, he could hear the sound of it swaying slowly from one side to the other. Why in the Last’s name was that monster taking his father with him? It didn’t make any sense. Still, it made Julian’s heart want to escape his throat. The dragonborn had a smile on his face. Julian didn’t need to see it to know.

The other two dragon riders followed towards the island, already being welcomed by arrows coming from Rayra and the orc allies. The enemies were severely outnumbered, and still, the dragonborn didn’t seem bothered at all. In the distance, Julian couldn’t see a single pair of wings coming to aid Fenrir’s allies.

“We’ll end this now,” Julian muttered, feeling the beast beneath him falter. He would need to use an arcane blast to gain momentum and fly toward the dragonborn before him. That wouldn’t be a problem.

Julian started to gather the power in his hand, but before he could finish, the foe at the distance started to sing. Or at least, it was what Julian thought at first. The monster’s words lost themselves in the air and were strangely angelic, as if the creature was chanting for a long-lost love. The voice was low, and the tone was beautiful, yet the words were unrecognizable. Whatever the creature was doing, Julian felt he would be better off silencing it.

He released the power and felt the momentum of the explosion throw him toward the coral dragonborn. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Makao doing something similar. The limp body of the dragon beneath the tracker plummeted fast into the sea as he used it to gain momentum and be thrown toward the common enemy.

They would hit the dragonborn at the same time.

I’ll shut your devious mouth, Julian thought as he felt the edges of his clothes burning with the mana explosion. He would burn, but he would save his father before it. Julian prepared a mana whip in his hand, concentrating on using it as soon as Makao crashed against the monster. He would need a distraction to kill the dragonborn, and the body of a man that looked more like a bull would be perfect.

The coral dragonborn showed no reaction upon seeing Julian approaching. It paid even less attention to Makao behind it. All its focus was on the chanting. Then, when Julian was midway, he heard the sea revolting. Just beneath the dragonborn’s position, waves formed from the center to the edges of a giant circle. It was like something slowly pulled itself from the depths of the sea. Near the beach, a similar movement happened, but instead of a large, single pattern of waves, there were several small ones.

The chanting grew louder and more aggressive. The dragonborn kept chanting the same word over and over.

“BUMPAP, BUMPAP, BUMPAP!” Soon, it wasn’t a song anymore. It was a calling. Whatever moved beneath the waves, Bumpap was its name.

Julian watched as the seawater slowly fell inside something that erupted from the water. Then he realized they were fangs inside a giant mouth. The creature’s jaw was wide open and had thirty feet from one side to the other. A forked tongue slipped out of its mouth, searching for something in the air, as if smelling its prey.

Soon, Julian saw the creature’s scales erupting from it. The battle rush in his veins made Julian see everything as if time was passing ten times slower, while his heartbeat only grew faster. The creature had scales like the ones of the dragonborn above them. Maybe it’s a hallucination, Julian thought midair. Still, he couldn’t bet on that because the creature’s prey was his father hanging by the thread of a rope.

On the beach, dozens of snakes crawled their way to the heart of the forest. From the distance, Julian couldn’t say how big they were. Still, the spots were large enough to make Julian wary for his companions.

Time seemed to run fast again. Julian was about to crash against the dragonborn. In seconds, he would collide with the gargantuan body of the creature, and his father would be eaten by the creature emerging from the waves. He felt a gush of energy pushing him down, redirecting his flight. Julian gripped his whip tightly in his hand. Realization hit him like a boulder. Makao could really link two things in the sky, and he chose to change Julian’s trajectory to that of his father. The movement was so fast that it caught the dragonborn by surprise. Julian swung his whip but didn’t try to hit the enemy; instead, he cut the rope at lightning speed, crashing his body against his father’s and dodging the creature’s jaw snap by mere inches.

The sea snake hissed in frustration, its body descending into the sea as Julian fell in its direction while holding his father in both arms. They crashed against the rising sinuous and gargantuan body of the sea snake, the greasy scales making it hard for Julian to find his feet. Instead, they slid down the monster as if on a child’s playground, except that the seawall awaited them down below.

Julian held his breath and gripped his father’s limp body firmly against his chest. The old man was as thin as a man could be, and his breath was almost imperceptible. Even in the face of death, Julian couldn’t be happier. How many days had he dreaded his father after his mother had disappeared? How many days had he regretted that? We’ll be home soon, old man. Julian thought, feeling the salt water splashing against his face. The monster below him had halted, half of its body underwater and the rest above it. It didn’t seem to recognize Julian’s weight on it, and it kept swimming fast toward the beach ahead.

The smaller snakes kept erupting from the water, their crawling vicious and fast, mimicking the movement of the monstrous body Julian was involuntarily riding. In the sky, he saw the small dot of the coral dragonborn soaring, calculating its next step. Julian searched for Makao in the sky and for a moment thought the man had fallen into the sea until he looked to his back and saw the tracker walking slowly along the snake’s body.

“Great throw,” Julian said with a smile.

“Is he dead?” Makao asked, pointing at Julian’s father. The tattoos on the giant’s body were shining with a strange light that made the black even darker, consuming the light around him.

“No, but he won’t survive much longer if we don’t find Rayra.”

“And the thing in the sky?”

“I don’t know … he’s acting strange.”

“Definitely. Nothing normal about summoning snakes from the sea.”

Julian smiled and adjusted his feet as the snake turned its body from side to side, almost dropping them into the water.

“I guess that he’s trying to figure out what we know. If we have the shard or not.” Julian’s eyes fixed on the dragonborn in the sky, its flight slow, following the same path as the giant snake, but its eyes directed toward Julian. “The snakes are probably scouting for him if they have any intelligence. Or he’s trying to pull off another one of those illusions.”

“He’s indeed performing some magic now. I can smell it. But it’s not the same as he used to fool you before. Look.” Makao pointed at the sky, and Julian saw the dragonborn outstretching his two hands, a smaller dot flying at lightning speed toward the sky.

Whatever Fenri’s general had done, it seemed to fly directly toward the shard above the hill. The dragonborn looked down at Julian and spoke inside his mind.

“I found it. Now, the fun will begin.” The hissed voice reached his mind, making Julian’s heart race.

“We need to go. Now!” he shouted to Makao, who reached for Julian’s father with one arm and held the Lord’s right one with the other.

“I’ll make sure he’s safe.” The masked man stopped, and Julian could swear he was grinning beneath the golden adornment. “This one will not be pretty.”

“Do it—” Julian said and felt the world spinning around him as Makao pivoted on his heels. He probably did it five times before releasing Julian’s body. The world became too blurry for Julian to count right, and as he flew through the sky, he kept spinning. He closed his eyes to suppress the nausea, and an idea flashed in his mind. If mana was everywhere and he could manipulate it at will, he only needed to command it to keep him in the air. Still with his eyes closed, he tried to do it, just to realize he didn’t have enough energy to command all the mana in the air to obey him. The mana in his body almost drained completely from his core as he tried it.

And if I use it on just some parts of my body? Julian mused as he gathered some of his mana in his abdomen and made the energy in the air push the mana on his skin up. The feeling was instant. The spinning stopped, the mana halting him in position and creating friction to impede his body from gyrating further. He opened his eyes and saw his trajectory directed toward the dragonborn who was now flying at a speed Julian had never seen.

