“I want to go.”

  “No.” Several voices immediately stopped Effie’s request, making her puff out her cheeks and pout.

  “I never get to see the action....”

  “Snow princess, exorcisms aren’t for children,” Soraya said with a soft look. “They’re not fun to watch.”

  “You make it sound fun,” Effie replied, looking at her with adoring eyes. Soraya froze and could feel three other pairs of accusing eyes boring into her.

  “Effie, your godmother is trained for this sort of thing,” Nera told her daughter after sending a warning look to her friend. “You are not. You could be targeted and put in danger. It will be difficult for your godmother.”

  “But my brothers are going!” Effie pointed to Ash and Henry with a resentful frown as she nearly jumped from her seat. “Why can they go and I can’t?” Nera opened her mouth and Effie quickly rushed to cover it with her small hands. “And don’t say it’s because I’m little!”

  “It’s because you’ll be useless in such a situation and will just get in the way,” Ash replied unapologetically as he opened distance between him and Henry, and then lifted his helmet off his face. Effie gasped and clutched her chest as she whirled to look at her brothers who had been sparring on the rooftop.

  “How dare you!”

  “Effie, Ash has a point,” Henry added after lifting his own helmet. Effie choked back a cry and stared at her eldest brother as if he’d betrayed her. “You are smaller and weaker, your martial arts aren’t as skillful as ours, and using animals could hurt them. Do you want your animal friends to get hurt?”

  Effie’s little shoulders slumped down, defeated. “No....”

  “Commodore is always with you. What if Commodore is targeted? Do you want to risk his safety?” Nera asked.

  Effie looked at the massive snow wolf gnawing on a cow bone and shook her head. “No, I love Commodore.”

  “Then, doesn’t it stand to reason that we don’t want you to go because we love you and don’t want you to get hurt?” Nera asked.

  Effie looked up. She continued to pout but she walked over to her mother and threw herself into her arms. She rubbed her face against her mother. “Okay...I will stay with Momma.”

  “Good.”

  “After all, she loves me the most,” Effie lifted her head and gave Nera a cheeky grin. “Since you’re not stopping my brothers from putting themselves in danger.”

  Henry glanced at Ash, who seemed to freeze and contemplate their sister’s thoughts. Slowly, Ash’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like where she’s going with this.”

  Soraya chuckled as she leaned back against her chair, letting the cool evening breeze sweep past her “To be fair, until we get there, we won’t actually know if it’s magic or if it’s demonic in nature. That’s why Ash is coming.”

  “I don’t want to come, though....” Ash muttered, but was ignored.

  “Then why is Brother going, too?” Effie was now seated on her mother’s lap. “He’s not a mage. Why can’t he come with us?”

  “We also don’t know if the painting is haunted, where an evil entity is using it as a tool, or if the painting itself is the evil entity,” Soraya replied. “In the former, I can exorcise the evil entity and purify the object of any residue. Then the painting is just a painting, but if it’s the latter, I can only seal it. Sealing it isn’t a permanent solution. It’s best to destroy the piece, which isn’t as easy as destroying a normal object.”

  “Simir has divine fire,” Henry told his sister. “He’ll incinerate it. It’ll be faster and safer than sealing the painting and then transporting it out to a temple for purification fire.”

  Effie furrowed her brows and nodded her head slowly. “This is very complicated.” She sighed and leaned back against her mother. “It’s easier to be a merchant and just make money.”

  Nera sighed as well and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “Momma agrees.”

  Effie tilted her head back and gave Nera a sympathetic look. “Don’t worry, Momma. When I’m rich, I’ll take care of you. You won’t have to work again.”

  “Aww...thank you, baby.”

  “What about me?” Soraya asked, earnestly pointing to herself. “Will you take care of godmother so she won’t have to work again?”

  Effie looked at her, confused. “Godmother, you need to work. Your job is really important. Who will get rid of bad ghosts if you don’t work?”

  Nera turned her head away and muffled her snort laugh. Her eyes squinted as she smirked. “Yes, your job is really important. You know there are few people who have the capability to do what you do.”

  Exorcists were very rare, rarer than summoners. When it was discovered that Soraya had the physique and ability to do so, the entire Abbey had been ecstatic. She still had to go through rigorous training, but on the upside, she had a job for life, and whether she did it or not, the Abbey and other holy orders would give her a monthly stipend, as well as pay for any travel expenses.

  The same region Soraya managed for Snake, Scarab, and Sons was the same region she covered for exorcisms: the area around the northern border of Ashtar and the western border of Suna. Exorcists were usually so rare that they were assigned to locations, but Soraya wanted to stay near the West Wind Abbey and remain in her managing region, so she threatened to quit the holy order entirely if they didn’t let her.

