Spoiler
Stella inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, calming her heart rate. Opening her eyes, she immediately focused on the target shaped like a human torso a hundred feet away from. Drawing the magic from within her core, Stella channeled all the energy into the palm of her outstretched right hand. The air above it heated, bursting into flame. She continued pouring energy into the ball of fire while tightening her concentration on it to keep it from growing no larger than her fist. Never once did she lose her focus on the target. Though she knew the fire was hot enough to turn anything it touched to ashes, it only felt like a warm campfire resting just above her hand. As her energy slowly tapered off, she hurled the fireball at the target.
It sped toward the target faster than most people could see, but with her magically enhanced senses, Stella watched as it sailed across the distance as if in slow motion. She had to cover her eyes when the fireball found its mark. It made no sound, but the heat released was so intense, Stella had to erect wards around her before she was incinerated. Uncovering her face, she looked to where the target once stood, only finding a circle of charred stone nearly twenty feet in diameter.
Stella staggered in exhaustion; that little ball of fire had taken a lot out of her. She managed to stay on her feet, but was left gasping for air as if she ran an entire day without stopping. “Good,” her teacher, Frederick Daniels, said from behind her, “you’ve improved greatly.”
“Then why do I still feel so freaking tired after I do it,” she said between breaths. Her teacher handed her a flask of water which Stella took with a nod of thanks before drinking deeply. She nearly drained the entire thing and getting more of it onto her brown robes rather than down her throat.
“It comes with practice, my girl,” he said. Stella handed her teacher the nearly empty container who only took a quick sip before returning it into his robes. “Most Magi of my level would’ve loved to be able to put as much energy as you have into such a contained space.”
Frederick helped Stella over to one of the benches along the courtyard walls, onto which she dropped down onto with a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until then that she could feel her limbs shaking. With as much energy as she put into it, she knew once she could walk straight she would be hungry enough to eat a horse. Maybe even two. Daniels sat down next to her, groaning as he took the weight off his weary joints. Stella noted that even though he was in his late sixties, he was still very attractive with his emerald eyes, salt-and-pepper hair, and tanned skin from many days under the sun.
“I think what got you was trying to suppress all that sound,” her teacher said. “It was reckless, but I commend you for accomplishing it. I only know two people in the entire city of Phox who could block nearly a hundred percent of the sound: the Arch Magus and myself.”
“If we can throw that much power into a spell, then why haven’t we destroyed Lyceria?” Stella asked bitterly.
“Do not believe that our enemies are entirely defenseless against our magic.” Daniels pulled out his pipe, lit it with magic, and took a single puff before continuing. “Many of their warriors, the Sharqi, carry little stone inside their pockets that are made from a rare mineral found in Lyceria known as Caska. Despite their size, these stones can absorb vast quantities of magic. It leaves all but our strongest Magi powerless. This is why we have reached a stalemate with them and to this day a hundred years after the war began, no one has won.”
As Stella’s strength slowly returned, her stomach began growling, and soon it was loud enough for her teacher to hear. Frederick chuckled as her stomach let out the loudest yet. He patted her on the back and stood up, extinguishing and stowing the pipe into his robes. “Come on, Stella,” he said, helping her to her feet. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
Stella stumbled into her room later that night. Her head was fuzzy from all the ale she drank with Frederick, though her stomach had long stopped growling after her fourth or fifth bowl of stew. She was so tired she barely took notice of her room, just barely making it to the bed where she collapsed. Her eyes seem to instantly grow ten times heavier as she crawled under the blanks. before she knew it, sleep had claimed her, whisking her off into the land of uneasy dreams.
“Are you ready, Stella,” Armand whispered. Stella nodded and began drawing upon the magical energies she had discovered hidden inside her several weeks ago. She focused all her attention on a single box one of the other orphans had placed next to the jewelers stand earlier that day. Throwing her hand forward, she released the energy towards the wood container and watched as black smoke floated out from the cracks. Stella sagged with the effort and observed as the combination of wood and hay fed the flames making it grow bigger and bigger. It didn’t take long before panic to begun ensue amongst the people.