Makao’s magic was strong and unique, but the creature’s wings were made to fly Shit! Julian cursed. Theoretically, even if the monster reached Fenrir’s Soul Shard before him, Julian would still have a chance to fight before he delivered it to the god. However, he feared the creature had no intentions to give it back to his overlord. There was something about that monster that didn’t strike Julian as loyal. He could’ve been a loyal general in the past, but millennia in exile could change one’s mind. If it did consume the heart, Julian would have two gods to fight instead of one.

“Tell me I’m right about this,” Julian muttered between his gritted teeth as he thought about his grimoire and how he had learned to stabilize himself in the air. Maybe if he applied the same force in a way to increase his speed, he would be able to reach the creature.

Julian concentrated on the palms of his feet, trying to gather some energy there. He felt a small platform forming beneath his feet, but when he tried to get some momentum, he had already flown past the platform by several inches. The distance between Julian and the enemy was growing. The beach was in complete sight, and at the horizon, he could see the slope standing tall with small dots fighting the two dragons and their orc riders.

One more chance, Julian thought, determined to change his strategy. Instead of creating the platforms at his feet, he created them at his hands, grabbed them, and used them as a momentum shifter. He gained some speed, but it wasn’t enough yet. He reached for the platform again as he passed it, but now with his feet, and that gave him enough speed to see the gap between him and the enemy getting shorter. The platforms were so solid beneath his feet and around his hand that he felt he could stand on them forever and move freely between them.

“That’s it!” Julian shouted, “I’m flying!” It was more like climbing the air than actually flying, but he wasn’t using Makao’s energy anymore. Soon, he was faster than the dragonborn ahead of him. So fast that he could now see the broad and thick body of the creature in detail. Its muscles stretched with every flap of its wings, its back a monstrous amount of muscles and scales. The monster was the biggest dragonborn Julian had seen, and the fact that it didn’t rely on weapons made Julian’s hair stand on end. He knew, deep in his heart, that this fight would be the last one for one of them.

Julian pushed himself against the last platform in the sky and stretched his body. The distance between them was only a memory now. Julian gathered an arcane blast in his left hand and released it. The monster sensed it coming and tried to dodge to the side. The blast hit the tip of its wing and made it spin in the air. Julian didn’t wait for it to counterattack. With his right hand, he swiped the whip and cut the air close to one of the monster’s pointed ears. Julian saw the edge of its circled horns torn apart and fall to the sea.

“You keep cutting small parts of me, little lamb. I’ll want some of you as well.” The creature’s words traveled through the air this time. The monster halted for just a second and then flew toward him, both clawed hands aimed directly at Julian’s heart. If Julian had been relying only on Makao’s magic, he would have been doomed. The monster's sharp, natural weapons were a testimony to the confidence in its smile.

Julian used the air as a platform again, now completely stopping Makao’s force against his body and instead using his strength to jump into the air. The dragonborn traveled inches beneath Julian. Still, he had time to draw his sword. The attack came fast and clean. The silver blade, covered in mana, cut the monster’s back along the spine. If Julian had a better angle, he would have severed the creature’s vertebrae. The movement made Julian spin in the air again, but he was able to place his feet above the invisible platform once more. His instincts served him well.

The dragonborn spun back to face Julian, blood dripping from its back and down to the sea. Julian could hear the giant snake crawling on the beach. The dragonborn looked eager to fly away towards the shard, his facial expression telling Julian he already knew exactly where it was.

Julian heard something cutting through the air and then saw the monster before him, moving its head from side to side. Arrows flew where its head had been moments before. Julian didn’t need to look at the slope to know those arrows were coming from Rayra’s bow.

“You’re starting to bother me,” the monster said with annoyance in its voice. Its yellow eyes blinked with hatred. “I can’t have fun when I’m bothered.” The last word seemed like an offense as it escaped the general’s mouth.

“I’m just starting.” Julian made the whip surge into his left hand and spun the pommel of his sword in the right one.

The creature flew again, but this time Julian didn’t dodge. Julian swiped the whip in the air, aiming at the creature’s chest. It dodged to the side, flying with one wing to the sky and the other to the sea. Julian released the whip, grabbed the sword with both hands, and struck. The point of the blade increased with the mana he injected into it, but the creature was ready for it. It spun again in the opposite direction, as if it was giving up on the attack.

When Julian’s blade missed the target, the creature’s severed tail flew in his direction. The clean bone at the edge hit him on the chin, and the muscular part crashed against his neck and chest, slamming him to his back and towards the beach below. The monster dove to Julian and grabbed him by the coat, not giving him time to create another platform and move in the air. Julian had to grip his sword with immense will not to let it drop.

As they traveled through the sky, the monster raised its right hand and punched Julian in the face. It was hard to see, but the creature had an enormous grin that only grew larger with every punch it delivered to the lord’s face. Its vicious and pointed teeth dropped saliva over its lips, the violence making the creature enter a battle lust. Julian raised his sword hard and swung, but it was hard to strike the creature behind and above him while dangling in the air.

He tried to focus on his breathing, but it became harder and harder as the creature kept swinging its fists at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Julian saw the trees appearing below. He heard the little voices of the orcs echoing through the woods as they fought the snakes that covered the ground of the island. The dragonborn was now laughing hard, its voice resounding loudly in Julian’s mind.

It can’t end like this, he thought as the monster hammered its fist on his face again. His right side was in shambles. It will not end like this, he thought as he gathered energy in his left hand. With every punch, the power diminished a little until Julian gave up on making a big explosion. He needed to stop the monster from killing him.

“You’ll die just like any other animal at the slaughterhouse!” the creature screamed with its raspy and hissed voice, raising its hand high in the sky. Julian felt the air being cut by the monster’s hand at the exact moment he pushed his left palm against the creature’s elbow and exploded the blast.

“ARGH!” the dragonborn cried as its grip on Julian’s coat was lost, and he plummeted toward the woods below.

Julian watched the dragonborn flying to the skies as he tried to create a mana platform beneath his feet, but he was falling too fast. He slipped on the mana platform and spun once more in the air. He stretched his hands, trying to reach the big branches of the trees. If he was lucky enough, he would be able to reach the ground alive.

When the first canopy became visible, Julian realized there was no good branch for him to grab. He didn't have time to curse. As he broke the first branches, he saw a figure racing through the trees and jumping over the branches to reach him. Before Julian could be hit by a second, bigger branch aimed at his head, he was snapped out of the air.

An animal jaw grabbed the fabric of his coat and the chain-mail beneath it, saving his skin and muscles. The creature swiped its head to the sky and leaped, lifting Julian into the air. A pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him to the back of the beast.

“Are you okay, babe?” Liz asked with a gentle smile. “We saw what that monster was doing and came to your rescue.”

“The Shard?!” Julian asked with preoccupation.

“Thalia is protecting it and Makao is already returning. We couldn’t let you die.”

Rayra trailed the woods at immense speed, turning her body toward the slope and running on her four fox legs. She looked over her shoulder and chirped loudly and happily. At the corner of his sight, Julian saw snakes coming close. Now he could see their size.