  Soraya sat in her seat, as if she’d just been dealt a painful blow.

  “Just to confirm, we’ll still make it on time to the invitational, right?” Ash asked.

  “Don’t you need to get there earlier to prepare for your exhibition?” Nera looked at her son, who nodded.

  “Hana’s going first, but I need to be there to check the magic formulas and make sure the items are in place,” Ash replied as he leaned his sword against a bench and began removing his gloves. “The city is giving us assistants since we are representing it.”

  “What are the chances that you two are going to win again this year?” Soraya asked.

  Ash furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. “It depends on what the other competitors are exhibiting,” he said, giving an honest answer. “I think our exhibition will do very well. Our goal was to make something beneficial for transport and infrastructure.”

  “This may be another win for Carthage Harbor,” Soraya said with a chuckle. “I don’t know what they’re going to do when you leave.”

  “Carthage Harbor is still going to be the base for my research and development of magical products,” Ash replied. He reached the table on their rooftop garden and poured some chilled tea as a refreshment.

  “Oh?” Soraya raised a brow. She glanced at Henry and then at Nera. “What about your mother and brother?”

  “I’ll go where I’m needed,” Ash said with some pride. “Carthage Harbor has ideal infrastructure and access to resources that can’t easily be replicated anywhere else at this time. Ridua is the most developed city in Ashtar and it’s not even in the competition.”

  “The territories will also need time to be realigned and have more economic development and proper infrastructure, which will take years,” Nera said, still hugging her daughter. “For the most part, I can proxy rule through the Council of Elders. They gave me a deadline to take on more work, but the rest of the Lunapsar don’t know where, or who, I am.”

  It was a protective measure that started with Nera’s mother, who after being left behind while her parents went to try to evacuate Samelu, was put into the care of retainers and hidden at West Wind Abbey. At best, she was known as someone from a Lunapsar noble family, which was technically true.

  For the most part, like Ash, his mother and grandmother lived as non-royals. Non-royals who had needlessly dramatic lives, but no real ceremonial royal responsibility.

  Soraya raised a brow. “What about that rumor that the fake prince is actually the heir of the Lunapsar Royal Family?”

  “Auntie, anyone can claim such a thing if they look the part.” Ash gave the thought a dismissive wave. “He has nothing to prove it.”

  “I’m curious about why he fabricated such a claim,” Henry said as he checked his sword and then slid it back into is sheath. He narrowed his eyes and looked ahead of him with displeasure. “What does he want from the Lunapsar?”

  All at once, Nera, Ash, and Soraya answered. “Money.”

  Henry balked and turned around to look at them. “That’s it?”

  “He wants to build an army that his father can’t control; he wants to extend his influence; he wants power,” Soraya said. “That all costs money.”

  “Brother, was his mother really Lunapsar, too?” Ash asked.

  Henry and Nera both nodded. Henry let out a heavy sigh. “My mother said that even before the engagement with the Old Bastard, he was having relations with that woman. I think he met her when he was young and while out hunting at the northeastern lodge.”

  Ash scrunched his face. “The same lodge where Momma and I were attacked and carried off by wolves?”

  “I suppose. I heard he brought her back. All I know is that during wedding preparations with my mother, he secretly married that woman as his first wife. The entire court was outraged,” Henry said. “But my mother’s family was a fallen one. There was just her left, so no one would retaliate on her behalf. The court just let it happen, but cited that since the marriage was not done with a full ceremony, it didn’t technically count, so she could never be named empress. It was a technicality, and if that lady had stayed, the Old Bastard would’ve fought for the title for her.”

  “Your mother couldn’t withdraw from the marriage, could she?” Soraya asked, though everyone already knew the answer. The marriage was not exactly political, but it was arranged because of its importance. Saphira no longer had any family left, but she came from an important lineage that would’ve boosted the reputation of the imperial family.

  Nera looked at Soraya with a lackluster sigh. “Saphi agreed to the marriage because she received a blessing by the holy fire and the priests told her that she would give birth to a future great emperor for Ashtar.”

  At this, everyone looked at Henry, who was examining a tear in one of his gloves with a frown. Ash pursed his lips. “Well...there’s still time.”

  “Shut up.” Henry shot him a glare.

  “Brother, if you go live in Ashtar, can I visit?” Effie asked from her mother’s lap.

  Henry’s face softened as he looked at his sister. “Of course, Effie. You can even come live with me-”

  “No.” Effie turned her head away in distaste. “I’m going to live with Momma.”

