Balrog gallops at top speed between the trees while the princess grips his mane. Crap, we’re going to be late. The giant horse has to stop to search and find a path in the compact and complex forest. The density of the trees has been increasing the closer we’ve got to the heart of the forest. At this point, Balrog can’t slip past most trees as quickly and it’s costing us time. I hope we’re not too late… The princess is worried, but she trusts destiny to guide her. Rossett taps her horse’s side and points to a gap between the spruce trees.

  It seems we’ve got to a glade. The dirt sinks under the pressure of the steed’s hooves and small, young trees are shaken by the wind his sheer speed generates.

  After a while, everything starts to grow blurry. Plants lose their outline and a disturbing veil arises. A strange odor makes its way into both of their noses, but this time, it’s not the stench of rot. The princess coughs once or twice and covers her nose with a cloth. She quickly notices the cloth is covered in the beasts’ blood and replaces it with a clean one. Her mind races with different options and her gaze drifts over the air.

  Fog? And that peculiar smell… I’m not sure if… No, I know this smell, but I can’t get a grip on it. Balrog also coughs and a small ball of smoke is expelled from his snout, mixing with the fog. That’s it!

  “Balrog! Let’s go, quickly! It’s not fog, it’s smoke! What we’re catching is the smell of burning!” Rossett yells while she unsheathes her spear and stands on her mount’s back, ready to jump off if necessary. After a few more minutes of riding, they arrive at the place they were searching for.

  Reaching high above the trees, an enormous wall made of solid rock stands before Balrog and the princess, who look like ants in comparison. From the other side of the wall, a column of smoke rises to the sky and spreads throughout the whole forest. Rossett looks up, surprised at the sheer size of the Citadel; she’s heard stories about it, but has never seen it in person. She can’t let herself get lost in her head. She must act quickly; the people inside may be in danger. Every citizen here is part of her kingdom and she will not let any more of her people die in vain.

  “Let’s go, we need to find the drawbridge.”

  Balrog circles the Citadel in just a few minutes, searching for an entrance. But both bridges remain closed up. Rossett jumps down from Balrog, spear in hand. She feels along the wall; it’s made of rough and compact stone. According to what she was once told, the wall should be three meters thick. Her spear bounces off the stone like a toothpick, no matter how many times she tries to pierce it. Several ideas race through her mind.

  “I won’t be able to go in, will I? I can’t be this useless… What kind of third-rate princess am I? If Mother was here… she’d break through this damned wall like it was nothing!” Her knuckles slam against the stone, frustrated, but it only hurts her hand. “Why… am I always too late…? Aren’t I gonna be able to save anyone? And here I am, doing nothing…” Her lower lip begins to bleed from how hard she’s biting down on it. Her knuckles slam against the wall once more, painting it a bloody red. “Damn brat… You’re just useless, aren’t you? You’ll never be like Cherry. No, you’re just a piece of garbage…” Two more blows that have no effect on the wall; the bones of her knuckles begin to show through her skin.

  A small spark ignites in the middle of her chest. An unconscious reaction, a surge of energy runs through the muscles of her arm and a fiery warmth fills her flesh and bones. That wall is preventing her from achieving her goal and her body knows so. Her muscles start to burn up and her right hand glows a bright pink. When the fifth blow crashes against the wall, all of the concentrated energy in her body rushes from her chest all the way to her knuckles, the point of impact. Solid rock starts to melt beneath the intense heat emanating from her hand.

  “DAMN IT!” The same instant Rossett’s fist touches the wall, a fiery pink explosion ensues. It blows a hole in the wall, slightly larger than herself. Still too small for her giant horse. “What… was that?”

  Rossett wipes away her tears and, ignoring the pain in her hand, readies her spear and runs into the Citadel. “This isn’t time to cry. Destiny gave you this opportunity; use it.” She has only one goal in mind: to discover what is happening inside this place.

  All of her muscles warm up with a slight burst of energy radiating off her. A small red aura, barely surrounding her body, arises. Her feet hit the ground to gain momentum and her arms accompany the movement to maintain speed. She runs through a street, among houses, but every one of them seems empty; they are closed and no one answers the door. She decides to follow the smoke. Soon, she’s greeted by its origin: a giant cathedral engulfed in flames. She hides between buildings to get closer without being detected.

  The eyes of the princess widen at the scene in front of her.

