“I hate this part.Every night when I go to sleep, they never let me dream.

  Instead, they force me to remember, to remember the night when The Kingdom fell… when I fell.

  That exact moment when fire rained from the sky, I fell through the pink dome, Jenna had made… And then I landed.”

  Ow.

  That… doesn't feel great.

  Ringing overcame my ears, and I felt myself reaching up to clutch the side of my head, red was covering my vision.

  Flames?

  It was hot… Right, Jenna… I failed to stop her.

  I heard something in the distance, the sounds of someone shouting, slowly I got to my feet.

  And slowly I forced myself to move, it was then that I had a realization the red in my vision wasn’t flames.

  Blood.

  It was blood.

  I winced, grabbing the back of my head, it was wet, slowly I lowered that hand, using my free one to wipe some of the blood away.

  At the very least I could see now, but that didn’t help the shock that came with seeing my hands covered in blood. At first, I was worried it was someone else's, but it became clear with the overwhelming headache that it was mine.

  The back of my head had cracked, I couldn’t tell if it was fatal or not… but at the very least I could still move.

  So.

  I began to run towards the sounds of the screams, despite every fiber of my being screaming at me to get help.

  To find someone to help me.

  I ran to help others.

  That was when I saw it, the source of the screams, a man.

  A man who was leaning forward in agony, he had brown hair and wore clothes that were covered in soot and ash, and he clutched the head of a child, cradling their limp body close to his chest as he screamed.

  Skylar stared at the sight with wide eyes, that was all she could do, stare with those eyes.

  After all this scene in part had been her fault, she was too weak to save The Kingdom from the wrath of a single person.

  The horrible weight of reality crumbling before her, the man took in a shaky breath before looking up at Skylar, his own eyes wide upon witnessing her, “You…” he gritted his teeth, “It was you! If it wasn’t for you none of this would have happened! My family would still be alive!”

  He shouted, his grief overcoming him as he set the corpse of his child onto the ground, his hands balled into fists.

  He lunged forward throwing his fist forward, Skylar could have dodged it easily.

  Of course, she could have, the wind told her how, but.

  It connected.

  That fist slammed into her cheek and she fell to the ground, she deserved it.

  She felt she deserved every second of this.

  For failing them.

  The man lunged forward, lashing out in his rage, pinning Skylar to the ground he threw his fist down, again.

  Then raised another, pelting her with blow after blow, it didn’t hurt anymore.

  Her cheeks had already begun to grow numb, her own consciousness started to fade.

  It’d be alright if she slept now right?

  …It’s not like the world ever needed her.

  It kept turning.

  Moving in its horrific ways.

  But just before her eyes closed, she felt something.

  The blow of the wind.

  It was harsher this time, so harsh that it blew the man backward.

  Skylar blinked slowly and turned to her left, there on a nearby rooftop she saw Passer knelt down, looking right into Skylar’s eyes, a rainbow crystal shard in her right hand.

  Skylar blinked at the sight.

  “Stupid…” she muttered the word as she slowly got up, “this is so stupid… Why do I have to be the one to live? Why do others keep sacrificing themselves for me? Why do I have to be the one to clean up after so many messes?”

  It hurt.

  Oh, how it hurt.

  But she couldn’t just sit there, not with that gaze burning into her memory, she turned to the man on the ground who now looked at Skylar horrified, Skylar looked to that man with determined fury, “Take her and bury her.” she spat blood leaking from the right side of her mouth, the man nodded slowly.

  Running over to his dead child, and picking her up, Skylar paused looking back to that rooftop, sure enough, Passer was gone.

  But on the ground right in front of Skylar was a red potion left behind.

  “Tsk.” she reached down and picked up that potion taking off its cap, and swallowed the contents, immediately the wounds started to heal.

  Her energy was still sapped for the most part, but at least she could move her limbs more freely.

  So what was she to do with the feeling in her limbs restored?

  The first thing she did was reach up and grab the side of her head, wincing as she did so, she had a headache.

  She paused as she saw a nearby puddle of water, she glanced at it seeing her eyes retain that emerald glow.

  She was covered in her own blood, “...” Silence was all that exited her lips as she stared at her own reflection.

  She… looked different, more bitter perhaps.

  …It had been a long day, but she hardly had the time to rest, she had to see if there were any other survivors, she had to help.

  …

  That was her job after all, no it was more than that.

  But why?

  …What was it that pulled her to help these people?

  No, now wasn’t the time to be dwelling on such things.

  Skylar found herself moving once more, she walked up to one of the many nearby burning houses, putting her sleeve over her mouth to try and keep the smoke from entering her lungs.

  She winced at the sight of people’s flesh melted, a duo had wrapped their arms around one another before being crushed under burning rubble.

  “...I’m sorry,” Skylar muttered the words into her muffled sleeve.

  “Are you now?” a voice entered her ears, and Skylar’s eyes widened. She turned around to see a man standing a fair distance away, a hand on his hip, his eyes shining a bright crimson.

  Wrath stood at his full height, “And what is being sorry going to accomplish in the grand scheme of things?”

  Skylar narrowed her gaze, “Your…”

  “An Eternal. Like Pride before… Though to compare myself to a failure such as her brings nothing but irritation to me.” he stated taking a step forward, only for him to arch a brow as Skylar got into a battle stance, he paused, sighing for a moment as he shook his head, “See? This is where comparisons get you…” he locked his gaze on Skylar and fury entered his eyes, “You seem to have made the mistake of thinking we are equals.”

  “If you're here to hurt anyone else… Then I’ll stop you!” Skylar declared instantly in response, the fury in Wrath’s eyes never faded, but they simmered burning ever so faintly if only for this moment as he threw out a question.

  “How?” he smirked wickedly, “you think that you can match me with your fists? They shall break before you reach me. Or perhaps with that ever so useful wind magic of yours? Ah, but the wind will not blow over someone who is stronger than it is…” Wrath pointed forward, “You. Are. Nothing.”

  Skylar frowned for a moment, “I’m not sure what you're referring to, I’ve already taken down two gods, a dragon, A titan… and I’ve gone toe to toe with Pride, I think I’m more than a match for you!” Skylar shouted in response.