  Nera let out a snicker and squeezed her. “Momma is counting on you to support her in her old age.”

  Effie puffed out her chest and nodded. “Don’t worry, Momma. You can depend on me!”

  Ash narrowed his eyes. “You say that as if we’re not dependable.”

  Henry gave his brother a scornful look. “I don’t want to hear that coming from someone who ran away on a ship after explicitly saying that he wasn’t going to. Don’t put me in the same category as you.”

  Soraya’s brows were furrowed as she leaned back against her chair. “About the holy fire....” she said. “The one at the High Temple outside of Ridua. You know, the one that is supposed to house the fire god sent from Suryana as a messenger of the sun.”

  “What about it?” Nera asked. Soraya looked at her with some uncertainty.

  “The sacred fire that is supposed to be impossible to extinguish is going out,” Soraya replied. Except for Effie, the others froze at the news. “The court is apparently trying to keep it quiet, but I heard through the holy order that they’re trying to keep the fire going.”

  Henry frowned. “It’s a sacred fire, but didn’t they feed it fire stones to keep it going?”

  Soraya shook her head. “The fire stones are there to ground the sacred fire. The fire itself is a ball of flames that has never gone out. It’s just that every so often, the fire stones are reduced to ashes and must be replaced.”

  “The ashes are then used in various blessings and rituals,” Nera told them. “Naming ceremonies, marriages. Your mother’s blessing where they determined she’d give birth to the next emperor.”

  “Yes, and usually, the flames are roaring and as big as a small house. Over the years, it’s progressively gotten smaller and smaller,” Soraya said, bringer her hands closer together to emphasize the change. “Only recently has the holy order been reached out to for assistance, as right now there are no flames, just smoldering embers.”

  “What?” Nera frowned.

  “If it’s been shrinking, why didn’t they reach out earlier?” Ash sneered with disapproval.

  “You know how they are,” Henry replied, shaking his head. “They don’t want to admit anything is going wrong.”

  “Well, the fire god certainly thinks it is,” Soraya said with a slight scoff. “Nothing they’re doing has brought the flames back.”

  Nera stared ahead of her. “If the flames of the fire god go out, Ashtar is said to lose its blessing and will fall into darkness.”

  Ash’s eyes widened. “Literal darkness?”

  His mother shook her head. “That I don’t know. It’s just something that’s been said, so I can understand why they didn't want news of the fire slowly dying to spread. It’s a bad omen.”

  “As if the Emperor losing all four of his sons just months after he was ‘reunited’ with his missing one isn’t a bad omen in itself,” Soraya said with a scowl. She looked at Nera. “How are they even sure he’s his son?”

  “We’re not sure if it’s his son, but he is blood related,” Henry said. “He had it done in secret first, but most of the palace knew. He used the blood scale to test for lineage.” He didn’t know how it worked, only that it used magic to determine if there was a close blood lineage. Each person provided some fresh blood on two scales and if the stone in the center glowed, they were closely blood related.

  “That only tests if they’re related, but not if they’re father and son,” Soraya said. “Isn’t there a chance that the fake prince is actually his cousin or nephew or even brother? His father was known to have affairs outside despite having several wives.”

  “Even if there was a chance. Even if there was a high chance,” Nera said. “You try convincing that obsessed lunatic that his precious son isn’t his child with that woman.” She narrowed her eyes as her face and voice went cold. “You know what he’s capable of doing when it comes to her.”

  ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

  “Madam, good evening.” Henry greeted her and gave her a small nod. The tall, slender woman who entered the tea house just as it was about to close was not turned away, as everyone was familiar with her and it was likely that she was there to speak to the owners.

  Henry was still in his serving apron and was removing the linen from a table near the entrance when he saw her.

  Her pointed ears had gold cuffs shaped like branches and leaves on them, and her long, brown hair was thick and braided, then coiled around her head. She was also wearing a work uniform, though hers was more a button up olive green smock with the symbol of her apothecary over her left breast.

  Upon seeing Henry, she gave him a warm smile. Though well past fifty, perhaps even nearing seventy considering being an elf, Aoife Nerium looked almost as young as her twenty-four-year-old daughter.

  “Good evening, Henry. I’m glad I caught you.” Wood elves always seemed to have such calm, low voices. They spoke gently and gave off a peaceful feeling, even when in battle.

  Henry gave her a respectful nod and put down the linens. He wiped his hands on his apron and walked towards her. “Would you like to come in for some tea?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, you are closing. This is a personal visit.” She reached into the pocket of her smock and produced a letter. “Elka sent me a letter to give to you. She’s at the marquisate and her cousins are nosy, so she didn’t want to send a letter to you directly.”