The jeweler screamed as her stall caught flame next and began eating away at the cloths her products sat on. As everyone’s attention turned to helping the woman, small groups of children poured out of the alleys surrounding the square. Quickly, they ran between stalls, grabbing anything they could get their hands on while the owner’s attention was elsewhere. Just as the shopkeepers got the fire under control thanks to a man in green robes who had summoned water out of nowhere, the children had slipped away back into the alleys, arms full with their loot. Armand tugged on Stella’s hand, helping her to her feet and leading her down the alley.
The city of Phox was huge; five times bigger than any other city in the Torshen Empire, but Stella and the orphans knew it like the back of their hands. They spent many days walking through its streets, begging and stealing food to keep from starving. Many people saw them, but most treated them as if they weren’t there or that they were no better than a common starving dog.. Stella had joined this group of orphans several years not long after her parents’ death. Though they had little, they still shared what food they had with her and taught her the skills necessary for life on the streets. They had soon become her friends and she knew she could always rely on them.
It wasn’t until recently that Stella had discovered her new found ability. She remembered eyeing the food a merchant was selling, and at first she wasn’t sure what she happened. The food had suddenly burst into flame, sending the merchant into a panic. It wasn’t until afterwards when she felt like she had run from one end of Phox to another without stopping did she realize that she had a hand in it. It didn’t take long after that for Stella to recognize that she had used magic, a skill so rare that only a few were born every decade. So, after much practice, she got to the point where she could set fire to almost anything just by focusing hard enough and has since then used it to distract the adults while the rest of the orphans ran in and pilfered all their food.
Stella followed Armand through the maze of streets, never once letting go of his hand. They passed very few people as they made their way into heart of the city and found themselves in front of an abandoned house hidden deep within an alley. With a quick tug on the boards on the door, Armand opened it enough for Stella to climb through and followed her inside. He pulled the door shut behind him while Stella set light to a candle that she knew was sitting in the center of the room.
The candle flared into existence revealing a mostly empty room. Besides a few tattered blankets and a small stool, dust dirt, and grime dominated the place. Stella sat next to the candle, feeling the energy slowly return to her. Except for Armand’s pacing, it was completely silent in the room. Stella looked up as she heard the boards being pulled back and one of the orphans who had made away with some of the merchants stuff squeezed in, pulling the door shut behind him.
The boy set the food down he had stolen and sat down on one of the blankets. Soon after, more and more orphans pulled the boards back and piled into the room, bringing with them whatever they had managed to grab. Altogether it was an impressive haul, one of the biggest Stella had ever seen. There were piles of food from freshly salted pork to baked bread. It was more like a small feast rather than something a group of orphans scrounged up.
The room grew noisy as everyone shared their stories of today’s events, a few of them Stella knew was overly exaggerated. She picked up a slice of pork and stuck it into her mouth, enjoying the honey the butcher must’ve soaked it in. Just as she was sticking the last morsel into her mouth, there were two short raps on the door. Quickly, someone extinguished the candle, plunging the entire room into darkness as the boards were pulled back. With a blinding flash, a light flared throughout the room. It lit everything equally, having no source. All of the children stared wide-eyed at the man who had entered the room.
Stella recognized him as the man in the green robes who had extinguished the fire at the market. “Hello, children,” he said, his voice rough yet kind. No one said anything, just stared at the adult who had barged into their sanctuary unannounced. Being orphans they had learned long ago not to trust adult, most of them remembering friends from long ago that were taken away by them. “It seems to me that you have a magic user amongst you.” Stella felt all the other children’s eyes turn on her. “I how much you children enjoy your privacy, so I promise not to call the authorities to come and collect you all, but I must take this child away for proper training. Else she might become a danger to herself.”
Armand glanced at Stella, already guessing that he knew which one among them had the magic. He nodded at her, knowing that it was for the best that she went with him Stella stepped forward. She found it hard to keep her voice from shaking, but she managed to say confidently, “It’s me, sir.”
The man smiled and bowed low to her. “What is your name, my girl?”
“Stella.”
“Hello, Stella,” he said. “My name is Frederick Daniels, High Mage of the Torshen Empire.”
“Do you promise that my friends will be left alone?”
“Of course, Stella. Are you ready?” Daniels held out his hand to her, and waited for her to take it.
Stella looked around at her friends . . . no, her family. She knew that as soon as she walked out the door with this man that there was a great possibility that she would never see them again. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she brushed them away trying not to look weak. She nodded and took the hand of the man who would one day become her teacher, and followed him into her future.