  Wrath lowered his hand slowly, the wind blew sending embers into the air, “Ego, is all you have. But of course, it is, your pride is in flames, burning up around you. Your hopes are dashed and left to rot on the rocks, so that only leaves you with Ego, the Ego of a big shot.”

  Skylar gritted her teeth and roared running forward as she pulled back her right fist, she threw it forward aiming right for Wrath’s face, only for her eyes to widen as his fist stopped just short, she didn’t stop it herself…

  It was like, it was being held in place, by some invisible force, Wrath then reached up slowly, “You are unfocused,” he grabbed hold of Skylar’s wrist and slowly began to bend it backward, her body was frozen she couldn’t fight the grip of this man, “Untrained.” her arm began to bend backward, her eyes widened fearfully in the realization of what was about to come, “unworthy.” The sickening crack of Skylar’s left arm breaking resounded throughout the area she fell backward onto the ground, clenching her arm in pain, she had little time to process that pain through, as Wrath’s boot slammed into her gut with enough force to cause her to spit blood from her mouth.

  Her right arm fell limp at her side, and Wrath lifted his boot once more stomping on that arm, his eyes shining with power, “Still think your tough big shot?" he let the question hang in the air for a moment as Skylar screamed in agony.

  Wrath frowned bitterly before speaking once more, “Do you know why? Why is it that you cannot so much as land a finger upon me?” he reached down and grabbed Skylar by the hair forcing her to look Wrath in the eyes, “It is because you lack conviction, you talk big, but the words you speak fall flat on your own ears… for every word you speak is a lie, how can you expect anyone to believe you if you don’t believe your own words?” Wrath declared pulling back his right fist and slamming it into Skylar’s face, he then pulled it back once more, “I will never be defeated by you, not as you are now.” Slam!

  Once more his fist collided, and he pulled it back again, “An ignorant child who can’t even find the strength to believe in herself could never stand to the Eternals!” one more his fist hit this one hit with enough force to break Skylar’s nose, she fell to the ground clutching her face in pain,

  Wrath however cared little for the screams of an ignorant child. He raised his right hand a black energy began to swirl around it, “Such is the infinite gulf between us.” Wrath declared ready to throw his hand down that was…

  “I would advise against such a thing.” Origin’s voice rang out, and Wrath paused, yet he did not look away from Skylar.

  “...And why is that? Even you can see the potential within the girl, if allowed to live, she’ll put everything in jeopardy.” Wrath declared he was one to follow orders, but when the orders didn’t make sense… even he would question them.

  Origin smiled confidently, “Perhaps so, but even an unstable tool has its uses, I would see that she is put to use until her final moments…” Origin declared.

  Wrath paused for a moment before he glanced over his shoulder, “Even if that use, results in the death of our kind?”

  “Death is simply another barrier for us to pass through.” Origin responded flatly, “Just like all the others.”

  Wrath opened his mouth to speak, only to close it prompt, as his gaze turned back to Skylar, “...Very well then.” he lowered his hand and removed his boot from Skylar’s broken arm, “Rejoice, you live to see another day… we shall meet again, of this much I am certain.” he turned around and walked towards Origin, Origin looked to Skylar with a smile even as she looked up with her own vengeful gaze.

  “You would do well to keep that gaze, revenge is a weapon, just like any other emotion… I hope to see you put it to good use.” with that he vanished, along with Wrath.

  Skylar grit her teeth slowly arching her neck upward she stared into the sky sucking in the air and pulling it deep into her lungs with her next move.

  She screamed.

  Chapter 3: Thunderclap.

  Skylar’s eyes snapped open and she immediately lunged upward, her breathing was ragged and she was covered in sweat, a ringing was in her ears, vision blurry, where was she?

  The sight of unfamiliar walls, sights, and sounds, all of them overwhelmed her senses at once.

  Her eyes darted around the room rapidly, like a panicked animal looking for an escape.

  The door, A window to her left, were both options for a quick escape, there was a closet right next to that door, and her clothes?

  Gone.

  An unfamiliar outfit was on her, a white shirt and blue pants, she quickly glanced out the window, Jubilee.

  She was still in Jubilee, her nerves settled just a little at that, at the very least that meant she wasn’t in a completely unknown city.

  Granted she was still in a complete stranger's house, but it was the little things that kept her sane at this point.

  Slowly Skylar pulled herself out of the bed she was lying in, she walked over to the closet, and opened the doors.

  Her jacket was still inside, she smiled at that sight, she would have preferred a black shirt to go with it, not that anyone would see the undershirt, but it was a nice color.

  Regardless she reached out and grabbed the jacket, slipping it on and putting the buttons together.

  She then looked to the door to her right and paused, she glanced once more to the window, she could just leap out of that with no issue.

  She took a step towards that window, only to pause.

  “...Striga.” she muttered the name and frowned.

  That’s when the pieces in her head clicked, this was likely Striga’s house, or maybe someone she knew?

  Either way, that was the only logical conclusion she could draw when she considered the events that lead up to this moment.

  Irritation appeared on Skylar’s face and she folded her arms as she glanced once more at that door, “I guess it’d be rude to just vanish through a window huh…” She unfolded those arms and with a scowl walked to that door grabbing hold of the doorknob.

  And with a twist, she swung that door open only to be greeted not by one new face, but two.

  “Ah, it would seem our guest is awake sister.” A young woman with yellow hair responded, she wore a maid outfit, she wore a smile on her face, and her azure eyes shined with kindness.

  The other person wearing the same maid outfit put a finger to her chin, “Hm? Are you sure sister, she still looks kind of out of it to me.” Same hair complexion, even hair, the only real difference was the eye color, that being pure crimson.

  “Azala!” The other sibling shouted, “Don’t be rude to our guest, Miss Valery here saved Striga’s life after all!”

  “Saved her life?” Skylar at last spoke, “I mean… I helped a little… but I wouldn’t say I saved her life…” Skylar put a hand on the back of her neck rubbing nervously.

  Truth be told, she didn’t want this incident to go floating around the city, it would cause her nothing but trouble later.

  Azala tilted her head to the side, “Seems to me like you're just being modest, the mistress has never invited a guest over before… Not in all her time here, you're the first. Is that right Mahala?”