  Henry raised a brow, but extended his hand to receive the letter.

  “Thank you, Madam.”

  Aoife tilted her head. “I heard you are going to Dareisol.”

  “Yes, we’re accompanying Auntie Nera at the end of the month,” Henry replied. “From there, we’re going to the Invitational. Are you going this year?”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “No, unfortunately, the games this year coincide with the harvest,” she said with some disappointment. “I need to go back to my family’s territory to harvest and bring medicinal plants back to the apothecary. It is a shame, though. Nera said this was the last year she was going to participate and it’s always a pleasure watching her slaughter her way through the competition.”

  Henry let out an awkward laugh. Her soft, gentle voice really didn’t match with her words. “Well, we’ll miss you in our cheering section.”

  Aoife nodded. “I was looking forward to it, too. This year, my sister-in-law is competing on behalf of Doran City.” Her eyes narrowed just a bit and Henry could see a glint of viciousness in them. “A pity I won’t see her ground into the dirt by your mother.”

  Elka’s parents were unique in that while legally married, they didn’t live together most of the time. Aoife’s legal residence was Carthage Harbor, whereas Elka’s father, General Arelias, was a citizen of Dareisol, and led a good portion of his family’s marquisate’s army, meaning he was away from home most of the time.

  Dareisol and the Federation of Merchant Cities allowed for citizens to cross borders, live, and work freely, so technically, since her husband worked in Dareisol, Aoife could’ve followed and opened her apothecary there.

  Except she and the General’s family did not get along. Henry wasn’t sure of the details, but Elka’s mother refused to live in the marquisate. He was fairly certain it had something to do with the General’s eldest brother’s wife.

  “Aoife! We were going to get you on the way.” Soraya appeared with Margeaux and Nera. There was a theater performance on the mainland and they were going to see it that night. Henry was in charge of closing the store while Ash was watching their sister and her friends.

  “I had something to drop off to Henry from Elka,” Aoife said with a smile. “I just need to put my smock back and get my cloak.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Soraya said, ushering her outside.

  “Young Master, will you be able to handle the rest of closing?” Margeaux asked before she left. Henry nodded.

  “Auntie, if I can handle Ash, I can handle closing a store,” he said. She laughed and patted his shoulder before stepping outside, after Soraya and Aoife.

  “Don’t let Effie stay up too late,” Nera told him.

  “I won’t.” Nera patted his head, as she often did when he was a child, and stepped out to join her friends.

  Henry looked at the letter in his hands and squinted. He wanted to read it, but was still on the clock. Reluctantly, he slid it into his inner pocket.

  He assisted the closing crew, ensuring the shop was clean and ready for the morning before he saw the remaining staff off and locked up. He went through the back entrance to go up to his family’s home.

  It was surprisingly quiet considering Effie had friends over. Checking the clock, it was later than expected. They must’ve gone home already. Terry lived next door, but Cio’s house was a few blocks away, closer to the water.

  He reached the upper hall and took out the letter. Elka’s letters weren’t fancy. There were no custom wax stamps, flowers, or even a lingering scent on the paper, which was all the rage at the stationary store, according to Effie.

  Elka’s handwriting wasn’t elegant. It was legible, but rushed, as if evidence that she was making time to write in between her busy schedule or the chaos of battle. The paper this time was thicker than normal, meaning it was of high quality. She must’ve gotten it at her uncle’s house.

  He stopped in place to read the letter under one of the hall lights. There were two sheets folded in thirds, and the writing was familiar and sharp, showing little restraint and urgency. Henry hadn’t read it yet, but seeing the familiar scrawl made him smile. It was Elka’s handwriting.

  “Is that a love letter?”

  “Ah!” Henry jumped in place, clutching the envelope and letter to his chest as he whirled around. Effie was peeking out from the door to the library and Ash’s head was peeking out just above hers. Henry flushed as he shot his siblings a glare. “Why are you two hiding there?”

  “To surprise you,” Effie replied, as if it were obvious.

  Ash gave him a pitying look. “Frankly, I’m surprised that you were surprised so easily.”

  Henry hardened his glare at his brother. “Am I not allowed to lower my guard in my own house? I didn’t expect my own siblings to jump scare me.”

  Effie snorted. “I didn’t jump. I asked a question!” She then jumped out of the doorway and threw her arms up. “See? That’s jumping. And I did nothing of the sort earlier.”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for bed now?”