The snakes were as large as shepherd dogs, and when they saw the trio running through the trees, several halted with their heads high, as if considering what to do next. They were fast, as fast as Rayra.

Liz let some of her water daggers fly and hit the snakes. As soon as she hit them, they turned to dust and left soul shards behind. Still, there were just too many for them to handle alone. Where Liz had hit one, three appeared in its place, and the sound of the others snapping the tree branches only grew louder. They would be surrounded soon. Julian didn’t want to use the rest of his mana to fight these snakes, but if that was what he had to do to have another chance against the dragonborn, he would do it.

As he prepared an arcane blast in his hand, he felt the air swirl around him. Something changed. The trees disappeared, and in their place, a rocky ground was now visible. Julian looked over his shoulder and saw one of Thalia’s portals disappearing behind him.

“I did it! I was afraid I wasn’t going to hit the right spot, but I felt where you were.” She cheered with both hands in the sky.

“You did!” Liz replied, jumping from Rayra’s back and rushing toward the blue-haired girl. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, they are still fighting the orcs. The snakes haven't reached the slope yet.” They held hands for a couple of seconds, and Julian couldn’t help but smile at that sight. When he dismounted and looked at Rayra, he saw she was also smiling as she turned back into her normal form.

At one edge of the slope, the two dragons were surrounded by dozens of the small orcs, with Ubu at the front. They all had swords and axes in hand and kept dodging the snapping fangs or the swings of the orc’s axes. Julian saw one of the disfigured creatures raise its hand over the air and bring it down directly at Ubu’s face.

“No!” Julian shouted, but the scream died in his throat as the monster hit Ubu right in the cheek. Julian felt his heart sink into his stomach for a couple of seconds. A sudden cold crept over his body. It didn’t seem fair for Ubu to die that way.

As Julian prepared to run and avenge his newfound ally, the oddest thing happened. Where the shaman had been hit, an explosion of red energy erupted. The axe was glued to the little orc’s skin, and all the efforts to remove it were in vain. Ubu’s hand raised to the weapon and grabbed it strongly, pulling the orc from the dragon’s back. The creature was too busy fighting the other orcs to realize its rider had just fallen into a trap. Even Julian thought Ubu was doomed.

The blood poured from Ubu’s wound and seemed to infect the weapon, turning it to rust and then making its way to the orc’s arm, who watched in dismay. The orc’s body rotted as Ubu finally removed the blade from his face. The wound, which seemed deep, was in truth only superficial. The shaman would get only a scar after it, while the orc beneath his feet got an axe to the back of the head.

Contrary to the shaman, the monstrous orc didn’t rise to fight again. Upon seeing the display of strength from their leader, the other orcs chanted a war cry they probably hadn’t had an opportunity to use in centuries.

They overcame the enemies in seconds, not even needing the help of Julian and his companions. Only three of the Rust Orcs lay dead on the ground, their faces torn by the jaws of the dragons, but not a single one was wounded by the other orc’s weapons. They raised their weapons and celebrated their victory against the enemy.

This day will require more of you, my friends. Julian thought as the smile on his face slowly died. Makao stood near the archway with Julian’s father in his arms. When he saw the lord, he lowered the older man to the ground with a softness Julian didn’t know he had.

Rayra promptly crouched at his side and examined him.

“He’s severely malnourished, dehydrated—” She opened his eyes and mouth, searching for something only she knew. She looked at Julian, and he saw sadness in her gaze. “I don’t think I can wake him up, Julian. He’s way past my abilities. He seems to be in a coma.”

Julian gritted his teeth. Frustration and anger washed over him as he looked at his father.

“Do what you can now. Ranabi will take care of him,” he said, his fists clenched.

Rayra nodded and dropped water into his father’s mouth, slowly massaging his neck for him to swallow it. When she thought he had drunk enough, she started performing her magic. Color seemed to slowly return to the old man’s body, yet his breathing remained labored and there were no signs of him waking up.

Julian suspected that the shock of spending the last three years under the terrible care of the orcs, only to be passed to an even worse captor, had taken a greater toll on his father’s mind than his body. Still, the only thing he could do for him now was to guarantee he would have a chance to live again and put all the horror behind him.

When Rayra got up, they could hear the sounds of the snakes nearing the edge of the slope. They surrounded the little mountain, slowly climbing it from all directions as if waiting for an order to launch a complete and savage attack.

“Why aren’t they coming?” Thalia asked. Her sword in both hands and fear lingering in her eyes.

“They're waiting for him,” Julian said, pointing at the horizon. The giant sea snake crawled its way through the woods, its body crashing into tree trunks, and its head soaring over the remaining canopies. At the top of its head, the dragonborn stood tall with both arms crossed and a grin on its face.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

“Makao, get my father to safety. We’ll hold this position. You can join us when you’re sure he’s alright,” Julian said. For a moment, he thought the giant would protest. However, Makao grabbed the old man once more and jumped toward the beach in the opposite direction the sea snake was trailing.

“How can we help?” Julian looked below and realized the voice had come from Ubu. The small orc held the axe he had used to kill the monstrous orc from before.

“Keep doing what you’re doing, and if you have any other tricks, pull them off now.”

“I have one more.” Ubu waved for Julian to incline his head toward him, and he promptly did so. The shaman touched Julian’s forehead, and he felt it burning and cutting his skin. Strangely enough, it didn’t hurt. Julian knew a pattern had been drawn into his very essence.

“I’ll be able to do what you did before?” Julian asked.

“Sort of. Your blood will now act as an armor of sorts. Just like the dragonborn do when you attack them with a normal weapon.”

Julian’s face showed surprise for a couple of seconds before he smiled. “I keep forgetting you already know them.”

“I wish I could forget that, honorable one,” Ubu said with a sad grin.

“We’ll defeat them again. You can be sure of that.” Julian put a hand on the shaman’s shoulder.

“Oddly enough … I believe in you.” Ubu stared directly into his eyes.

“Great. Now prepare yourself to kill a giant amount of snakes while I deal with that monster.”

“What do you want us to do?” Rayra asked, with Liz and Thalia at her side as if endorsing the question. As if reading Julian’s mind, she continued. “And don’t even try to ask us to stay out of the battle. That’s not going to happen.”

Julian sighed, looking at them with a tired smile.

“The sea serpent is just like any other monster. It will be hurt by every single one of your attacks. Strike as much as you can and, if possible, create openings for me to fight the devil riding it,” Julian said with burning determination. “Don’t flinch for a second. He’s cunning and is keen to find small windows to attack. I don’t want to lose any of you.”

The girls nodded in agreement. A strange mix of worry and hope stamped their faces as they rushed towards him for an embrace. Rayra and Liz grabbed his waist in a tight hug, almost making him lose the air from his lungs. He smelled and kissed the top of their heads before they loosened their hold on him. Right beneath them, Thalia stood with her eyes on the ground and one of her arms crossed against the other, outstretched as if she was embarrassed.

“Hey,” Liz called to her, who eagerly looked up. “Come here.” She waved a hand, and Thalia rushed with big strides towards them. She joined their embrace, and Julian felt Liz holding her hand on his back. That simply felt … right. Julian smiled as they watched the sea serpent get closer.