  The second sibling now known to Skylar as Mahala responded, “Indeed, that must make you a very special person!” so the maid clapped her hands together, “Ah but I digress, is there anything we can get for you?”

  Skylar frowned at that, she didn’t really want to be pushy.

  But… there was one particular thing she wanted, something that had been nagging on her mind since she awoke.

  “Any chance you have some black shirts?” Skylar questioned.

  ***

  Jenna walked through the dark hallways of her mansion, a place where none could reach her no matter how hard they searched, even though she wasn’t entirely sure of its properties, a problem.

  But one she couldn’t rectify, a rarity these days.

  She paused as she found herself walking down her large staircase into the dining room, there at the other end of her table, she saw a girl, a girl with blond hair and sparkling green eyes, a smile on her face in stark contrast to the vulgar scene ahead of her.

  As she stabbed the fork in her hand down to the severed finger of a corpse, the girl paused before looking up her smile widened as she saw Jenna, “A pleasure to see you after all this time.” the girl spoke, setting her fork down and standing up. She wore a black gown, with a long white jacket draped over her torso, a blue cloth was stitched to her right shoulder draping all the way down to her waist, and on her chest was a silver chest piece.

  If nothing else the girl had style, “and it seems you’ve been busy! Lurking around in the shadows after your mass slaughter!” she then reached out grabbing her fork and bringing its attached contents to her lip, biting down, blood splattered along her teeth and she ran her tongue across those tainted pearly whites, she paused for a moment as Jenna began to descend the staircase, “Though… There is one thing that bothers me, and that is your lack of action regarding the Shadewalker… I’m certain you have a plan for all of us, but if she is allowed to live, then it will cause undue distress. And so I find myself here, wondering this simple question.” The girl stabbed her fork into the wooden table as she locked eyes with Jenna.

  "The question is if you even have a plan or not Jenna." The girl spoke as she casually ran her finger along the end of her fork, Jenna sighed in irritation taking a seat at her own table, "You say that as if it would matter to you, I thought you were the type to take orders like a loyal dog, or perhaps I was mistaken about that particular fact Lux." Jenna stated as she reached out removing the covering from her own meal, “A dog of war is fit for combat, not questioning the plots of their leaders.”

  Lux paused at that, glancing up from her fork, a smile appeared on her face and lighting sparked around her fingertips, "Well... If you do have a battle for me to fight, I'd certainly like to hear of it. Nothing gets the lighting flowing through my veins quite like a good battle." Lux then stood up and a pink portal appeared to her right, Lux arched a brow looking at Jenna who was taking a drink from her cup.

  “Your target is Skylar Shadewalker… of course, you are not to kill her, anyone else is fair game.” Jenna declared with a glare.

  Lux turned back to the portal, “Gotcha, don’t kill. But returning them within an ilm of their life should be fine right?”

  “Do as you wish in that regard,” Jenna responded with her eyes closed, Lux chuckled as she walked through that portal not uttering another word.

  Jenna opened her eyes and stared forward, “...and now I wait, to see how the Shadewalker reacts to my generous gift… After all, anyone with a brain would know that Lux stands no chance against Skylar.” Slowly Jenna reached out grasping a colored eyeball, before popping it into her mouth she leaned back in her chair, “The storms of Jubilee shall soon settle, and from the turbulent winds, the flames of war shall be known across the realms.” a devilish smile formed, her fangs bare for anyone to see, “I shall grant you this much Eternal’s your kind know better than most how to put on a show.” Jenna glanced to her right seeing a window nearby, and a memory shot into her mind.

  “Why is it that humans and gods fight?” A young girl with silver hair questioned as she stared out the window.

  Jenna paused at that, “Survival. Humans exist on the lays of the land, the land, and livestock they create… whereas we gods exist off the boundless mana the islands provide, and the flesh of humans.” Jenna explained to the small child.

  “...So you can’t coexist? There’s really… no way for us to live in peace?” The child turned to look at Jenna with those pure emerald eyes of there’s.

  Reality came crashing back, and Jenna found herself frowning.

  After all that memory only stirred up hatred, not for the child, nor for the world.

  Hatred at herself.

  ***

  “I’ll admit, when you told me to follow you, I didn’t really know what to expect.” Skylar stated with a smirk, before walking out of a small dressing room, “But if nothing else you guys have a lot of options for clothing.” She now wore a black jacket, with a brown undershirt, her red scarf was returned to her and wrapped around her neck, she wore blue jeans that covered her legs, and she now had brown boots, “So then… do I owe you anything for this?” Skylar questioned.

  Only one maid remained now, Mahala supposedly the other one had gone to make the meal for the owner of this place, Mahala clasped her hands together, “Of course not! You are the guest after all, and the debt this house owes you is great indeed!”

  “Debt huh…” Skylar paused at the words, and memories of Tetra and Leo flashed through her head, “...Well then, with these you can tell Striga that debt is repaid.” Skylar responded with a smile as she walked to the door.

  “Wha-” Mahala responded with a shocked expression, “But miss Valery! I couldn’t possibly-”

  “Please.” Skylar responded without turning around, she stood there in that doorway for a moment, “I’ve already seen enough people fall in my path… I don’t need anyone else to fight for me.” Without uttering another word Skylar walked through that door and made her way down the hallway, that was until she found herself at a set of two staircases separated by rails, she looked down to the bottom of the staircase and saw a large double door.

  Without much thought, she walked down those stairs and reached for the doors ahead, “Leaving already?” Striga’s voice came from behind her, causing Skylar to flinch.

  She turned around and glanced to the side nervously, “...I’ve got my own problems to worry about. I didn’t even plan to help you, I was just in the area.”

  “Mhmm.” Striga smirked with her arms folded, “Well if you must get going that’s fine, but… You should at least be aware that I am truly grateful for what you’ve done.”

  Skylar reached out and grabbed the handles of the door, before looking at her own hands, “...I didn’t do it for you.” she pulled on those handles and swung the door open, “I’m just sick of seeing good people die pointless deaths.” she declared bitterly as she walked forward.