  On the ground, a bolt piercing one of her legs, lies the blonde priestess Airaiel. Her clothes are soaked in blood; her eyes, closed, holding back tears, pained. Two armed guards watch her with their crossbows aimed at her. Rossett holds her spear in a firm javelin grip and takes a step forward.

  The sound of air being cut can be heard throughout the forest; Valor's pommel connects with a hard blow to one of the guards’s head, knocking him unconscious on the spot. His companion turns around and the princess appears, in what seems to be an instant, to retrieve her spear. He aims his crossbow at her, but she manages to react just in time. With surprising speed, she catches the bolt in mid-air before it can hit her directly in the eye, although she injures her hand in the process. When she stomps her feet, a cloud of dust rises among them and the guard dodges the thrust of her spear by the skin of his teeth. With no hesitation, she rests her weight on her hands and does a spin on the ground to deliver a kick straight to his temple. The guard crashes against the floor, knocked out. Rossett stands back up and looks down at her hand. "Damn, this hurts. I'll have to bandage myself when I get back to Balrog." The princess stares at the girl lying on the ground and her expression shifts; her eyes widen and her eyebrows rise in surprise.

  “Aira?!”

  “Your Majesty?” A small glimmer of hope appears in the girl's eyes, mixed with her tears.

  “What happened in this place?” Rossett pauses for a moment, carefully considers her words, and opens her mouth again. "No, tell me when we get out of here. Can you get up?"

  Airaiel tries to stand up, but her leg, pierced by the bolt, gives way under her weight and she falls again with a pained groan.

  “I am so… so sorry, Your Majesty. I cannot get up... But… If you could fetch me my lamp, please…”

  “You still have that thing? Of course, but where is it?”

  Airaiel points to a carriage engulfed in flames. A golden light shines from within. The princess runs towards the carriage; using her spear, she splits the wooden planks so she can look around. With Valor’s help, she manages to rescue Airaiel's oil lamp; the crystal inside it glows bright. Among the rubble lies the body of a large man.

  That’s… Aira’s father… Rossett's stomach is begging her to throw up, but she doesn't have time to waste. As she turns around, a bolt pierces her arm. She lets out a cry of pain and her gaze shifts towards the origin of the shot. Four guards stand around a tall man in steel armor who is holding a crossbow and a shield. He appears to be their leader, sporting a cocky smile.

  “Stay where you are, or you die. Who are you?”

  “What’s wrong with you?! Aren't you the town's guards?!” the princess raged at them. Her right hand grips her spear tightly; her left hand hangs limp, powerless.

  "That was before; now, I am the new ruler of this place, so you will answer to me," says the leader, with a megalomaniacal expression. The other guards look at him out of the corner of their eyes, uncertain.

  From the outskirts of the Citadel, a figure emerges from behind the trees. It approaches the wall and rests its hand on the rocks. The wall starts to tremble and move aside, as if responding to a direct order.

  “Pinkhead, tell me who you are. Now, or I'll shoot you in the face.” The leader seems to be enjoying the situation, but his face quickly changes to pure terror at her answer:

  “I am the princess of Aeternum, Rossett Imperor.” She fixes her gaze on the leader, ready to attack or defend herself.

  All the guards, surprised, lower their crossbows, except for their leader.

  What is this damn princess doing here? She'll ruin everything if she gets involved, and the king will hunt us down to the ends of the world if he finds out we hurt his daughter. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? He clenches his teeth and his hands tremble slightly.

  If I fight them all, I'm dead, Rossett thinks. I have to come up with something now, or I’ll be damned.

  Faced with an overwhelming presence, everyone turns their gaze towards the same direction. Footsteps echo in the Citadel. The loud dragging of a greatsword signals its tip furrowing the dirt road. Emerald eyes peer out through a small slit and pierce the leader of the guards, with murderous intent. A metallic aura surrounds the monstrosities made of rocks that might be called armor and sword. Built from stones from the city wall itself, it stands amid the conflict and plunges its greatsword into the ground.

  “First one to move dies.” A feminine voice emerges from the armor, in a deep, threatening tone. "What the hell have you done here?"

  No one dares to move a muscle in her presence, but Rossett is the first one to act; she sheathes her spear behind her back and stands upright.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "I am Rossett Imperor, Princess of Aeternum," she bows with a serious expression.