It sped toward the target faster than most people could see, but with her magically enhanced senses, Stella watched as it sailed across the distance as if in slow motion. She had to cover her eyes when the fireball found its mark. It made no sound, but the heat released was so intense, Stella had to erect wards around her before she was incinerated. Uncovering her face, she looked to where the target once stood, only finding a circle of charred stone nearly twenty feet in diameter.
Stella staggered in exhaustion; that little ball of fire had taken a lot out of her. She managed to stay on her feet, but was left gasping for air as if she ran an entire day without stopping. “Good,” her teacher, Frederick Daniels, said from behind her, “you’ve improved greatly.”
“Then why do I still feel so freaking tired after I do it,” she said between breaths. Her teacher handed her a flask of water which Stella took with a nod of thanks before drinking deeply. She nearly drained the entire thing and getting more of it onto her brown robes rather than down her throat.
“It comes with practice, my girl,” he said. Stella handed her teacher the nearly empty container who only took a quick sip before returning it into his robes. “Most Magi of my level would’ve loved to be able to put as much energy as you have into such a contained space.”
Frederick helped Stella over to one of the benches along the courtyard walls, onto which she dropped down onto with a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until then that she could feel her limbs shaking. With as much energy as she put into it, she knew once she could walk straight she would be hungry enough to eat a horse. Maybe even two. Daniels sat down next to her, groaning as he took the weight off his weary joints. Stella noted that even though he was in his late sixties, he was still very attractive with his emerald eyes, salt-and-pepper hair, and tanned skin from many days under the sun.
“I think what got you was trying to suppress all that sound,” her teacher said. “It was reckless, but I commend you for accomplishing it. I only know two people in the entire city of Phox who could block nearly a hundred percent of the sound: the Arch Magus and myself.”
“If we can throw that much power into a spell, then why haven’t we destroyed Lyceria?” Stella asked bitterly.
“Do not believe that our enemies are entirely defenseless against our magic.” Daniels pulled out his pipe, lit it with magic, and took a single puff before continuing. “Many of their warriors, the Sharqi, carry little stone inside their pockets that are made from a rare mineral found in Lyceria known as Caska. Despite their size, these stones can absorb vast quantities of magic. It leaves all but our strongest Magi powerless. This is why we have reached a stalemate with them and to this day a hundred years after the war began, no one has won.”
As Stella’s strength slowly returned, her stomach began growling, and soon it was loud enough for her teacher to hear. Frederick chuckled as her stomach let out the loudest yet. He patted her on the back and stood up, extinguishing and stowing the pipe into his robes. “Come on, Stella,” he said, helping her to her feet. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
Stella stumbled into her room later that night. Her head was fuzzy from all the ale she drank with Frederick, though her stomach had long stopped growling after her fourth or fifth bowl of stew. She was so tired she barely took notice of her room, just barely making it to the bed where she collapsed. Her eyes seem to instantly grow ten times heavier as she crawled under the blanks. before she knew it, sleep had claimed her, whisking her off into the land of uneasy dreams.
“Are you ready, Stella,” Armand whispered. Stella nodded and began drawing upon the magical energies she had discovered hidden inside her several weeks ago. She focused all her attention on a single box one of the other orphans had placed next to the jewelers stand earlier that day. Throwing her hand forward, she released the energy towards the wood container and watched as black smoke floated out from the cracks. Stella sagged with the effort and observed as the combination of wood and hay fed the flames making it grow bigger and bigger. It didn’t take long before panic to begun ensue amongst the people.
The jeweler screamed as her stall caught flame next and began eating away at the cloths her products sat on. As everyone’s attention turned to helping the woman, small groups of children poured out of the alleys surrounding the square. Quickly, they ran between stalls, grabbing anything they could get their hands on while the owner’s attention was elsewhere. Just as the shopkeepers got the fire under control thanks to a man in green robes who had summoned water out of nowhere, the children had slipped away back into the alleys, arms full with their loot. Armand tugged on Stella’s hand, helping her to her feet and leading her down the alley.
The city of Phox was huge; five times bigger than any other city in the Torshen Empire, but Stella and the orphans knew it like the back of their hands. They spent many days walking through its streets, begging and stealing food to keep from starving. Many people saw them, but most treated them as if they weren’t there or that they were no better than a common starving dog.. Stella had joined this group of orphans several years not long after her parents’ death. Though they had little, they still shared what food they had with her and taught her the skills necessary for life on the streets. They had soon become her friends and she knew she could always rely on them.
