Chapter 1

"Stay sharp." He barks. He knows I'm getting distracted without having to turn around.

My focus snaps back to stepping over heavy piles of bloodied armor, keeping pace with Anten so as to not fall behind to stall Resperia and Lote tailing me. I'm the win condition here, but I need them to get me to the throne room, and I won't make their job any harder than it already is.

I go over the formation in my head again to steel my nerves. Anten takes the lead and guards me, Lote supports from back line with a bow and has his own short blade sword if anything gets passed Anten, and Resperia holds the far rear with range and fast healing. I'm clutching the knife the arch bishop gave me with a white knuckle grip, careful to not press the teal gemstone crudely lodged into its hilt. This knife is the only thing that can kill her, and everyone here is protecting me because I have the best chance of sticking her with it. Everyone has their job, and everyone has to do it perfectly.

A sharp tick from the hallway to the left sets Anten off. He preemptively swings his broadsword at chest level towards the hallway's entrance, shearing through two more guards as his blade tears through their armor. His sword isn't even made of an armor piercing material. I've come to learn he just swings it that hard. The loud shammer of the occupied armor rattling to the stone floor echoes further ahead to a choke point. There are at least six more guards waiting on either side of the wall past the doorway. Anten looks to Resperia, who scowls at the silent order. She reluctantly raises her staff and fires off a spiraling shot of blue flames, once past the doorway it splits into two smaller shots before curving away from each other, turning back to explode against the walls on either side of the door. The fires shift to a bright orange as they fry the ambush set for us. I used to think Resperia's reluctance to casting offensive spells spawned form some personal belief in valuing life, but in reality she despises depleting her mana by any amount, and offensive spells are the most costly. I'd heard she agreed to join our party to reduce a prison sentence, but I've no idea what her crime was. I make a mental note to ask once this is all said and done.

I go over the plan again and again, like a prayer to keep my nerves from cracking as we meander towards the compound's war room. At the final flight of stairs, I have to mind a gap left by one of Resperia's opening acts, the stones still warm with residual heat. It's contrasted by the sharp wind swirling through the hole, the same ominous clouds swirling since we snuck in. I take in that final taste of outside air before we press closer. She's close. Everyone can feel it.

We reach the last door.

Still gripping the knife, I can't stop my hands from shaking. Everyone can hear the hilt rattling the blade inside of it. Lote places a hand over mine, stilling the noise. He looks over the door and checks a few spots we don't have information for. What little we had, numerous spies gave their lives for. It's taken nine whole months for us to reach this door, and behind it is where I have to perform.

Anten grabs my shoulder and moves me aside between two cabinets facing away from the stairwell.

"Take a peak inside, see what she has waiting for us."

Resperia places herself to my left side and readies a defensive barrier, while Lote seats himself to the other side of the room with his bow drawn. Anten stands in front of me, putting on an assuring face. Rough around the edges as he is, he knows me well enough to not push too hard. we're all scared in our own ways.

One last time.

I sit to the floor between the cabinets, the knife still in my hands, and close my eyes, squeezing them shut tightly. That familiar tingling from the back of my head floods my senses and I can start to make out the room around me. I sift through the blue haze past Anten towards the door. Lote looks in my general direction, and glances upwards before returning his sights to the stairwell. I take his que and float to the top of the door before phasing my head through to see the other side.

I feel a shiver in my body below me. She's there. She's looking right at me. I quickly pull my head back through the door and open my eyes, Anten studying my reaction. I regain the courage to speak up.

"It's just her."

Anten straightens himself and nods to Lote.

"Let's not keep her waiting."

Anten takes the lead with one hand on the door and glances behind as I'm followed by Lote and Resperia. Once she's within grappling range of Anten, he'll close the gap and try to stick as much damage as he can to slow her down. As big as Anten is, he's deceptively fast if he's moving in a straight line. Lote will keep his bow drawn to form a pincer in case she tries to get around Anten, while Resperia dumps healing spells into the three of us as necessary. The very instance Anten creates an opening, I take the knife, touch the teal gem in the hilt once, and strike her with it. That's all I have to do. That's the entire reason I'm here.

Anten glances down making eye contact with me.
"Time to be brave."

I manage a nod.

He repeats the phrase once more to himself before pushing the door open.
"Time to be brave."