“Let’s continue this later, ladies. We have monsters to slay.” They all smiled at each other, any semblance of friction between them becoming just a distant memory. It was a strange feeling to have before battle, but Julian was eager to end this and have all of them in his bed.

One of Rayra’s arrows flew, imbued with arcane magic. Before it hit the monster, Julian knew it was going to hit. She had pulled the string close to her lips, and when she released it, she had an immense smile on her face.

Thalia grabbed him by the arm and, with a hurried tone, asked, “When I open a portal, jump through it, okay?”

Julian stared into her eyes, trying to understand what her plan was, but she didn’t have time to explain it. The arrow hit the mark. Julian saw the blue hue explode inside the creature’s left eye. The sea snake shrieked and thrashed in the sky. Tree trunks flew to the side, but the dragonborn above its head seemed undeterred by the movements. The snake hissed loudly, venom dripping from its fangs. The other ones slowly climbing the hill could also be heard screaming in pain for their leader.

“Prepare yourselves!” Julian shouted, with his sword in hand. “Defend this hill at all costs. The fate of the realm depends on us! Orcs, of all people, will save the world from the claws of Fenrir and his minions today. When all of this is over, you’ll be greeted by a feast never seen before!”

Julian shouted with all the air in his lungs and was met with the same enthusiasm. His girls smiled at him, proud of his leadership, and the orcs seemed eager to show they could live up to his expectations.

“Cerulex gave his life to end their reign of terror. Let’s honor it today. For the Rust Orcs who had to die for you to be here today and for all the ones who will live in a world where the threat of Fenrir is only a memory!” Julian shouted his last encouraging words as the snakes reached the top of the slope.

The orcs formed a semicircle around Julian and his companions, defending all sides of the hill except the one from where the giant snake was coming. Its thrashing had stopped, and in its place, a vicious determination seemed to burn inside the creature’s eyes. The arrow could be seen protruding from its pupil, the eyelid fighting to close but encountering the small obstacle inside the eye. From afar, it looked like the snake was crying drops of blood. The eerie sight sent a shiver down Julian's spine, yet somehow he felt even more eager to fight.

“Whatever you want to do, now’s the time,” Julian said, holding Thalia by the arm as he watched Rayra and Liz preparing their projectiles to throw at the monster ahead.

The girl wasted no time. She tore the sky with her sword, making the portal appear, and Julian leaped through it, not waiting to see where the other part would appear. When he met the other end, he saw the top of the dragonborn’s head below him.

Great idea! Julian thought as he raised his sword and struck, falling over the head of the enemy. The strike hit the creature on the shoulder, severing a good amount of its flesh. Before Julian could complete the movement and sever the arm from the body, the creature flinched, crying in pain and moving the opposite arm to strike Julian. The dragonborn could match Julian in strength and speed, but Julian’s arcane power was the deadliest among them.

Julian landed on the serpent and stepped back, and in the corner of his vision, he saw a portal appearing in the air just below the sea snake’s right side. He leaped towards it, only to discover there was nothing there. At least, not at that moment. Just as Julian started to fear he had been tricked by his mind, the portal engulfed him. He turned, and when he exited the portal, he was at the back of the dragonborn. He struck again, and his blade severed half of one of the creature’s wings. He nearly severed the creature’s whole left wing, but it dodged in time to avoid its wing being completely sliced off.

The monster turned, its hands waving in a frenzy of violence, trying to hit Julian.

“You never struck me as a coward!” the dragonborn cried, then slid to reach Julian, wanting to drop him to the ground below with a sweeping kick. Julian was already falling through the sky again, where he instinctively knew a portal would appear. Somehow, Thalia’s mind seemed connected with his.

When he fell through the portal, he was once again above the dragonborn’s head. Julian thrust the sword down toward the creature’s heart. The monster predicted Julian’s position and struck with its good arm. The creature’s strike hit Julian’s hand with mighty force. The blade still cut deep into the creature’s arm, but Julian had taken the worst outcome. He plummeted to the front of the snake, and as he fell, he saw the creature’s eyes following him and its jaw opening.

Venom dripped from it, making smoke appear as it touched the ground below. Julian created a platform in the air where his hands were and hung there by fierce willpower, the points of his fingers sustaining all of his body. The snake was getting ready to eat Julian as he saw the portal appearing below him, close to the tree canopies.

He released his grip on the mana platform just as the creature snapped its jaws. Now you die, Julian thought as he entered the portal, ready to deliver the final strike at the dragonborn. The fight was taking too long already. They needed to end it before any other dragonborn or dragonkin appeared. Or worse, Fenrir himself could come to check what was going on, and Julian wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to stop the god from taking the heart.

As the head of the giant snake appeared again and Julian prepared to strike, he saw no one there. He fell directly onto the creature’s scales and searched all his surroundings, looking for the dragonborn, but it was nowhere to be seen. Is it a trap? Julian asked himself. He looked toward the hill and saw the creature flying directly toward Thalia. Its flight was gangly and strange, yet it was fast and would reach her soon.

He wanted to scream for her to create a portal, but she wouldn’t hear. He had no way to reach her before the dragonborn. He would need to find his way to the monster and hope Thalia and the other girls could handle it in the meantime.

Julian saw several water daggers and arrows flying toward the monster below his head and was glad to see more than one reaching the target. As soon as the creature was struck, its speed and thrashing increased, making Julian almost fall from it again. If they kept shooting at the snake, he would soon be close to the hill. However, in the distance, he saw the girls having to both evade the small snake attacks that slowly made their semicircle smaller and simultaneously shoot at the dragonborn approaching Thalia.

The shock in the blue-haired girl’s eyes could be seen from miles away. Her hands halted in a fight position, and still, Julian knew for sure she wouldn’t strike. Whatever had happened to her was too deep to overcome in that small window of time.

Julian brought his sword close to the creature’s nostrils and thrust it. He wanted it to crawl faster toward the hill, but not kill it. The monster thrashed, moving quickly as it tried both to reach its master and drop Julian. The sound of the immense jaw snapping the air rang in Julian’s ears, but he kept thrusting the sword over and over at the monster’s head until he was close enough to the slope.

The creature hissed and thrashed its body violently one last time. Julian pierced the sword into the top of the creature’s head as it lunged its body at the side of the hill, making the entire slope tremble with the impact. Julian fixed his two feet on the creature’s scales and let inertia do its work. He was hurled from the giant snake’s head just as it disintegrated into dozens and dozens of soul shards that dropped to the ground of the island.

Julian watched the world spinning as he collapsed against the hill. Dust entered his lungs and rocks invaded his mouth as he tried to heave himself up. His vision was blurred, and as he slowly started to identify what was happening, he saw the silhouettes of Rayra and Liz fighting fiercely with at least ten snakes at the same time, every single creature was taken care of with immense speed. Close to them, the orcs weren’t having the same luck. He saw several of them sprawled on the ground, most dead, but others still thrashing and fighting the venom of the creatures.

Julian crawled a few feet before he was able to stand. In the meantime, he saw Rayra and Liz save another handful of orcs from the snakes’ fangs. The hill was covered in blood and venom, but Thalia and the dragonborn were nowhere to be seen until Julian looked in the archway’s direction.