  The door shut behind her leaving Striga alone with her thoughts, “A shame that.” Striga said, closing her eyes, “There are no good people in Jubilee, not while the storm remains.” she then opened those eyes before turning around and making her way to the dining hall.

  ***

  Skylar found herself walking along the edges of the city, near the top of the dome. She still had work to do sure, but she also needed some time to clear her head, as she always did after that nightmare.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Of course that was easier said than done with the storm constantly causing noise around this place, seriously it was a wonder that anyone ever managed to sleep in this place.

  …But the isolation was nice, at least she didn’t have to worry about encountering other people she knew.

  Well… At least not anyone she liked, she was more than aware of the possibility that she could encounter Jenna or even any of the Eternals.

  After all, they both seemed to have some strange abilities that allowed them to go wherever they pleased, perhaps even underneath the clouds…

  She let out a sigh reaching into her pockets and checking her small purse. There was still a good amount of money, but it’d run dry sooner or later…

  “Maybe I should look into getting a job here for the time being?” Skylar muttered the idea out loud.

  “Should have asked the maids for more cash.”

  Skylar glared to her right, though there was nobody there Alma knew that the glare was intended for him, “I already imposed on them enough by simply staying the night, I’m not going to ask more of them.”

  “Afraid of becoming attached are we?”

  That hit the nail on the head.

  Skylar hated this dragon for being so observant, so she folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks denying the accusation outright, “As if!”

  She then glanced down at the city once more growing as she did so, “...Maybe a little.”

  “It’s a beautiful place isn’t it.” A voice suddenly interjected, Skylar practically leaped into the air in surprise, she quickly turned to her right, and there Lux stood.

  “On your guard Shadewalker… there’s something wrong with this one.”

  Alma spoke, but Skylar didn’t respond to Alma anymore.

  “Er, yeah… It’s pretty cool I suppose.” Skylar stated, a bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck, she wasn’t a fool, the only reason Alma would sense anything would be if the girl in front of her was a god.

  She had nothing but her fists to fight back with, as such trying to combat this god was nothing short of a terrible idea.

  So instead she had to resort to talking her way out of this situation, that is if she could even work up normal words.

  The god turned to look at Skylar, their emerald eyes piercing Skylar’s soul, “...Heh, your kinda cute you know that?” The god stated with a sly smirk before extending their right hand, “Name’s Lux, and you are?” Lux kept that perfect smile as she stared right into Skylar’s eyes, Skylar slowly reached out her hand grasping Lux’s.

  “Valery.” She spoke her fake name without hesitation. Wanting to keep as much of herself as she could, hidden from this new threat.

  Lux tilted her head somewhat at that, “Valery… No. No, I don’t think that’s it.” Lux’s grip suddenly tightened, “It’s not very becoming of a warrior to lie like that Skylar.” Lux stated instantly seeing through the ruse Skylar had set up.

  Skylar narrowed her gaze dangerously, “What do you want?”

  “Me?” Lux put her free hand to her heart smiling innocently, “Oh nothing, nothing at all! At least not at the moment… I like to size up my meal before taking it in… And I got to say miss Shadewalker, you look absolutely ravishing.” Lux was practically salivating just looking at Skylar.

  Skylar quickly retracted her hand taking a step backward.

  Skylar then clenched her right hand into a fist, it took every ounce of willpower not to enter a fighting stance of reflex alone, “If you think I’m going to be an easy meal then you're wrong.” She spat back at the god before her.

  Lux chuckled, turning to look at the storm, “The wind howls, it always does, keeping this city safe from outside forces, but wouldn’t you say that this storm is… unnatural?” Lux glanced at Skylar with one eye, “I mean come now, a storm that comes and goes at the same size and speed? Seems a little far-fetched don’t you think?”

  Skylar paused at that, glancing at the storm, she let the words roll around in her head before her eyes widened slightly, “Oh… Oh no…”

  Lux smiled at the gears turning in Skylar’s head, “I’ll do you a solid and tell the truth right now… I am Lux, God Of The Storm… And this!” she threw her hands to the side, “Is my magnum opus!”

  Skylar took a step backward, realizing the true danger of the situation, “Your bluffing.” she concluded instantly.

  Lux chuckled, lowering her hands, “I very well could be.” she confirmed, but she refused to do anything to prove otherwise.

  Lux then proceeded to walk to the very edge of the platform, never losing that confident smile, “Oh relax cute thing… I’m not here to hurt you today…” She put a hand on her hip, “As I said, I’m sizing you up, nothing more and nothing less… Though if you want to chase after me, feel free to do so, I’m quite confident I can kill you, Skylar Shadewalker.” with that final statement she leaped into the storm vanishing from Skylar’s sight.

  Skylar exhaled, she hadn’t even realized she was holding her breath until this moment, she put a hand over her heart.

  “...She seems to be attracted to you.”

  Skylar’s face instantly flushed red, “Shut up.” and she glanced to the side fidgeting with the fabric of her hoody.

  “Oh my god you're into her too aren’t you?”

  “Shuuuuuuut up!!!!” Skylar practically squealed as she crouched down pulling her hood over her head in an attempt to hide herself from the world. Sheer embarrassment took over.

  It was official.

  This was the worst day of her year.

  She took in a breath before slowly standing up, “Right… Right, ok… So there is a god just casually roaming about in Jubilee, this is fine… I can handle this!”

  “A god that you are attracted to.”

  “Do you have a mute button?” Skylar growled instantly, her eyes flashing with annoyance.

  “The closest I can offer is suicide.”

  “...I’ll label that as plan B.” Skylar decided after a moment as she started walking back to one of their many staircases, “I’m going to need a weapon of some sort, there’s got to be a good blacksmith here somewhere right?” Skylar paused as her eyes wandered to a particular shop, “...How…?” A shop lay just ahead of her.

  A shop with the name.

  Geralt's Accomidies.

  The sign of the door read ‘open’ but Skylar found herself confused about how the old man would've made it here in the first place.