  "What is the princess doing here?" asks the terrifying woman inside the monstrous armor.

  "I had the intention of talking to the Priestess of Miracles, but I came across this situation. I decided that I had to intervene, although it seems that it was too late.”

  "I understand. I suppose the blonde girl over there is the priestess, right?"

  The princess nods and the stranger closes her eyes for a moment.

  "You may leave, I'll take care of this," says the armored woman, harshly pulling the greatsword out from the ground, then pointing it at the leader of the guards.

  "Thank you so much for your help. You have the ruler of Aeternum on your side; his assistance is at your disposal."

  "Why the fuck did you come back so early, Captain?" the man with the shield asks, seething with ire yet also trembling in fear before her.

  "I heard an explosion. Judging by the hole in the wall, I suppose it had something to do with the princess’s technique. Now, I'm going to think of an appropriate punishment," the captain replies from inside her armor.

  Rossett doesn't quite understand what she just heard, but she takes advantage of the distraction to give the lamp to Airaiel and hoist her up onto her right shoulder.

  "Thank you very much, miss," says the princess as she runs away, carrying the priestess.

  Rossett whistles and Balrog prepares to gallop. Both of them pass through the hole in the wall and with a solid leap climb onto the steed.

  That horse... The princess is certainly peculiar, the armored woman thinks as she destroys the "leader”'s shield with her greatsword.

  The horse gallops south at full speed, away from the Citadel. The princess begins to look for something in her saddlebags.

  "Don't worry, I have some bandages and ointments that can help relieve the pain for now. We still have to find a doctor as soon as possible." She is not so much worried about her own injuries, but the priestess’s; her leg might suffer permanent damage if they don't do something now.

  “Your Majesty, do not worry.” The blonde takes the lamp in her right hand and places her left on her injured leg. A golden glow emanates from the crystal inside the device, and a white aura surrounds Airaiel. Her flesh begins to regenerate. The bolt is expelled from her body and only an X-shaped scar remains where her wound once was. “[Partial Healing].”

  Rossett is more surprised than relieved; never before has she seen healing magic in person, but she internally thanks destiny for allowing her a chance to treat her injuries. Airaiel heals her savior's wounds; a few mere scars are left behind.

  They share a silent journey; Rossett doesn't know what to say and Airaiel is still processing everything that happened. As night falls over Aeternum, the princess asks her mount to make a stop. A tent and a sleeping bag to stay warm is all she needs and all she brought. They both sit inside the tent and share a piece of goat meat between two loaves of bran bread.

  “Aira, do you wanna tell me what happened? And you can stop calling me ‘Your Majesty’. Call me Rose, like everyone else.”

  “Your Maj–- I mean, Rose… In short, my father and I were traveling around the region to raise money for the Supreme, when we received a letter of invitation from the ruler of the Citadel. When we arrived there, it seemed that a rebellion or something of the sort had broken out, and we ended up caught in the middle. I tried to separate them when Father... when Father...” The priestess's voice falters and she bursts into tears. Rose gently takes her hand and her cries subside.

  “I get it; it's hard to lose someone you love…” Rose can only think about that night, the one that kept her awake night after night for so many years and even to this day haunts the corners of her mind.

  Aira cries for a few minutes that feel like hours. The princess strokes her head; a warm, maternal feeling helps her feel a little better. The priestess calms down a little and her breathing evens out once again. Her soul is still hurting, but to have someone by her side when she thought she was going to be left alone in this world… It comforts her a little. Rose hands her a clean cloth to dry her tears.

  "Aira, hear me out.” The priestess pays close attention to the words that come out of Rose's mouth. “Come with me. I am traveling south to stop the abyss; if you join me, I promise to protect you from all the evils we may encounter. I know you're trustworthy; I know I can count on you.”

  Aira hesitates for a few seconds. But then she grips Rose's hand tight and looks at her with glassy eyes.

  “I… I will. We shall travel together.”

  A small smile escapes Rose and she gives the priestess, her new companion, a gentle hug. The two finish eating and decide to go to sleep, but then they realize something.

  "Oh... I have only one sleeping bag..."

  The pair snuggles up in the sleeping bag. In a short while, Aira quietly cries herself to sleep. It's to be expected, with everything that happened, Rose thinks as she tries to fall asleep, but she can't; her mind keeps showing her images and options.