  “Second Brother is making me clean up.” Effie sent Ash an accusing glare as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  Ash sneered. “You think I’m going to clean up after you and your friends built a fort out of books and chair cushions? I think not.” He pointed into the room. “Now put the books away. I already did you a favor and returned the cushions.”

  Effie balked. “Returning the cushions is the easiest part!”

  “Do you think I’m going to do the hardest part? I didn’t make the mess.”

  “There are a lot of books and they’re heavy! I am small!” Effie shouted back. “Be reasonable!”

  Ash didn’t budge and looked down at his sister. “If they’re so heavy, how did you and your friends gather them?”

  “Teamwork! And if you’d help more, we’d be done by now!”

  “Well, if you didn’t move the books, we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.”

  Effie opened her mouth to retort, but found she had no comeback. Her pale face filled with color as her little fists fell to her side and clenched. Ash looked triumphant. Effie pointed out at him and let out a cry. “I hate you!”

  She whirled around and ran to Henry, looking for sympathy. She rammed into his leg and clung on to him. Henry sighed and stroked her head.

  “Ash,” he said, looking at his brother, exasperated. “Can’t you help more? Aren’t you supposed to be watching them?”

  Ash scoffed. “I took time out of my day to watch them. I told them that they’d have to return the books afterwards and they agreed. It’s not my fault that Effie said she’d put it all away so they could go home, and is now backing out.”

  “I’m not backing out!”

  “I don’t see you in there.”

  “Brother!” Effie’s eyes were red and Henry sighed once more.

  “Effie, if you said you would clean it up by yourself, then shouldn’t you do so? You can’t make Ash do everything,” Henry said.

  “But it’s taking so long and Second Brother is nagging me.”

  Ash was immediately insulted. “I didn’t nag-”

  Effie cut him off. “You’re bossing me around!”

  “All right, all right.” With Effie still hiding behind him, Henry got between his siblings. “Ash, sort the books into piles by where they are supposed to go. Effie, you will take the piles and return them to their rightful shelves. Ash didn’t make the mess, so he is already helping by sorting the books.” His eyes narrowed at Ash, silencing him before he could complain. “And all you have to do is sit there and sort the books. You don’t have to carry them or move much. Is that too much?”

  The last sentence was said with a hint of threatening, so Ash drew his lips in and gave a small, conceding nod. “Fine.” He said it, but his voice sounded not fine.

  Just to make sure there was no more fighting, Henry stood at the doorway, still holding his letter, and watching his siblings put the books away. Upon seeing the pile of books, he understood why Ash didn’t want to help more.

  It seems that Effie and her friends had moved entire lower shelves of books to make their fort. How three little children were able to make such a mess in a few hours was somewhat impressive, but he wouldn’t voice that for fear of encouraging his sister to make an even larger mess the next time.

  Effie only made it halfway through before Henry called it a night. Ash had finished sorting the books and an agreement was made that Effie could finish putting the books away in the morning, as it was a weekend and she had no school or classes. With her punishment postponed, Effie let out a cry of freedom and ran out of the room.

  Commodore, who was sleeping on a rug by the sofa, lazily got up and followed, smacking his jaws as if yawning.

  Ash walked out of the room with Henry, who looked at him. “Why did you let her make such a big mess?”

  “She assured me she would put the books away,” Ash replied, running a hand through his hair. “Next time, I won’t let her take so many.”

  Henry let out a small grumble. “When she’s older and has better control, she can get small animals to help her put things away.”

  Ash raised a brow and looked at him with some disbelief. “Is that possible?”

  “It’s how Auntie used to put away all your toys,” Henry told him with some side eye. “Because you just left them where they were and then wandered off. You’d get so tired; you’d fall asleep wherever you were and no one had the heart to wake you. She didn’t want us to clean up after you, so she had the animals do it.”

  Ash knit his brows together. “That can’t be right. I remember when I woke up, there would be a mess and she’d make me clean it up.”

  “Yeah, the animals returned the things in the morning. It’s just that the weather could damage the toys and it was dangerous to leave them lying around in the dark. People would have tripped on them, so they were cleared,” Henry told him. “Before you got up, the animals put the toys back. Then you were made to clean them up yourself. Auntie went through a lot of trouble to ensure you were responsible...yet here you are.”

  Ash glared back at him. “I am responsible where it matters.”

  “You ran away-”

  “I got a part time job!” Ash quickened his speed. “I need to get some paperwork done for Hana. I’ll see you in the morning!”

  Henry raised a brow and watched his brother rush off to go to his room. Alone in the hallway once more, Henry stopped beside another light to read the letter.