It wasn’t until recently that Stella had discovered her new found ability. She remembered eyeing the food a merchant was selling, and at first she wasn’t sure what she happened. The food had suddenly burst into flame, sending the merchant into a panic. It wasn’t until afterwards when she felt like she had run from one end of Phox to another without stopping did she realize that she had a hand in it. It didn’t take long after that for Stella to recognize that she had used magic, a skill so rare that only a few were born every decade. So, after much practice, she got to the point where she could set fire to almost anything just by focusing hard enough and has since then used it to distract the adults while the rest of the orphans ran in and pilfered all their food.
Stella followed Armand through the maze of streets, never once letting go of his hand. They passed very few people as they made their way into heart of the city and found themselves in front of an abandoned house hidden deep within an alley. With a quick tug on the boards on the door, Armand opened it enough for Stella to climb through and followed her inside. He pulled the door shut behind him while Stella set light to a candle that she knew was sitting in the center of the room.
The candle flared into existence revealing a mostly empty room. Besides a few tattered blankets and a small stool, dust dirt, and grime dominated the place. Stella sat next to the candle, feeling the energy slowly return to her. Except for Armand’s pacing, it was completely silent in the room. Stella looked up as she heard the boards being pulled back and one of the orphans who had made away with some of the merchants stuff squeezed in, pulling the door shut behind him.
The boy set the food down he had stolen and sat down on one of the blankets. Soon after, more and more orphans pulled the boards back and piled into the room, bringing with them whatever they had managed to grab. Altogether it was an impressive haul, one of the biggest Stella had ever seen. There were piles of food from freshly salted pork to baked bread. It was more like a small feast rather than something a group of orphans scrounged up.
The room grew noisy as everyone shared their stories of today’s events, a few of them Stella knew was overly exaggerated. She picked up a slice of pork and stuck it into her mouth, enjoying the honey the butcher must’ve soaked it in. Just as she was sticking the last morsel into her mouth, there were two short raps on the door. Quickly, someone extinguished the candle, plunging the entire room into darkness as the boards were pulled back. With a blinding flash, a light flared throughout the room. It lit everything equally, having no source. All of the children stared wide-eyed at the man who had entered the room.
Stella recognized him as the man in the green robes who had extinguished the fire at the market. “Hello, children,” he said, his voice rough yet kind. No one said anything, just stared at the adult who had barged into their sanctuary unannounced. Being orphans they had learned long ago not to trust adult, most of them remembering friends from long ago that were taken away by them. “It seems to me that you have a magic user amongst you.” Stella felt all the other children’s eyes turn on her. “I how much you children enjoy your privacy, so I promise not to call the authorities to come and collect you all, but I must take this child away for proper training. Else she might become a danger to herself.”
Armand glanced at Stella, already guessing that he knew which one among them had the magic. He nodded at her, knowing that it was for the best that she went with him Stella stepped forward. She found it hard to keep her voice from shaking, but she managed to say confidently, “It’s me, sir.”
The man smiled and bowed low to her. “What is your name, my girl?”
“Stella.”
“Hello, Stella,” he said. “My name is Frederick Daniels, High Mage of the Torshen Empire.”
“Do you promise that my friends will be left alone?”
“Of course, Stella. Are you ready?” Daniels held out his hand to her, and waited for her to take it.
Stella looked around at her friends . . . no, her family. She knew that as soon as she walked out the door with this man that there was a great possibility that she would never see them again. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she brushed them away trying not to look weak. She nodded and took the hand of the man who would one day become her teacher, and followed him into her future.
Stella moaned and sat up rubbing her temple. Pain flashed through her head as she opened her eyes to the bright sunlight peaking in through the window. Though her memory of night before we fuzzy after the alcohol, she could remember the dream as clear as day. It was the first time in almost three years that she had that dream. Though she had made peace with herself long ago about leaving her family, she couldn’t help feeling like a traitor to them. Leaving them there to fend for themselves while she lived in the castle and treated like a princess.