  So with curiosity bubbling in her heart, she walked to the door, only for it to slam open hitting her square in the nose and causing her to fall over, she winced as she looked up seeing a man running down the pathway, Geralt walked out anger clear on his face, “And don’t you come back you tasteless swine! Less you want your head mounted on my wal- …Eh?” Geralt’s gaze landed upon Skylar and he blinked before his anger vanished turning into a wide smile, “Well well would you look at who it is! How you doing Sk-”

  “Valery!” Skylar shot up putting a finger over Gerald’s mouth, “It’s Valery here.”

  Geralt arched a brow at that as Skylar lowered his hand, he had several questions, but the first he asked was, “Where’s that outfit I loaned you?”

  Skylar blinked before realizing she left it in Striga’s mansion, she blushed in embarrassment, “Ah… Shit…”

  There was no way this day could get any worse.

  ***

  Mahala held up the white jacket with an arched brow, “Sister, do you have any idea what the parts on the back are for?” Mahala questioned, turning to look over her shoulder.

  Azala responded with a smirk, “But of course dear sister! They are accessories to simply look cool!” Azala declared with confidence.

  “Please don’t go filling Mahala’s head with lies.” Striga stated as she entered the room, she paused as she looked at the jacket, “Why is… She left without it, didn't she.”

  Both the maids nodded instantly.

  Striga looked at the jacket frowning, “Well shit… That’s going to be awkward.” she then put a hand to her hip, “Regardless, the bits on the back are so that Skylar can feel the wind moving about her, slight changes and such are important for wind mages to take note of. That’s also why most wind mages wear clothing that either shows skin or is a bit too big for them.” Striga explained to the duo after all it wouldn’t do for the maids to remain ignorant on the subject.

  Mahala nodded in understanding before she blinked, realizing an important question must be asked, “Ah, but mistress what is it you came here to do in the first place? If you require a new outfit we’d be happy to help you pick one out!”

  Striga smiled but shook her head at the offer, “Appreciated, but ultimately unnecessary, no I just wanted you to tell Delish that I’m going to check on the core chambers, it wouldn’t do for the storm to go down when a threat of war is close at hand.”

  Mahala arched a brow at that, “Well we can certainly do that… but shouldn’t you do that yourself…? I’m sure he’d prefer to hear a farewell from your own lips.”

  Striga raised her arms and shook her head, “I’d love nothing more, but he’s locked himself away in his study.” she then put a hand on her hip frowning as she did so, “I swear when he’s in there he’s almost impossible to get out.”

  Mahala folded her arms, “That man… he sure has an obsession with those tomes of his, there isn’t even any guarantee that Stella exists in the first place, yet he hunts it down like a dog searching for meat.”

  Striga sighed, “You don’t have to tell me that, I’m aware of his obsession better than most.” s

  Azala stepped in with that cheerful smile of there’s, “Aw but you love him all the same!”

  Striga paused at that before smirking, “That I do.” turning around, “Be sure to remind him to eat, or else he’ll have to answer to me.” with that order she left the room.

  Azala smiled, nodding, seeming proud of herself, “Leave it to us boss!”

  ***

  “GRAHAHAHA!” Geralt laughed wholeheartedly at Skylar who was currently leaning over his front counter clutching the sides of her head with both hands out of sheer embarrassment, turns out she was wrong!

  The day could get worse!

  Geralt slammed a hand down onto the counter as he spoke with a grin, “Oh lassie! You sure know how to entertain! You leave on a note like that but forget to grab your stuff, HA!”

  “Ok! I get it, I'm a little dumb! Just please drop it!” Skylar shouted slamming her hands down onto the table, her face flushed completely. She desperately wanted this conversation to end.

  Geralt put a hand to his chin stroking his beard, “Heh, you're still young lassie, there’s always going to be mistakes you make, you’ve got to learn to laugh at them or else be drowning in self-loathing.” Geralt declared boldly as he leaned forward, “But I digress, I assume if you were thinking of coming in your in the market for a new set of gear?”

  Skylar blinked; she was so embarrassed she almost forgot her reason for coming over to this shop in the first place, “Oh… Yeah, I’m looking for a new sword.”

  “Really now?” Geralt arched a brow, “And how’s that overchanneling issue of yours going along?” Geralt asked the question with a knowing smirk.

  Skylar winced at that gaze, “Er, well… Still a major issue admittedly…” she rubbed the back of her neck. She just couldn’t get her mana in control lately, Mana flow always seemed attached to her emotional state, maybe that’s why?

  Geralt nodded understandingly at that, “In that case, I think I might have something that’ll work out for you.” He reached under his desk, and started to speak as he did so, “Ah in case you're wondering why I’m here… The Kingdom isn’t the only place where I do business, I have a shop at pretty much every island in this realm, of course, I only sell my wares to those I personally pick out.” he stood up carrying a sword still in its sheath, “go on… pull it out.”

  Skylar nodded and grabbed the hilt of the blade, removing it from its sheath, it shined brightly with a brilliant silver glow, “What the…” There were… slashes, like big lines cutting through the blade.

  “It’s a segmented blade.” Geralt started to explain, “It’s designed to be shattered quite easily.” as in example he reached out and pulled on one of the many lines, sure enough, the blade broke apart, “Now try channeling some of your mana into it.” Geralt smirked at Skylar’s confusion.

  She did as the old man asked, and to her surprise, the blade stuck itself back together.

  “How does that even work?” she questioned with awe in her eyes.

  Geralt stood back to his full height running a hand through his hair, “The actual method is complicated, but the easy version is… A combination of earth, lighting, and wind crystals is forged into the steel. A potent combo, I’ve never seen the blade used myself, after all, a silver-haired mage would be the only one capable of wielding such a thing.”

  “...Wait. Is there something special about being a silver-haired mage?” Skylar questioned instantly.

  Geralt nodded with a frown, “You're aware that the eye color of a mage shows what kind of magic they are proficient in, correct?” Geralt questioned, “In your case emerald, because wind magic is what you use mainly.” he then pointed to her hair, “The hair color of a however, that shows what mages are weak against … Blonde is weak to lighting, purple is weak to darkness. But silver… silver has no weakness to speak of.” he then looked to Skylar, “But there is also something strange about Silver Haired mages beyond that… At any time in the world, there can only be 3 living ones. It also makes you the only candidates for ‘multi-element based weapons, any other person who’d try to take in none compatible elements would simply have there body reject it, they might be able to get a little juice out of it, but ultimately, they’d break and shatter, dying a painful death.” Geralt frowned at that.