  Elka started off with a quick greeting sentence and then reported where she was and what she was doing. The reason she was at her family’s marquisate and not patrolling the leased territory of Dareisol nobles was that the skirmishes intensified, and her patrol was pulled back and replaced with a heavier patrol.

  Frowning, Henry leaned against the wall.

  According to Elka, they had confirmed that the groups mining so close to the leased mines were from Ashtar, and that the landlords of the area had agreed to it, essentially accepting the money, and leaving the two parties to fight amongst themselves. The interlopers crossed into Dareisol leased property numerous times, even brazenly taking over a work area overnight.

  Elka and her brother had to forcibly remove them, and now, the mines were being walled off to prevent such occurrences, but they couldn’t stop the Ashtari miners from mining around them. However, Dareisol’s military presence had prompted Ashtari military presence in the area.

  Leasing land for resources from willing countries was one thing, but military presence was something else. Dareisol’s patrols had only moved to secure Dareisol interests, but would not go any further. Dareisol was the largest empire on the continents; it was wealthy and influential, and had a policy of non-expansion in the last few centuries in order to focus on trade and technological advancement.

  There had been plenty of times since that policy was put in place where their inactivity was seen as a weakness, and neighboring countries tried their hands at expansion into Dareisol. All had been met with resistance and, in some cases, a defeat so glaring, several smaller kingdoms were razed to their capital before Dareisol retreated. As a warning.

  Therefore, Dareisol’s troops would only secure the leased territories and wouldn’t attack, unless prompted. As long as Ashtar didn’t escalate and kept to themselves, there wouldn’t be a problem, but Henry doubted that was what was going to happen.

  Elka was only staying at the marquisate until they needed to increase their forces, in which case, she and her youngest brother would be sent out again.

  Henry took a deep breath. It seemed Dareisol was preparing for an eventual conflict. A conflict that would involve Elka.

  “You look sad.”

  He lifted his head and saw Effie walking past him in her little house robe, appearing to be heading to the kitchen.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be going to bed?”

  “All that cleaning made me hungry,” she replied, without looking back. Commodore followed behind her. “You look like you can use a snack too. Come join me, Brother.”

  Sounding like a little adult, Effie waved her hand at him. Henry decided to follow her and make sure her snack didn’t start any fires. Effie was still a child and any cooking or baking was done under supervision. Despite this, the seven-year-old still cooked better than Nera.

  They walked into the kitchen and instead of going to the cabinets, Effie climbed on to one of the stools by the counter and then clasped her hands in front of her, waiting.

  Somehow, I knew it would end up like this. Henry sighed and went to prepare her a small snack. “How about some fried cheese sticks?”

  “Whatever you want, Brother,” Effie replied magnanimously.

  Henry shook his head and began to prepare the cheese and pan. “Why do you think I look sad?”

  “Because you look sad,” Effie told him. “I can feel it. People are animals, too.” It seemed that Effie had realized she could read people like animals. She tapped the counter and leaned forward. “Tell me. How can I help you?”

  He cracked a small smile. “I’m your big brother. I should be the one helping you.”

  “But I am your sister. I should also be helping you,” Effie countered. “Hana says that I must reciprocate the help and support my brothers give me when I can, because we are family. That’s why even though she’s busy building stuff with Second Brother, she still has time to improve her brothers’ tools.”

  “Hana is exceptionally talented when it comes to devices,” Henry said, slicing a cheese block with his back to his sister.

  “And I am exceptionally good at talking to animals,” Effie replied. “So, I can help you there. What do you need? Information? I can get that.”

  Henry held back a laugh. No one could get information like beast masters. Still, he didn’t want to burden his younger sister. “You don’t need to gather information for me.”

  “Don’t you want to know what’s happening at those foreign mines that are in other countries?”

  Henry perked up and turned around. Effie was reading the letter he left on the counter and he silently scolded himself for having placed it there. “Excuse me, but are you reading something you are not supposed to be reading?”

  “You left it in front of me, therefore, it is open for reading,” Effie said, though she folded the letter up quickly and stuffed it back into the envelope. “Brother, I will send some birds to the area to observe for you.”

  “Effie-”

  “Don’t try to stop me!” Effie told him with a frown. “I need practice and you need information. It’s a win for both of us.”

  “All right, but how will the information get to me? We’re going to take different routes into Dareisol.” He, Ash, and Soraya were taking a ship to a northern port and then riding by horseback to the estate to deal with the alleged haunted painting. Effie and Nera were taking a ship to Solyek in the opposite direction and then a carriage to Soljek, the nearby city and capital of Dareisol, also formerly the southern kingdom’s capital before the unification.