  I was late, once again… I was able to save Aira, but not her father. Even so... Who was that woman in the armor? What kind of magic was that? And Aira has healing magic as well… And what was that thing I did today? That explosion, that feeling, it was… new. There are so many things I don't understand. Maybe Aira can give me some more information. Her mind drifts from a loose cloud of questions to a specific memory. Aira… I can't believe how the situation has turned around now. My father was ill when we met, and despite being barely thirteen years old, she was the one who reassured me that everything was going to be alright. I wish I were that mature at 21…

  Little by little, the princess's consciousness is enveloped in a dark cloud of dreams and nightmares, falling into a deep abyss of drowsiness. Her eyes close and she falls asleep.

  The priestess groggily opens her eyes. Her head is killing her; a sharp, stabbing pain in the middle of her forehead. She hopes that, when she fully wakes up, she will find herself at home, in her own bed, with her father waiting for her for breakfast.

  Aira gets out of the sleeping bag. Rose is no longer by her side; she is sharpening Valor, sitting on a log outside the tent.

  “Good morning, Rose.”

  “Morning, Aira. Did you sleep well?” She smiles at the priestess, who instead of answering her question, bursts into tears.

  “Thank you for letting me accompany you…”

  Rose smiles at her and strokes her head. Her palm feels good; it calms her anxiety a little.

  “No worries. Plus, a healer will always be welcome to the team. Speaking of, how is it that you heal people?”

  “Oh, that is simple; it is my technique.”

  Rose remains silent; she is waiting for Aira to realize that she didn't understand a single thing she said. Aira begins to understand what's happening and starts to worry.

  “Wait… Do you not know what a technique is?”

  “Nop, no idea.” Rose scratches her head as she tries to remember; she can't recall having ever heard that term before.

  “Well, you must at least know what a divinity is… right?”

  “…If I answer, will you get mad at me?”

  Aira is stunned: this is bad; she doesn't know anyone who isn’t familiar with what a divinity is. Besides, it’s dangerous for her to go around fighting without knowing how to use her power. It's time for her to learn, and Aira has no choice but to teach her herself.

  "Listen, Rose. A divinity is a power everyone of us has within their soul. You may compare it to a source of almost unlimited energy.”

  Rose writes it down on a small notebook using a feather, paying close attention.

  "However, it is not that simple. Your soul can only withstand a limited amount of power. If you use too much, you will explode, or worse."

  “Worse?”

  "This is not the time to explain that; the important thing is that you have to control how you wield your divinity, or there may be terrible consequences. Techniques are the way our bodies involuntarily channel the power of divinities. When you turn thirteen, your body chooses a technique, and you are stuck with it; you cannot change it or have another one, no matter how hard you may try.”

  “So it’s like a natural talent?”

  "You could imagine it as such. In my case, my technique is {Divine Miracle}. It allows me to channel my divinity to create miracles: I can cure diseases; regenerate physical damage, as I did with [Partial Healing]; and I am also able to shoot small rays of light, although I have not found a use for them yet. We should find out what your technique is.”

  “Well… Now that you mention it, when I was outside the Citadel, I was able to focus some heat in my fist, or something, and break through the wall, literally,” she says, looking at her right hand, which is a little scarred.

  “That was you?! I thought Balrog had made that hole.”

  The horse neighs content.

  "I was frustrated because I couldn't help, then I felt a sort of… tickle? And in the end I was able to break the wall. Maybe my technique is to create explosions?"

  “We should try it.”

  They both go out into the forest to practice, but no matter how hard Rose tries, whether she hits trees or the air, nothing happens.

  "Damn it, why isn't it working?" Rose says, frustrated.

  "Perhaps it has conditions you are not aware of? One of the abilities I can access through my technique is [Divine Blessing], which allows me to enhance a target’s physical capabilities, as long as I can see them and do not use any other abilities. And I know that there are people who use even more specific conditions.”

  "Maybe you’re right… Perhaps it only works against stone walls."

  They both share a friendly laugh. Time seems to pass more quickly when she is with the princess, and everything feels a little better. Both get to relax a bit after everything that happened the previous day, but soon they have to start moving again. A few days' journey away, there is a fishing village; the pair plans to go there to buy some food. Now they have three mouths to feed and fewer and fewer resources. The two climb onto the giant steed and resume their journey.