  And Skylar arched a brow, “That’s a little odd, why does that even happen?” She did her best to ignore the statement about multi-elements as it brought up memories of Tetra.

  “The universe works in strange ways, some things just don’t have answers to go with them.” Geralt explained simply, “Regardless, that lack of element weakness is what makes this blade perfect for you.”

  Skylar looked at the sword once more and Gerelt smirked, “Go on then… give it a swing.” Skylar slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of the blade, slowly raising it. It felt light in her hands, she took a few steps back before swinging it down, then to the left, and then…

  She swung it up, overchanneling as she did so, the blade shattered into seven shards total, and with a gust of wind she sent them flying around her in a small circle taking extra care not to hit any of the other products, she then guided them back to the hilt, channeling her mana into that hilt, and once again the swords reconnected, “Whoa…” she smiled at the sword before looking to Geralt, “How much?”

  “Nothing. It’s free.” Geralt responded without hesitation, “If you want it take it.”

  “What?” Skylar frowned, “No I can’t accept this, I already owe you for the outfit, so let me pay for this-”

  “The weapon was designed for a silver-haired warrior, those are already rare enough, and the only other one I’ve met is Striga, she, however, has no use for a blade made for overchanneling, frankly it was just going to sit here and rust.” Geralt then folded his arms, “so take it, and put it to good use, that’s enough payment for me.”

  Skylar couldn’t find fault in his reasoning, once again she lost an argument with the old geezer in front of her, so instead she reached out and grabbed the sheath, “I’m not ungrateful, in case that wasn’t clear.” Skylar stated as she put her sword back into the holster, she then glanced up at the old man, “But I do wonder… Why pick me? To sell your wares too, I mean?”

  “Why?” Geralt smiled at the question, “I make my gear for the finest warriors of the realm, it doesn't matter what they do or where they come from, I make the weapons for the best of the best… And you, miss Skylar Shadewalker… Your potential is among the best I’ve seen, I wish to see you grow, and how your weapons will grow with you.” he declared his purpose with a grin on his face, he truly seemed to enjoy talking about this.

  So then, Skylar locked her eyes on him, “That’s all?”

  “That’s all,” he confirmed.

  Skylar closed her eyes then and turned to the door, “In that case, I’ll be sure to show you.” She smirked, glancing at the man, flashing a beastly smile as she spoke, “Just what kind of warrior I can be.” as those words left her lips, she started to walk to that door once more, opening it wide and walking out.

  “I look forward to it, Godspeed warrior,” Geralt said his farewells as the door closed behind Skylar.

  ***

  Striga found herself standing just outside of the large double doors that led into the meeting room, she sighed as she reached forward pushing those doors open, and there in the very back stood the one who led this great nation, Detion smiled as soon as he saw Striga, “I assume you're here to check the restraints on her.”

  Some people might have called that guess clever, but really it was just a show of trust, after all, if she wasn’t here to check the restraints, then she’d be here to kill him.

  So Striga responded with a smile, “That was the plan, I assume you’ve already done the same.”

  Detion frowned for a moment, “Close the door Striga.”

  She paused when he gave that command, but did as she was told, “Something up?”

  Detion leaned forward in his chair resting his palms as he stared at Striga with a deadly serious gaze, “What I am about to say doesn't leave this room, this is a matter of the highest security… Understood?”

  There was something wrong, she could tell just by how Detion looked, “...Go ahead then, don’t keep me waiting.”

  Detion closed his eyes and opened his mouth, “It would seem that Lux has escaped her chains.”

  Striga paused at that, “You're kidding me…”

  “The guards didn’t even notice, they were also completely unharmed… But the chains were broken.” Detion explained further.

  “The chains we had her in were made out of Earth crystals! It would have been impossible for her to break out… unless…” it was then that Striga began to catch on, “unless she had help from the outside…”

  The guards weren’t an option, there were only a few chosen and they were all given weapons that would be incapable of breaking the chains.

  Detion kept his gaze on Striga, “Would you like to investigate the chamber?”

  Striga folded her arms, “Seems to me like I have little choice in that regard.”

  Detion gave no verbal response to that, instead, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers thunder flew out and the table in the center of the room began to split open, the floor splitting with it, revealing a large spiral staircase, down at the very bottom was a large circle, with a star drawn in the center.

  Detion walked forward and reached into his pocket pulling out a blue crystal he tossed it down onto the circle in question, it glowed for a moment, then the circle split revealing a large set of chains, twenty in total, all shattered along the ground.

  Immediately Striga noticed a pink substance along some of the chains, “And that is?” She questioned Detion.

  “I assume it’s the cause of the breakout, as for what it is… I haven’t the faintest clue.” He then folded his arms, “Perhaps the handiwork of a new god, I’ve already sent out words to the other kingdoms but it’s unlikely that we’ll receive a response for a few days.” she paused at that a frown deepening on her face, "No, even then... The restraints were set to explode if someone tried to remove them without the proper authority, so that's means." she went silent then.

  It means there's a traitor, she didn't doubt that Detion realized this as well, so she decided to set this fact aside for now, she didn't have any evidence to indicate someone of this crime at the moment anyways.

  “Meanwhile we're being held at gunpoint by the one god who controls the storm…” Striga frowned, “What of the guards, what did they see?”

  Detion pointed down, there were two pedestals at the bottom, just below where the magic circle had opened, “They were in their normal spots when a pink dome opened from above… no doubt that’s how the intruder entered.”

  “A pink dome? You're certain that’s the way they described it?” Striga’s gaze turned deadly serious.

  Detion nodded.

  “...The same calamity that visited The Kingdom…” Striga’s frown turned into a strained expression, “First Midus… Then this?”

  “Grand forces are converging onto our nation…” Detion muttered his eyes narrowing dangerously, “You understand why I showed this to you specifically yes?”

  Striga looked back to the hole for a moment before folding her arms, “You want me to make a strategy… Even if it costs lives?” she arched a brow.