  The family was supposed to meet in Soljek to then go to the Invitational in Shae Merchant City, on the other side of the continent.

  Effie let out a small ‘tsk’ sound. “You’re underestimating me. Momma says I’m a stronger beast master than she is, and Second Brother is always giving me ideas to try.”

  “Oh?” Henry held back a small chuckle so as not to anger her. “Like what?”

  Effie lifted her chin, proud. “I created an animal information network!”

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  “I can really use Effie’s animal information network now.” Ash sat on his saddle as they emerged from the forest road and on to the cleared lands used for farming. The outline of a town could be seen further down, surrounded by fields of greenery and some gold.

  However, what got their attention was a large manor on one of the hills overlooking the valley. The imposing stone manor had several turret towers, but from the looks of it, at least one had fallen apart and crumbled.

  It was midday, and the shadows from the taller mountains surrounding the valley had been cast over the manor, making it look out of place above the sunny countryside.

  “We don’t need Effie’s animal information network to know that it’s haunted,” Soraya replied with narrowed eyes.

  Henry and Ash both looked at her. “Then, it’s a ghost?” Henry asked.

  Soraya shrugged. “I don’t know, but it certainly gives off that feeling doesn’t it? All it needs is a flash of lightning...maybe some rain.”

  Henry rolled his eyes and Ash rubbed his arms after shivering. He could feel the bumps rising as soon as Soraya said ‘haunted’. “Aunt, if it’s not haunted, don’t scare me like that.”

  Soraya grinned. “Aren’t you too old to be scared of ghosts?”

  “First of all, one is never too old to be afraid of the unknown and evil,” Ash replied with a huff. “Second....” He motioned towards the manor in the distance. “It just looks...creepy.”

  “It’s old,” Henry said. “And no one has lived there for some time. The whole reason the estate owner sent people there was to renovate it and clean it up, as it was left to fall apart for decades. Of course, it’s going to look dilapidated.”

  “There are some places that are dilapidated that aren’t creepy,” Ash retorted.

  Soraya gave him a look. “Such as?”

  “The tomb pyramids we found in West Iveria.”

  Both Henry and Soraya gave Ash dull looks. “Nephew, you are saying that a tomb is less creepy than a dilapidated manor?”

  “Look at it.” Ash waved towards the manor once more. “Tell me it doesn’t look like the moment you swing the door open; you’ll hear a loud creak and footsteps in an empty hallway.”

  Henry looked away with a disgusted shake of his head. “Ash, you’re scaring yourself over nothing.”

  “I can’t believe you’re more scared of an empty manor than a tomb filled with the dead,” Soraya said with a snort as she looked ahead.

  “I’m not scared, I’m just saying that even this far away, I can tell there is something wrong with that manor.”

  “Magic?” Soraya asked.

  Henry snorted. “Structural integrity?”

  Ash scowled. “Never mind. I’m sure we’ll understand more when we get there.”

  “First we ask around the town,” Soraya said. “There is a procedure to this. We need to find out as much as we can about the manor before we enter. The dossier the Guild provided didn’t give many details.”

  “What should we ask for?” Henry asked.

  “History of the manor itself, what happened to the previous owner, if they saw anyone coming and going recently,” Soraya explained. “Once we have a baseline, we can then ask about anything strange. Noises, abnormal weather patterns, abnormal actions of the people close to it. We try to find out possible theories on what’s causing any abnormalities, then we begin our preliminary investigation on site.”

  Ash scrunched his face. “This sounds like there is a lot more paperwork to this than just going in and exorcising a ghost.”

  “You don’t want to be unprepared,” Soraya said, reaching over and ruffling his hair. “Didn’t your Momma teach you that?”

  “She did, but this isn’t something we usually deal with,” Henry replied. “Also, what can Ash and I do? Neither of us have holy powers and I don’t think Ash has used light energy for things like this.”

  “I can use light energy with a weapon to kill demon animals, but I read that demon animals are relatively low tier in terms of demon strength and ability,” Ash told them. “So...I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’ll deal with it if it’s really haunted,” Soraya fumbled through her back for a spyglass to take a better look at the manor. “In fact, I don’t want you two to come until I’ve confirmed it. Without proper training, you could become victims, too.”

  “Then, we’ll just wait outside?” Ash asked. Henry frowned at this.

  “Just wait for me in the town below. We’ll get some rooms at an inn and then expense it,” Soraya answered. The calmness and confidence in her voice relaxed Ash.