With a groan, Stella climbed out of her bed, knowing it would be pointless to trouble herself about things she couldn’t change. She made her way into the bathroom and began filling the sink with cold water. She looked up at herself in the mirror. Staring back at her was a woman not of eighteen years of age, but someone twice that. Her brown hair was disheveled with streak of premature grays running through it. Heavy bags hung under tired, green eyes that once burned with passion. The constant training of her apprenticeship and doing her best to put her past behind her had taken their toll on her physically and mentally.
With sigh, she plunged her hand into the water and splashed her face. The cold water shocked her awake and dragged her from the painful memories. She pulled the brown apprentice robes over her head, depositing them on the ground. Despite how her face made her look much older than she was, her body was the complete opposite. Her small breasts made her look like she had just entered puberty. Daniels had explained to her long ago that most people who used magic tended to become infertile and after the initial shock, Stella learned to live with it.
Opening the dresser next to her bed, Stella pulled out another brown apprentice robes, and dropped over her head. The fabric was itchy, but she had learned to ignore it after years of wearing it day after day. Running a comb through her hair, trying to make herself look decently presentable, Stella left her room, locking the door with a small spell.
The hall was completely empty except for a single Mage Adroit heading in the other direction. Stella walked quickly down the hall, and as always, her eyes were drawn upward towards the ceiling. Not only did it soar more than a hundred feet over her head, but it used wonderful pictures to tell the history of the Torshan Empire. This section in particular discussed the raising of Phox’s first palisade. The picture depicted the twenty Mages who would later form the first High Mage Council standing in a large circle, hands raised and eyes closed. Walls made of stone rose up around the men, forming the first of many of Phox’s many defenses.
Like they had done almost every day for the past five years, Stella’s feet had managed to lead her outside of her teacher’s door. She knocked twice on the door and entered. Standing behind his desk, his eyes flowing across the pages of a book, was Frederick. Stella sat down in her usual spot in the chair in front of his desk and waited for him to finish. After several long minutes, he shut the book and placed it on the book shelf behind him before turning his attention to Stella.
“Good morning, Stella,” Daniels said. “I hope you’re feeling well after last night’s drinking.”
“I’m fine,” Stella replied. “Just a headache, but I’ll survive.”
“Good.” Frederick began tapping his fingers, a sign, Stella knew, of when he was in deep thought. After several seconds, he stopped and looked up at Stella seriously. “I received a letter this morning from the military. It says you are to report to Captain Ferrous at the Southern Barracks tomorrow at noon for your first tour.”
“Wait, I thought only Mages were allowed to serve in the military not . . .” Stella stopped short, as the realization of what her teacher just told her meant. “You mean that I am no longer an apprentice, but a fully ranked Mage.”
Frederick chuckled at Stella’s shock and replied, “Yes, Stella. You are now Mage Adroit. It is in my opinion that you show much skill in all the areas of magic that I can teach you in.” he set a small envelope sealed with wax that bore the imprint of the High Mage Council seal in front of Stella.
Stella broke the seal and pulled out the paper carefully, finding it hard to believe that this wasn’t a dream. Written in green ink was the formal letter of her new rank. Slowly, she read it out loud:
“Dear Stella Edana, apprentice of High Mage Frederick Daniels,
We, of the High Mage Council, send you this letter to notify you that you are now promoted to the rank of Mage Adroit. It is by recommendation of your teacher, a highly respected senior member of this council, that we give you this new rank. As of now, you are also enlisted into the Torshen military. Accompanying this letter will be written instructions from the Commander of the military telling where you will meet your captain for your first tour as Battlemage. As a fully fledged Mage, it is expected that you conduct yourself in the manner that will not bring shame upon the High Mage Council. Any behavior that does not represent the High Mage Council favorably will cause immediate stripping of rank and dismissal.
Sincerely,
Arch Mage Gideon Kedar”
Daniels reached under his desk and pulled out a pair of red robes handing them to Stella. The new robes let anyone who saw her know that she was a fully ranked Mage and a Battlemage in the military. Stella took her new status symbol and laid it down on her. She couldn’t help grinning the entire time. She knew it was a true honor to be promoted to this rank so young when many five years her senior were still apprentices.
“Thank you, Master Daniels,” Stella said, bowing her head. She could hardly contain herself. It nearly took all her restraint to run back to her room to try on the new robes. “I’m deeply grateful that you think I am skilled enough for this rank.”