There, the monster stood with his feet over Thalia’s neck, and his left hand slowly moving toward the covered soul shard at the girl’s side. Her face became redder by the second as the grin on the monster’s face broadened.

Julian rushed toward the creature with the sword in hand, not a single thought passing through his mind. He unleashed an Arcane Blast after another, but the monster dodged all of them with an ease Julian hadn’t seen before as it kept downing its hand towards the Soul Shard and dodging by mere inches as if he knew where Julian was going to shoot before he did. The creature paid no attention to Julian and even less to Thalia, who kept suffocating under his feet, her nails trying to pierce the monster’s ankles but failing miserably.

He was near enough to strike, and using the rest of his mana, he increased the size of his sword to catch the monster off guard. The blade struck true. Julian hit the monster’s chest with strength but couldn’t go all the way through. The dragonborn stopped his arm with his left hand. His reptilian face grimaced in pain. He kept hold of Julian’s hands as the lord tried to push the sword further into his flesh. Julian stared into the creature’s eyes and saw a smile blossoming on its face.

With its other hand, the monster pierced Julian’s chest. He felt a searing pain travel through his body, and a sudden weakness took control of his limbs. Suddenly, he couldn’t press the sword any further. The grin on the monster’s face expanded from ear to ear as it released its grip on Julian’s sword hand and moved to get Fenrir’s Soul Shard on the ground without ever removing its claws from Julian’s chest.

“In the end, I was still amused,” the dragonborn said, revealing its forked tongue. “I’ll be even more amused when I watch life fade from your eyes as I kill your loved ones, one by one. This one here didn’t even swing her blade.” It twisted its foot over Thalia’s face, which was starting to turn purple. She had both of her hands on the creature’s foot, but her strength wasn’t a match for the monster’s.

“I’ll kill you,” Julian said through gritted teeth.

“No, you won’t,” the monster said dismissively. “With luck, you’ll not die right now. It would be a shame.” The dragonborn took the Soul Shard to its mouth and let out the fabric with its pointed teeth. It removed the cloth piece by piece with precision until the heart was visible. As soon as the heart started to pulse before their eyes, the red hue shone in the creature’s eyes. It was full of desire for it.

A yellow cube slowly materialized beside the red heart, as if following some strange command. The sight of the compartment made the dragonborn shake its head as if contemplating what to do next. Julian saw the questioning in its eyes slowly being replaced by anger and then greed.

“Why should I give this to that ungrateful, untrustworthy, broken god? He doesn’t even have a dragon body anymore.” The dragonborn’s face, full of conviction, betrayed its words, which were full of doubt. “Maybe it’s time for the world to meet a new god.”

The dragonborn turned its head and looked directly into Julian’s eyes. As its claws pierced deeply into his chest, Julian felt the hair on his body stand up all over as the monster smiled broadly.

“I can feel him. He’s coming here. Oh, how delightful this surprise will be.” The creature licked its lips and hissed in pleasure. “You’ll be my witness. Cerulex’s offspring will see the birth of Kael, the new god of this wretched world.”

“So that’s your name,” Julian said between labored breaths.

“Were you curious about that, little lamb? You could’ve always asked … we’re close.” Kael brought the heart close to its mouth, its forked tongue traveling slowly toward it.

“It would be a shame not knowing the name of the devil I killed today.”

A glimpse of confusion crossed the creature’s face, and Julian even saw one of its brows raise before the explosion. The arcane blast hit Kael like a giant boulder. In the last second, the creature’s eyes searched for Julian’s hand. The dragonborn had ensured that they were out of reach. There was no trace of magic on Julian’s hands.

Thalia performed the arcane blast in her hand and exploded it directly at the monster's crotch.

Instinctively, Kael released his grip on Julian’s chest. The lord should be dead now … except the blood magic had worked wonders. His blood protected the claws from reaching his heart. It wasn’t enough to avoid the searing pain he had felt, but it kept him alive and ready to strike.

The dragonborn’s thick scales and magic were able to hold some of the explosion, but not all of it. The blue flames burst at the dragon’s crotch and threw him at the sky, but before it could keep going up, it hit the top of the red archway. Julian heard the walls creaking and then the monster fell, with its back to the wall.

Julian felt his own back crashing against the ground, far away from the creature, but he had no time to waste. He heaved himself up and dashed towards the monster.

His blade was still stuck in the monster’s flesh. Julian pulled the sword from the creature and thrusted it directly at the creature’s heart. Just to be sure, the lord expanded the point of it and only stopped when he felt it tearing flesh, bone, and the rocks of the archway behind the devil.

The grimace of fear and surprise on the monster’s face would be forever carved in Julian’s mind.

He gritted his teeth and twisted the blade to the side inside Kael’s heart. The monster released a grunt, and before its last breath came out of its mouth, it smiled broadly. With blood dripping from the corner of its mouth, it muttered, “Almost.”

Julian felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders as he softened his grip on the sword and released it from the dead creature before him. The monster had been the biggest challenge Julian had fought until now, not because of its magical powers, illusions, or summonings. It was its simple will and unpredictability that made it a difficult foe to deal with. However, when it became obvious what its intentions were, Julian only needed a small window to win. And win he did.

Close to the creature’s dead body, Thalia stood on all fours, panting. Julian approached her and, with a gentle touch on her shoulders, asked, “Are you alright?”

“I did it, Julian,” she replied, her eyes full of unreleased tears and her voice loaded with emotion.

“You did. You saved my life,” he replied with a smile. “I’m proud of you, and I’m sure your friend would be as well.”

Upon hearing those words, Thalia’s expression was petrified. Julian feared she was going to start crying on the spot. However, she swallowed it and looked at their surroundings.

“We have work to do,” she said, wiping her eyes with one hand and grabbing her sword with the other.

“Yes. We have,” Julian replied with an immense smile. The snakes were still fighting the orcs and Julian’s wives. Even Makao was there, kicking and punching the reptiles. They were slowly being pushed away from the hill; the monsters seemed weakened after their leader had died. Julian wanted to join the fight and ensure as many orcs survived, but he still had something to do. “Go ahead. I’ll join soon.”

Thalia didn’t waste time. She rushed toward Rayra and Liz, and with her sword high in the sky, she swung it and struck one of the snakes, cutting it in half.

“That sword must be a happy one right now,” Julian muttered as he slowly approached the yellow cube and the Soul Shard on the ground. The thing had the exact proportions to fit the heart inside it. Julian grabbed it and dropped it on the pulsing Soul Shard. Then, he used the chain mail to turn it, and when the cube was facing the sky, it closed by itself and disappeared.

Like his grimoire, Julian knew he could bring the thing back whenever he wanted. It was a connection with his magical core that he still didn’t understand, but that it was ever-present.

“I still have some fight left in me,” he muttered one last time before rushing to the aid of his companions.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

“Is everyone ready?” Julian asked as two portals stood open behind him, facing the sea in the capital’s direction.

“Yes, Lord Julian,” Ubu said with a grin from ear to ear. The small orc had patches all over his face, but he seemed as happy as anyone could be. Behind him, several other orcs stood with hopeful faces. It was odd seeing them so happy even with the little dots covering the sky in the opposite direction they were heading.