  Detion nodded, “We are currently on a grand stage, a stage where blood will be shed… For that is the price of our tickets, so then… I am looking to you for the best deal.” Detion declared.

  “Egh, promise me never to use that analogy again and I’ll do it.” Striga winced just thinking about it.

  Detion smiled laughing at Striga’s bluntness, to laugh in the face of such danger, that was the sign of a strong ruler, or perhaps the sign of a madman.

  “Very well then… There is one other thing, however…” Detion’s gaze turned to his throne, “It started calling.”

  “It?” Striga arched her brow, “You mean…”

  “Indeed, for the first time in a thousand years, it would seem The Heroes’ Gauntlet has chosen a new master…” he walked up to his throne, “It started a few days ago now, and it hasn’t stopped since.”

  “And you're not sure who it’s calling to?” Striga questioned as she began to close the hole in the floor, “Like does it glow brighter when it gets closer to its chosen?”

  “It does nothing of the sort, its glow is also delayed… For at the end of the day, this gauntlet values Courage over other traits.” Detion pushed his throne to the side slightly, there in a glass case was a golden gauntlet, it shined brightly behind its case.

  “I heard about that, the test of courage it offers… If you put it on and aren’t chosen then it saps away your life energy… Brutal if you ask me.” Striga shrugged, walking forward.

  “Perhaps, but it was a manner of protection, after all it is said this gauntlet among other sacred relics in this world allows mages to transcend the limits of what their magic can do…” Detion explained, “Someone with such a gift would certainly be useful in the battles to come don’t you think?”

  Striga put her hands on her hips shaking her head and sighing, “Sure, that’s obvious, but you don’t really expect me to find the one chosen by that thing do you? I mean given time I could make a guess but if I’m wrong…” she frowned at the thought, “well I certainly wouldn’t wish that fate upon even my worst enemy.”

  Detion put his arms behind his back, “We are the protectors of this land, as such it is our duty to save as many as possible. Even if it means sacrificing others.” Detion responded, his words were filled with conviction, though his tone indicated that he wasn’t particularly happy about this turn of events either, “...It was my mistake, I shall bear the responsibility for this events. But I would still plead your assistance.” he turned around to look Striga in the eyes once more.

  Striga paused at that and she clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Fine, I’ll look into it. But I can promise nothing outside of that.”

  Detion nodded in response turning back to his throne, “Then you are dismissed.”

  Striga nodded slowly before she finally started walking back to the large door, opening it wide and she found herself lost in thought as she walked through the large red carpeted hallway.

  There were a lot of pieces here, all of them leading to a terrible scenario, ideally, they’d want to recapture Lux, after all that god was a large part of the reason that they have been safe from invaders this long.

  But if worse came to worst… they’d have to kill her.

  Striga found herself walking up a new set of spiral stairs after all the meeting grounds were set at the very bottom of the island, it put them at the most risk, but it was meant to be a sign of faith towards the people, the original ruler intended it this way.

  The large circular roof began to open as Striga approached the top, and she found herself walking into the empty streets once more, she looked to the skies above, she couldn’t spot the sun anymore, it must be setting soon.

  She hummed in thought, as she started up one of those many wooden staircases, “God I need a drink.” she groaned as she approached her bar, she opened the door and entered without much thought.

  Grabbing one of the many bottles from the back, and grabbing a nearby shot glass, she threw in a circular ice cube setting into the glass, she then pulled out a can of soda pop mixing it in with her drink of choice.

  The door to her store opened, and she blinked as she downed her drink. She set it down as she slowly turned around, “Ah sorry, we're closing up for the nigh-” she paused when she saw who it was.

  A young man with black hair wearing a red jacket, he wore a smile on his face, of course, he did, Striga knew this man well he was part of the council, “...Mind if I join you?” Jack questioned.

  Striga sighed but gestured to the seat, “Just give me a second to lock up.”

  Jack smiled as he took a seat, Striga grabbed her keys and while she started to lock the door she spoke, “So then durability test I assume?”

  Jack chuckled reaching into his pocket and pulling out what seemed to be a small switchblade, he pressed a button on the side and the blade popped out, he clicked the button again and a second blade popped out from the bottom, “Dual-edged switchblade, not the most advanced tech I’ll concede, but nowadays it’s important to ensure the most basic of items are resistant to overchanneling.”

  Striga nodded in understanding, setting her keys down on the counter she then took the switchblade from Jack’s hand.

  Her eyes glowed with power and within seconds the foundation of the blade started to shake, then a crack appeared in the casing.

  Jack frowned at that, sighing as he witnessed it, “Damn it all… even went through the effort of researching new materials…”

  Striga smiled at him setting the blade down upon the counter once more, “Your getting closer though, just a little further and you’ll have something that is completely impervious to overchanneling, so chin up Jack, our soldiers count on you after all.”

  Jack chuckled a little, “No pressure eh? Still, that Energy Converter has to be made somehow, and if someone is going to pull it off then I have to be the first.” he then leaned backward, “Still this business of war, are we certain it’s something we really need to worry about? Considering the storm and all?”

  Striga folded her arms for a moment before looking to the door, “The storm is already inconsistent, hell if the Empire is threatening to attack us, I assume they already have a plan in mind to counter it.” Striga’s gaze then narrowed as a thought occurred, “Maybe that plan has already started...” she muttered in realization.

  Jack arched a brow at that, “Seems like you had an idea.”

  “Maybe so.” Striga frowned, before sighing she walked up to the door, “Sorry, but I’m going to head out early for the night, at the very least I need to ensure there’s nothing wrong with our defenses.”

  Jack smiled, “Always busy aren’t we?” He said these words as he stood up and walked over to the counter grabbing himself a drink he didn’t need to ask, he knew Striga would have offered him one regardless.

  “It’s what we signed up for.” Striga confirmed before looking over her shoulder, “I wouldn’t trade it for the world though.” That was simply who she was, a girl who took immense pride in her work and cared deeply for those she worked with.

  ***

  Skylar walked forward with a narrowed gaze, it was late in the evening but her eyes were transfixed on the storm around her, “Stupid. That’s what this idea is. Completely and utterly stupid.” she folded her arms with a scowl.

  “And yet you're still thinking of doing this said stupid plan.”