  He reminded himself that Soraya had revealed her suitability for her career path when she was thirteen and had been training ever since, so she had many years of experience. This was just another day on the job for her.

  “How long do you think it will take to verify once you enter?” Henry asked.

  “It shouldn’t take long. I may even sense a presence before I enter. If I do, I’ll come and get you to wait on standby in case divine fire is needed. Whether it is or isn’t, if the painting is haunted, I will take care of it. Ash, you are only to get involved if it’s magic. Otherwise, maintain your distance.”

  “Understood.”

  Their horses rode into town in a small row with Soraya leading them by half a head. Ash looked around. His preliminary assessment was it was just a normal rural town. Slightly larger than a village, but smaller than a large town. The main street was paved, but the small ones were still dirt.

  The town had grown organically with winding streets and a small river that ran through. There were a few small wooden bridges, but several brick buildings on the main street. A post office, a small medical center, and a town hall. There was a school along the edge of the town and from the lack of children playing, it seemed they were still in the middle of class.

  “The Guild recommends an inn near the town center,” Ash told them. Even in rural towns, there were travelers who passed through. Sometimes they were merchants, but often times, they were adventurers.

  They found the inn with ease and Soraya went to arrange for two rooms: one for herself and one to be shared by the brothers. Henry and Ash brought their horses to the stables before walking back around to the front of the inn.

  “Is that Ash?” A man’s voice came from behind them and the two brothers turned around.

  Two women and a man were standing together, having just stepped out of the bakery across the street. They looked to be in their late twenties and wore standard adventurer’s garb of the region. The man with the curly brown hair was squinting at him.

  Beside him, the woman with the braided black hair rolled her eyes. “Are you going to ask every male Lunapsar you meet if they’re Ash?”

  “No,” the other woman with short brown hair said, also looking towards Ash. “He does look like Ash.”

  Ash’s brows shot up. Beside him, Henry leaned over. “Do you know them?”

  Ash nodded his head and whispered back. “I part-timed in their party on a quest for the Goblet of Saint Lucrecia.” He lifted a hand and gave the trio a small wave. “I am Ash.”

  The man’s face lit up and he laughed. He slapped the woman’s back heartily. “I told you that was Ash!”

  The woman rolled her eyes, but the other woman with short chair already began to cross the street. “Ash! How are you? Look at you!” She laughed as she put her hands on his shoulders and looked him up and down like an elder who hadn’t seen a child in so long. “You’ve grown!”

  Ash laughed and smiled. “It’s been a few years. How are you all doing?”

  “Good, for the most part,” the woman said as the other two joined them.

  The man patted Ash’s shoulder while the woman with the braided hair gave him a kind smile. “You know, we kept hoping you’d pick up another temp position we requested, but you never did.”

  Ash lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his hair sheepishly. “I take breaks every now and then, so I’m not consistent.”

  Henry gave him side eye and Ash pretended he didn’t see it. “Oh, this is my brother, Henry Atractas.” Henry extended his hand to the older adventurers. “Brother, this is Asal,” he began motioning to the woman with the braided hair. “And her cousins, Farin and Nima.” The short haired woman and the man, respectively.

  “Nice to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my brother,” Henry greeted them.

  “Ash is an excellent party member. He’s the best beast tamer we’ve ever encountered. I’d dare say he’s better than some beast masters,” Asal replied. “You should be very proud of him.”

  Henry raised a brow. “Did he pay you to say that?”

  The group laughed as Ash snorted. He looked back at the adventurers. “Are you here on a quest?” He looked around. “And where are Jasper and Cyrus?”

  The smiles on the faces of the three adventurers fell. Ash watched their expressions become a mixture of concern and sadness. It seemed they didn’t have a falling out. Perhaps they were injured?

  Nima looked past Ash, towards the mountains in the background. “They’re why we’re here,” he said. “Cyrus picked up a request from the Guild a few months ago to investigate something here and Jasper went with him, as we don’t let each other take solo quests, even if the pay is only for one person. The request had been up for some time, so the amount was substantial.”

  Asal frowned. “Cyrus never came back and the Guild wasn’t able to reach him, so we came here to find him ourselves.”

  Ash’s eyes slowly grew large as the realization struck him. The names of the mages who disappeared were not mentioned in the dossier, but it turned out he knew at least one of them. “Cyrus was the mage who went missing in the estate?”

  they know someone who knows you, and those people have spoken of you often enough that it left specific lasting impressions? I didn't fully grasp this until my nephew's wedding and found out I had lore amongst his cousins.

  Thank you for taking time to read!