An army of dragons and their riders were coming to get them, but they would find only Kael’s corpse lying on the hill near the red archway. It took some time, but they gathered all the Soul Shards sprawled on the island and all the belongings the orcs could carry.

Thalia had opened two portals. One would send the orcs directly to the Flying Pearl, and the other would take them straight to the sewers, where Ranabi was in a deep slumber.

“Makao and Liz, you’ll lead them to the Flying Pearl. Both of you are known by the royalty and the army. Lead them to the princess and explain what happened here. I’ll meet you when we wake up Ranabi and heal my father,” Julian said, knowing very well that Liz wouldn’t enjoy parting ways with him, but she would fulfill his request, nonetheless. “Thalia and Rayra, we’re heading directly to the sewers.”

Everyone nodded and started to enter the portal. Liz went first, guiding all the orcs with Makao at the end of the tail. Rayra and Thalia entered the second portal, and Julian stood behind, watching the sky slowly filled with dragons and their riders. Are you in there, Fenrir? I hope you can see this. The next time we meet, it will be your end. Julian thought, summoning the cube in his hand and raising it to the sky. Then he turned his back to the twelve islands and walked inside the portal.

They didn’t take too long to see the end of the portal on the bricked road. This time, there was no griffin in the skies searching for them. In reality, the place was as peaceful as it could be, just a cobbled road leading to their destination.

Julian felt at peace with his father in his hands and Rayra and Thalia walking in front of him. He had done it, and it had been as fast as it could’ve been. They only needed to give the cube to the god waiting for them, and everything would be settled. As soon as they saw the portal in the distance, their walk turned into a stride, and the smiles on their faces expanded.

“I’ll go ahead and scout,” Rayra said, already turning into a fox and rushing towards the strange light ahead. In some way, Julian could see the other side of the portal, the dim light that entered through the cracks of the sewer’s ceiling poorly illuminating the room. Julian never thought he would be happy to arrive at a sewer, but he was.

He watched Rayra jump through the portal, and something snatched her midair, pulling her to the ground.

“Rayra!” Julian growled, but she was already out of sight.

Thalia rushed in fast motion through the opening, and Julian followed close behind. She was also grabbed by something on her way. Julian breathed deeply before jumping. For a moment, he thought about dropping his father to the ground and getting him afterward, but he couldn’t risk losing him again, even less inside a realm he didn’t know the rules of and that Fenrir’s minions had access to.

He heaved his father to his left shoulder, unsheathed his sword, and walked through the portal, already ready to strike with his blade or his magic.

When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, his jaw almost dropped to the ground, and his eyes widened. On one wall of the room, one of the trackers sat slumped against the wall, its head limp to the side and an immense hole in the middle of its chest. Julian could see the blue flames burning its clothes. At the body’s side, Rayra stood with crossed arms. She waved her head to the end of the corridor with a sly smile on her face.

Julian followed her gaze and heard the sounds of metal clanging against metal echoing through the sewer. Thalia fought fiercely against a foe Julian couldn’t identify. She advanced with thrusts and swings, guttural sounds erupting from her mouth.

“Stop!” a familiar voice called, full of fear. “Please! I’m just doing what Father asked.”

That seemed to ignite something inside Thalia. The girl started to swing her blade more violently through the small corridor. Julian saw it cutting parts of the wall and sprawling debris at the enemy she fought. It was clear now that the foe was her brother, Lok.

She changed the grip of her sword midair, holding it with only her right hand and performing an arcane blast. The blue hue exploded against the enemy’s side, hurling him to the side. Now he was in full view.

Crashing against the side wall, the elf screamed in pain. In the place of the severed hand Julian had gifted him, there was a prosthesis with a dagger at the edge, and in his right hand was the bracelet that granted him powers over the wind.

“I beg you! Don’t kill me!” the elf said, raising his right hand. However, as Julian expected, he was bluffing. A gush of wind erupted from his hand, searching to find Thalia’s chest while another one was born from the ground.

The girl dodged both strikes at a speed Julian had only seen her use to run. She sidestepped to dodge the first wind strike and then jumped ahead to avoid the second, already swinging her blade and striking her brother.

“My hand!” the elf screamed at the top of his lungs as he watched his right-hand crash against the dirty floor of the sewers. Thalia’s cut was clean and precise. Julian couldn’t see her face, but he could hear her cold voice.

“I won’t kill you, big brother. You don’t need to search for me anymore, either. Tell father he can find me whenever he wants. He’ll just need to ask where Baron Julian Lionheart is.” She walked with her blade down and pointed it toward the chest of her agonizing brother. “Now go and never show your face to me again, unless you’re desiring to lose both of your feet as well.”

“How,” he stuttered, his voice raspy, “how will I get out of here?”

“It’s not my problem.” She kicked him right in the guts. The elf grunted in pain, and she turned her back to him, facing Julian with a smile on her face. “I feel much better now.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Ranabi didn’t take long to wake. Julian put the cube in front of her nostrils, and after a couple of minutes, she started to slowly regain consciousness.

Julian was still in shock from what he had witnessed Thalia do inside the tunnel. Her sword prowess and her use of arcane magic struck a chord in his heart. Somehow, he was even more attracted to her now. While the god awakened, they traded glances. She seemed eager to hear what he had to say.

“Did I scare you?” she muttered.

“Not at all,” Julian replied, though he wanted to say much more.

“I’m sorry I didn’t do it before.”

“That’s okay. You acted when we needed it the most.”

“When Ariel died, I blamed myself. I couldn’t fight anymore. It was easier just to be afraid and run. My father’s trackers are stronger against afraid enemies, so I was the perfect prey.”

“You did very well today⁠—”

Before Julian could continue the conversation, he realized Ranabi started to move her head up slowly, and after some time, she opened her eyes. She took her time to adjust to the light and searched the room as if expecting to see someone who wasn’t there. A sad look washed over her eyes. Julian knew what she was thinking.

“Liz is okay. She’s with some of our allies,” Julian said with a gentle smile.

“That relieves me profoundly.” The god lowered her head again as if she were going to sleep a little more. Julian saw she had to fight to keep her eyes open. She was indeed near death. “You made it, didn’t you?”

“Here it is.” Julian summoned the cube and showed it to Ranabi. Her eyes glimmered with emotion. “What now?”

“Bring it close to my hand and drop it to the ground.”

Julian followed her dazed commands and dropped the Soul Shard near her right paw. The thing seemed to pulse harder now, as if it recognized the danger. She moved one of her claws and touched the heart, then she pierced it, and Julian saw green energy flow from the center of her back towards the magical object. Her other arm sprawled on the ground as if she had just lost all her strength.

“When it’s finished, feed me if I’m not responding.”

“Please, don’t die,” Rayra said, her hand caressing the bear’s fur. The god didn’t reply, but her eyes had a warmth to them that seemed to calm Rayra down.

The Soul Shard started to transform in front of their eyes. The glowing red light began to fade, and after some time, there was no more light in it. Instead, where the cracks of devoidic power were, veins started to pop, then more muscle and even some fat around it. The magical shard slowly turned into a real heart that mimicked a human one, except it grew to be triple the size of a normal one. It was turning into Ranabi’s heart.