We walk into the room with weapons drawn. We continue as a group towards her at the far end. She stays seated. I haven't heard Lote shift his bow away from her, so there isn't an ambush in hiding for us. It really is just her. As we draw closer, her eyes are glued to me. Her pail face and hands contrasting with her flowing black robe. Even from this far back there isn't a single wrinkle or line on her face, it's uncanny. Her expression is one of curiosity. She glances to the knife in my hands and back to my face, her expression unchanging, only looking away when Anten stops within his ideal range and speaks.

"Laurenella! The High Court has found you guilty of conspiracy against the crown and regicide against the Lord Uth-"

"Why have you come?"

The question catches Anten off guard, but only briefly.
"We have come to destroy you."

"Oh. There must be some mistake. There's only four of you. You're not enough."

The hair on my neck and arms raises, flashes of red, blue and green light like that of a church's stained glass send a wave of dread over me. In an instant something strikes my entire back, and I'm on the ground. When I see Resperia rushing towards me with a look of panic I've never seen from her before, I realize the pain in my back is from the wall behind us. My head is spinning. She reaches me and begins forcing pulses of mana with a soft emerald glow, desperate to keep me conscious. I look ahead in amazement as Anten moves his entire weight into swings of his sword, deflected with slaps from Lauranella's hands, sparks flying from the metal striking her nails. I can barely make out Lote dashing about between them with his short sword aiming for her legs. She seems to dance as she swings her arms lower to parry his fast but weaker slashes. Resperia's healing magic realigns my spine enough for me to realize how bad this is getting. Anten is keeping her between himself and Lote to try and pincer her, but it's no use. She's toying with them. Resperia stands and turns to support Lote. Lauranella turns her focus to her. In an instant, Resperia is gone. A warm mist touches my cheek. Lauranella turns to her left, once more staring me down. Her robes once again glow with distinct colors, like I'm looking into the sun. I hear Lote yell as he lunges, only to be caught by her left hand. Without looking away from me she throws him through the window behind me, his voice quickly fading.

This isn't happening.

Anten finally reaches her, the force of his blade changing the air pressure around us sends my head spinning. She holds the blade in her hands. She's still looking at me. Anten glances to me.

Not yet

I force myself to my feet, Resperia's spell finally catching up to my stamina.

Lauranella's eyes widen. She shifts her body to strike Anten at the center of his chestplate, sending him flying to the other side of the room. He struggles to stand and charge.

Lauranella leans forward towards me, takes the knife from my hands with an iron-like grip. She brushes her thumb over the teal gemstone. The knife glows a brilliant sky blue in her hands. She swiftly pins the weapon into my right shoulder, the force of her palm behind it forces me to the ground. The blue light that shown from the dagger is extinguished. Lauranella looks confused for a moment and takes a step closer. I try to reach for the dagger with my left hand, but before it touches the blue light returns. It seeps out from the wound and begins to envelop the rest of my arm and chest. A warm sensation spreads, my arms and legs begin to feel further away from me. Seeing this Lauranella smiles, as if she's guessed the answer to a riddle. The light continues across the rest of my body and she begins to walk towards Anten. She begins slapping his sword away as he swings it with animosity and desparation. The blue light creeps past my neck and to my face. It reaches my eyes, and the last thing I hear is Anten's voice.
















The air hurts. It hurts to breath. I force myself awake and off of my stomach. My vision returns as my surroundings, previously lit with a blue glow, become dark. The beginnings of a sunrise allow me to make out where I am. I move to my feet to see I've awoken in a shallow valley between two roads running parallel to each other. The patch of grass where I lay is tall from rain water being pooled by the slope of the ditch. I look around, but it's difficult to see further, the air hurts my eyes. I'm still wearing the same tanned hide armor, now a noticeable hole around the right shoulder, but no wound, and no dagger. As the Sun starts to rise a bit higher, I can make out a strange cubic brick structure adorned with spires, surrounded by walls. An academy?

Where am I?

Thank you so much!  I had a blast workshopping this one, and "The fight where everything goes wrong" is probably one of my favorite openings to write so far. Re-reading it has me giddy with what I have planned  if youd like to send a pm with the some basic info I'd be happy to provide some input!

Much Love!