“No need to thank me,” Daniels replied, waving her off. “You have earned this rank yourself. I can offer you no advice as you move on to this next stage in your life other than what I have given you during your training. I will give you a warning though.” His voice grew grave and joy that shone in his eyes before was gone. “Many of the senior Mages will try to take advantage of you. As an apprentice, the teacher can normally protect his student from this, which I have done for you. Now that you are promoted, many will seek to move in and use you, but I believe you are ready. Despite your age, you show great ability for a person beyond your years, but never let your guard down. For if you do, you will be lost.”
“Thank you,” Stella said again, not exactly sure of what else she could say. “Do you mind if I go and try this on, Master Daniels.”
“You may call me Frederick now, Stella,” he replied. “Or Daniels for that matter. I am no longer your teacher, and as such you no longer have to address me as ‘Master Daniels’. And by all means, go try on your new robes. More will be sent tonight.” He stood up and walked around his desk, opening the door for Stella. Stella gathered up the robes and letter in her arms, and walked out the door and down the hall.
“Oh, Stella,” Daniels called. Stella stopped and turned as Daniels walked up to her. In his hands was another letter, this one sealed with the imprint of the Torshen Military seal and a silver dagger. “That’s the letter that contains the instructions of where you need to go tomorrow. Also, this dagger was given to me by my instructor when I first became a Mage Adroit, who had received it from his teacher as well. So, I think it best to pass it one to the next in line.”
“Thank you again, Ma . . . I mean Frederick.” Stella took the knife and letter from him, then, not sure why she decided to do it, she kissed him on the cheek. She could feel her face burn with embarrassment, but was glad when he didn’t say anything.
“Go, well, Stella,” Daniels said, before turning and walking back to his room, shutting the door behind him.
For the first time since Stella arrived at the castle ten years ago, she did not once look up at the pictures on the ceiling. As soon as she was in her room and the door was shut, she threw the knife and letters onto her desk. Once her hands were free, she pulled off the old brown robes, and pulled on the new red ones. Where the apprentice robes were poorly made and used cloth that made her constantly want to scratch, these seemed to have been made by master craftsmen. The material felt like water on her skin. If it weren’t for the fact that she could see the robes sitting comfortably on her skinny frame, she would’ve thought she was naked.
Stella turned herself in circles, admiring how the robes looked on her until her eyes fells on the second letter Daniels handed her. Though she was excited about finally becoming Mage Adroit, she did not like the idea of staying with the military for several months. She knew it was to protect her people from the Lycerian horde, but she couldn’t help feeling the pointlessness of this war. It has been going on for more than a hundred years and no one has won, nor has any peace been made.
Stella picked the letter off her desk, and broke the seal. The letter was neatly folded up inside, written in eloquent handwriting that was difficult to read. Stella read it slowly and carefully, making sure she understood it completely because she knew the military had little tolerance for not following orders to the letter. It gave her a short speech like one from the High Mage Council did about how she represented them and anything that would show them badly would be punishable. It went on and told her that she was to report to the Southern Barracks tomorrow at noon exactly as Daniels had said. The commanding officer of her unit was to be Captain Ferrous, a man who she knew was a complete ass from what the other Mages said about him. She was surprised to learn that she was to serve as third in command under him, fully expecting to be no higher ranking than a common foot soldier, especially with her age. Lastly, it said that, as Mage, she was allowed to bring whatever supplies she deemed necessary to perform her duties as a Battlemage.
Stella pulled out an old leather backpack that Daniels had gotten her a year after he had found her. It was old and worn, some of the stitching that had once bound most of the leather together was falling apart, but it was still usable. She began packing everything she would need and some she wouldn’t: undergarments, socks, a small journal, several books and finally the dagger Daniels had given her. Tying the top with a leather cord, she tossed it onto her bed. It was still early in the day, so instead of pacing around, waiting for the next day, she picked up one of the books she wasn’t going to bring with her and read.
That night, Stella went to the kitchen of the castle and ate the biggest meal she could get. She knew it was the last decent meal she would have for months, so she wanted to make sure she enjoyed it. With a full belly and tired eyes, she returned to her room. She packed the robes that were brought to her room while she was away and pulled out a short sword she gotten not long ago. While she doubted she would ever need to use it, she knew sometimes it was better to be safe than sorry. At long last, she collapsed into her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head touch the pillow.