The god’s breathing became labored, and when her claw dropped from the heart before her, she seemed dead. The only sign that she was still alive was the sparse movements of her back going up and down.

“Ranabi?” Rayra asked, her eyes full of water.

“Open her mouth. Fast.” Julian commanded, and the two girls rushed to pull her upper jaw to the skies. Julian grabbed the pulsating heart into the palm of his hand. He was instantly consumed by the uttermost peace. It was like being struck by the wind of the sunset on the most beautiful beach.

Suddenly his feet faltered, and all he wanted to do was lay down and relax. However, he bit his lower lip and forced himself to walk. His vision adjusted, and he was able to put the heart above the bear’s massive tongue and then push it down her throat. When the world became the same as before again, he crouched in front of the god with his companions at his side.

“What now?” he asked, and as if reading his thoughts, Ranabi’s eyes opened wide. They searched the room in a frantic motion and then stopped at Rayra.

“Mother?” she asked, and then the god exploded in green light.

Julian stepped back, the green hue consuming the whole room and slowly becoming mist. He had to cover his eyes as he moved towards the far wall. The girls at his side followed the same gesture as they watched the bright dim and the mist slowly take over the room.

When they were finally able to see through the cloud of mist, Julian watched something moving inside it, a silhouette slowly walking towards them. It wasn’t a bear at all.

A mature woman, probably close to her seventies, exited the mist. Her hair was grizzly and straight, falling to the height of her waist. On her back, an enormous bear's fur adorned her features, trailing on the ground and following every step. She wore a simple white wool dress with small leaves forming a belt waist high. Her face had wrinkles near the eyes and on the forehead. When she smiled, her eyes closed naturally, and her thin lips formed a beautiful line that showed only happiness.

“Hello, children,” Ranabi said. “It’s great to be able to change my shape again. I was getting tired of being a bear.”

“I thought—” Julian started.

“That I was a bear all the time? That would be very tiring. How would I get out of here in my primal shape?”

“Good point,” Thalia said, pointing at the goddess, whose eyes searched the room and found Julian’s father lying with his head on the pillow of Thalia’s bed.

“He requires my care, doesn’t he?” Ranabi asked, already moving towards Julian’s father. She didn’t wait for Julian’s hand. She crouched at the old man’s side and extended one hand to his forehead. Julian followed her and sat behind his father, holding his hand firmly.

“Is he going to be alright?”

She stared into Julian’s eyes and was silent for a couple of seconds. “There are some wounds I can’t heal. He’ll awaken; I’m sure. I don’t know if he’ll be the same father you remember.”

“I understand.” Julian nodded, and then he felt her performing her magic.

A subtle green hue soared between her hand and his father’s forehead. It didn’t take more than one minute for the old man’s eyes to open. It was slow at first, but after a few blinks, he opened his eyes wide and sat up on the bed, clearly frightened.

Julian grabbed his hand again, and before the old man could retrieve it, he pushed it to grab his attention. The old Lionheart finally realized who was in front of him.

“Julian? Is that you?” He sounded raspy and more like a grunt than a real voice.

“Yes, father. It’s me, you’re safe.”

“How? When?” He removed Julian’s hand from his own and moved far away from the bed. “I don’t believe it. You’re just in my head. Just like those demonic creatures.”

“No, Dad. It’s really me,” Julian said, his heart pounding against his chest. “Look. I have mom’s bracelet and sword.” He showed the objects to his father without unsheathing the blade or conjuring any magic. His father was afraid enough already.

“It can’t be. Where are the orcs? If it’s really you, you need to go now, son. You have no idea what they do inside these dungeons.” His father’s voice became a hush, and a part of Julian suspected he still believed Julian to be a mere illusion.

“We are not on the orc island anymore. You’re safe, Father. You’re among friends and soon will be at home with Mom and Tarav.”

“Your mother is at home?” the old man asked, grabbing Julian by the coat with both hands. The desperation in his voice almost made Julian cry on the spot, but he held it inside himself. Crying wouldn’t help the older man. Julian needed to be strong for him.

“Yes, Father. Calm down.” Julian touched both of his hands. “You went through a lot. Take your time. She’s well, and we’ll see her soon. Now breathe. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving!” the old man replied, and for a moment, Julian saw a glimpse of his old self. The lord was as strong as a bull, with a matching appetite.

“Alright, I promised some friends of mine a feast, and I intend to throw it today. You’ll be more than welcome to join,” Julian said with a smile as he slowly removed his father’s hands from his coat and held them dearly.

“You have grown so much, son,” his father said, and then he hugged him tightly. When Julian embraced him back, the older man parted from him and held his face with both hands, his eyes full of tears. “You’re really here!”

“Yes, I am,” Julian replied and embraced his father once more.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

They walked from the sewers straight to the Flying Pearl. They thought it wouldn’t be wise to make his father walk through a magical portal when he was constantly questioning reality. Seeing the houses and the streets full of vendors made Julian’s father realize that he was far from the grasp of his captors.

When they reached the Flying Pearl’s elevator, the older man couldn’t keep away the smile from his face. They didn’t talk much as they walked. Julian had told him in a very succinct way what had happened in the last few years, and that brought all sorts of emotions to his father. Shame for the way the estate had turned out in his absence, anger towards Baron Strazz, pride for Julian’s accomplishments, and hope of seeing his dear wife once more.

He talked a little with Rayra about her bow and arrow, and he promised to teach her one of his tricks. She smiled but didn’t protest. Little did he know that she was probably ten times better than him with a bow and arrow. Thalia held Julian’s hand tight on the whole walk to the Flying Pearl. It was as if she wanted to ensure him she was there if he needed emotional support, and he was glad about that. The girl walked with her chin held high and a smile on her face, the total opposite of the first time they traveled through those streets.

“I didn’t see her giving you anything,” Julian said, pointing his hand to Ranabi, who stood leaning against one of the cords of the elevator.

“She didn’t. I asked her to give me the courage to fight again. I was tired of being in fear.”

“Are you fearless now?” Julian asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Far from that. I just have a good reason to overcome it again,” she said and raised to the tips of her feet to kiss him on the cheek.

Surprisingly enough, Julian blushed with the gesture and smiled broadly. When he looked in Ranabi’s direction once more, she was also smiling at them. The goddess had grown into Julian’s heart. There was such wisdom inside her that he doubted she could stop surprising him. She also emanated power now; her magical aura was the biggest Julian had ever seen, but it somehow blended with her surroundings. As if her mere presence gave more life to the world.

The elevator reached the top of the Flying Pearl, and when Julian turned to see the streets, he found some familiar faces waiting for him.

Princess Anasthasia, Liz, Ubu, and Makao all stood with welcoming grins. Or at least Julian suspected Makao was smiling beneath his golden mask.

“Welcome back, Baron Julian,” Anasthasia said with open arms. “I heard your mission was a success.”

Julian knelt in front of her, and the others followed his gesture. Even Ranabi did the same.

“Please, rise. None of you need to bow to me today. I’m now aware that if we have any chances of surviving what’s to come, it’s because of what you did today.”

“It was a team effort, Your Grace,” Julian stated.