  Skylar glared at the air, “I don’t see you offering up any alternatives.”

  “You could always just pack up and leave.”

  Skylar shook her head, “I’m not going to just run away and watch another plot of mass murder happen…” she retorted without even thinking.”

  “A fair response, but still… leaping into a storm is hardly the best idea.”

  “But with wind magic, it’s not impossible for me to survive.” Skylar confirmed, “If anyone is going to be able to chase down this god in her own domain it’s me.”

  “Oh, that’s great you already know about her…” Striga’s voice cut into the air and Skylar turned to look at her, arching a brow.

  “...If by her you mean the lunatic trying to flirt with me, while also seemingly being out to kill me then sure. We’ve met.” Skylar looked at the storm once more.

  Striga said nothing to that before folding her arms, “You intend to kill her?”

  “Mhmm.” Skylar said, eyeing the storm with those emerald eyes of hers, “Well either that, or she’ll come for me first… she’s already made her intentions known.”

  Striga blinked at that, “Wait what? She’s after you?” that just didn’t add up in Striga’s head, “Why? For what possible reason?”

  “Does it matter?” Skylar asked, turning to look at Striga, her eyes shining with fury, “I’ll kill her all the same, even if she wasn’t after me.”

  Striga paused at that gaze and she looked to the ground, “Just what did they do to you…?”

  Skylar’s memories flashed back to her time in The Kingdom and she gave her response, “Showed me a glimpse of hell… I don’t like what I saw, so I intend to show them another version of it.” Skylar then looked back to the storm once more, “Lux has full control of the storm doesn't she?”

  Striga paused at the question before looking at the storm herself, “It would be safe to assume so… I’d advise against fighting her, Skylar.”

  “Why?” Skylar turned to look at Striga with a scowl, “If she’s allowed to continue it will be the cost of many lives.”

  Striga folded her arms, “Allow me to rephrase, I’d advise against you fighting her. She has a mastery over wind magic much like you do, but she also has access to thunder magic… With your current set of skills, she is quite possibly the worst match-up for you. Or did you just happen to forget that gods can reach heights that mortals can never hope to achieve? It doesn't matter how good you are, she'll be better.” Striga stated this coldly, for these were the facts of the world.

  “So what do you want me to stand aside? I can’t do that.” Skylar glanced to the ground, “I could never do that.”

  The wind blew harshly between the duo, and Striga’s eyes remained open as she spoke, “I’m starting to see why some people refer to you as a hero Skylar.” she put a hand on her hip, “It’s that conviction of yours, the refusal to leave others suffering… It’s infectious.” Striga smiled somewhat, but that smile all too quickly turned into a frown, “but even so, it’s OK to put your faith in others sometimes.”

  Skylar said nothing to that, for a moment she just stood there in silence, that was…

  Until the wind blew once more, Skylar’s eyes widened and she spun around there in the distance stood Lux, wearing that ever-so-perfect smile on her face.

  “Faith in others eh? Certainly not a terrible thing… but in them?” Lux gestured to the city, “Come now. They’d take a god and bring her to the brink of starvation telling her to keep their city safe. While never giving them a choice.” Lux scowled at Striga, “And even the good ones, even those supposed heroes, refuse to stand against such vile means…”

  Striga narrowed her gaze before stepping forward, “And why would I stand up to such a thing? The gods are monsters, each and every one of them.”

  “Monsters?” Lux paused at that name before putting her hands on her hips, “Then what does that make you mages? You who fight against a dwindling race that tries oh so desperately to survive? Heroes? Is that what you claim to be?”

  “Of course, we fight to protect our people! As such we are all her-” Striga’s eyes widened as Skylar stepped forward with her own eyes narrowed in silent contempt for Lux.

  “Devils.” Skylar corrected instantly, “We’re all devils. Each and every one of us.”

  Lux smiled at that declaration, “So you admit it then. You, humans, are devils, as such… why not come over here.” Lux held out her right hand, “Join the side of the gods, Miss Skylar Shadewalker.”

  “You misunderstand me.” Skylar stated as she looked at that hand, “I’m not referring to mages as a whole, I’m referring to both gods and humans.” Skylar reached up and grabbed the hilt of her blade, “You gods kill without a second thought for those you butcher, all in the name of survival, we humans fight against you gods in the name of protecting those we hold dear, without a care for what happens to you. So that’s what we all are, humans and gods, we're just two devils at war.” Skylar unsheathed her blade and pointed it forward, “There’s no common ground to be found between us, I hate you. That’s all there is to it.”

  Lux frowned before lowering her hand slowly, “That’s a welcome second option.” she smirked slightly, “I’ll admit this much to you, as much as I love innocent babes cast out to face the wolves… there’s something about you that I loathe.” Lux’s smirk dropped, “I hate that spirit of yours, that unshakeable resolve that burns brighter with every defeat… it infuriates me more than I can bear, but that!” Lux pointed forward, her eyes shining brightly as she continued,

  “That’s also what makes you completely irresistible in my eyes… Oh… How I need to see it! To see that will of yours crack and break until there’s nothing left… To see your insides torn out, and to bathe in your blood feasting on your insides! What more can this feeling give!?” Lux shouted, throwing her hands to the side, “On my honor as a god, NO! On my pride as Lux Tenebris! I shall see this feeling through, seeing where it shall take me! And to do that… I have to see what makes you!” Lux shouted in her burst of insanity.

  The wind grew stronger around the trio. Striga stepped to the left a bit although she did warn Skylar it was clear where this path would lead, so Striga would respect Skylar’s choice and watch the battle unfold.

  Skylar grit her teeth, narrowing her gaze slightly, the winds of the storm whipped her hair around, and she took in a breath before uttering her next words, “I will kill you Lux Tenebris.” Skylar made her declaration, her eyes glowing with nothing but pure pride.

  Lux slowly lowered her arms, that manic smile turning sickening as she locked her gaze with Skylar’s, thunder boomed within the torrential storm, and the wind grew in strength in time with Lux’s smile and then it happened, those words escaped Lux’s lips, the words that would send shivers down anyone's spine.

  “My love for you shall begin after I kill you, Skylar Shadewalker.”