“I’m sure it was. Except that our friend Ubu told everything about your command and leadership capabilities, which were heavily endorsed by Makao.”

“I’m pleased to hear that, Your Grace.”

“You’ll have much more to hear. Let’s go to the castle. The feast waits for you.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Julian said, extending one hand and stopping the princess from going ahead.

“What?” she asked with a gentle smile.

“This is Ranabi, she’s the … the one who will help us deal with the enemy.”

“Is she the … you know.” Anasthasia said in a hush and when Julian nodded, she slightly bowed to the goddess who returned the gesture.

When they started to walk towards the castle, Julian’s father approached him and elbowed him in the ribs to catch his attention.

“You didn’t tell me you’re a big shot now. Talking with princesses and such.”

“I’m not.”

“He is,” Rayra chimed in as she pulled him slightly. “Can I borrow him for a while?”

“Of course, of course,” the older man said, moving to the front of the group where he met Liz, who embraced him tightly and started a warm conversation. The sight made Julian’s heart fill with compassion. He couldn’t wait to see his parents’ reunion.

“We need to prepare to go. The trip to my home will take a while,” Rayra said in a pressing tone as Ranabi got closer.

“Can’t you just teleport to the place? You’re way more powerful now,” Julian asked the goddess, feeling tired.

“I’m afraid this is outside of my powers. We could find a portal to Marimar. Some places serve as gateways; they mimic Thalia’s power. People use them to travel, and I’m aware Fenrir is using them already. I know of one that connects these two realms, but I’m not sure if it is safe.”

“We found one of his minions at the beginning of our journey inside that traveling realm. It doesn’t seem safe for a long journey,” Julian said, grabbing Rayra by the waist. “Can we discuss it later? I’m tired.”

Rayra seemed to want to protest, but when she saw Ranabi nodding in agreement, she acquiesced.

“Alright, alright,” she finally said, reciprocating the hug and letting her head rest on Julian’s shoulder. Thalia was still at Julian’s side, but walking a little behind them as if wanting to give them space. “This ended better than you thought, huh, Thalia?” Rayra asked with a wink.

“And I didn’t run away once,” the blue-haired girl replied, joining the conversation.

The streets of the Flying Pearl were crowded with people. Their eyes kept following Julian and his companions. From time to time, one or another approached the princess to bow and say some words, and every time she stopped to salute them. The walk that was supposed to take only a few minutes prolonged itself for half an hour, but Julian didn’t care.

When they reached the castle, the main hall had an immense table, and around it, all the Rust Orcs stood in their seats. The chattering was almost as loud as the chanting of the bards at the end of the room. The place was full of laughter, songs, and the good smell of roasted meat, fried potatoes, and good wine. Julian’s feet involuntarily walked towards the table as he felt a gentle touch on his arm. It was Princess Anasthasia.

“Can you follow us to the throne room first?” Anasthasia asked, and Julian understood immediately that this was her gentle way of commanding. He followed her while his stomach growled. “All of your companions are welcome to come. They’ll want to see it.”

“Right,” Julian said, waving one hand for everyone to gather and climb the stairs.

The throne room was well lit, and in the front benches, Julian could see five men wearing army uniforms. They all had several insignias and medals on their coats. All of them were nearly fifty years old and had severe grins on their faces. They nodded when Julian and his companions arrived at the room.

One of the guards asked for Julian and his wives to stand at the side of Princess Anasthasia close to the throne while the others waited, seated on the benches. When Thalia moved to sit, Liz grabbed her hand and led her to her side. The confusion on the blue-haired girl’s face was quickly replaced by an immense smile. Julian was more than happy with the gesture. The only thing surpassing his happiness was his curiosity.

“Thank you for waiting, gentlemen,” Princess Anasthasia began, and the men before her bowed their heads in acknowledgment. “I believe there’s no need to recollect the facts that Baroness Liz Lionheart so promptly told us before. I’ll get straight to the point. The Twelve Islands didn’t attack, but it’s clear from the reports that they’re preparing to do it soon, and their force will be one we’ve never seen before. We took too long to react, but there’s still time. We have again the power to mobilize troops throughout the whole continent.” The princess stared at Thalia with a severe look, but the girl didn’t flinch. She nodded in agreement.

“So, I need you to raise your banners. All of you. Dukes of Phaeka, Thornspire, Newshire, Ragecoast, and Grimacre, call all men and women of age to fight and be prepared to receive orders to defend our land.”

They all said ‘Ay!’ in unison, making Julian’s hair stand tall. War knocked on their door.

“That’s not all. As you know, this isn’t a conflict between humans and orcs. This will be a fight between the forces of evil and all living beings. The orcs and their new allies will not be satisfied with the destruction of our realm. The whole world is in danger now. That’s why we need all the mages on our side, all the tamers, and the most difficult part … I need everyone in this room to work as hard as possible to unite all the races to fight on our side.”

With those words, the men in front of the princess seemed to doubt for the first time. Julian saw more than one trading glances. The princess wasn’t innocent; she realized it as well and stepped ahead.

“Don’t fear, my loyal Dukes. Your wariness is a quality, not a fault. Did you see who is sitting at our tables? The feared Rust Orcs of the Twelve Isles are our allies. At my side, I have a representative of the beastfolk, a half-elf, and two humans. All of these people gathered around one man and his desire to do good. Baron Julian Lionheart is living proof that we can work together for the greater good.”

All of the dukes nodded their heads, smiling in agreement, the mood of the room slowly shifting. Julian even saw some admiration in the older men’s gaze. His father couldn’t contain his pride as he sat beside Makao on the benches.

“With his knowledge of the enemy and his magical prowess, we can stand against the enemy. With his connection to the beastfolk of Marimar, we can find new and powerful allies. And with my union in marriage with him and his family, we can unite the parts of the realm that aren’t happy with the absence of a king and put a prepared soldier in command of the realm.”

The dukes rose and clapped their hands, as did Julian’s companions on the benches. Some of the older men weren’t as happy, but they all hid it as well as they could. Julian could only guess how much some of them wanted the princess to marry them instead. Ranabi stood at the end of the room, leaning against the closed door, also clapping her hands.

Julian and his wives all traded glances. Our union? he asked himself, but didn’t protest. The dukes’ commotion was too high for him to say anything.

The princess looked over her shoulder directly into Julian’s eyes, smiled, winked, and turned her attention back to her subjects. Julian watched in surprise, feeling the eyes of the girls on him. He only shrugged as he took a good look at the princess’s curves from the back, and then the room filled with people who admired him or at least recognized his recent feats.

That’s not a terrible idea at all, he thought with a smile on his face as he and his wives held hands with Princess Anasthasia.

About the Author

Hey, I'm Alex Prone, a fantasy enthusiast and aspiring storyteller. When I'm not chasing after my little one or tackling chores around the house, you'll often find me immersed in the pages of fantasy novels. "Game of Thrones" and Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere have been huge inspirations for me, shaping my love for weaving tales of adventure.

In my stories, expect thrilling adventures, genuine connections, and just a touch of spice to keep things interesting. My main goal is to offer you a brief escape from reality, introduce you to worlds where the impossible becomes possible and the guy gets the girl at the end.

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