Nightly Crusades(Updated And Edited!)

The rain beat down as Lyndis stepped off of the airship. She was far from home, but determined to get the task given to her done. She walked down the ramp, observing the busy port and the city behind it as people made their way out with her. When she made it to solid ground, Lyndis wasted no time and exited the port area. She was baffled to see a city without a large building accompanying its landing port. Having lived in a small and mostly traditional village called Sadou, she had believed that all large cities had lavish landing ports. She then remembered that she was also at the outer most reaches of her Geo. If there was anything Lyndis dreamed of doing, it was visiting another Geo. It was something many people were never given the chance to do. Sadly, only the rich had the proper expenses to be able to travel such large and dangerous distances.

Now a good distance from the open space that is the landing port, Lyndis walked down the side of the street, taking in the view. She thought of her old dreams of moving in a more populous area as she breathed in the city air. When she was a child, Lyndis always dreamed of leaving her home town of Sadou and aspiring to be more than what she was capable of in her village. To her, she believed that if she was determined, she could get a good career in the city that would make her enough money to travel to one of the neighboring Geos. Alas, her dream however, was ended when she learned that it was part of her village’s tradition to never leave it. “We are born in this village,” Lyndis said before pausing as she walked, “and we die in this village.” She sighed as she said the quote that had been passed down for generations in her village. She pushed away the thoughts as she continued to walk down the street. As she neared a directory, Lyndis touched the obelisk shaped rock, causing a flood of light to emanate from it. The light swirled and bent itself until it formed a map of the entire city. She looked at it confused as she noticed that none of the streets or buildings we named or marked. The town was small enough that if you had lived here for some time, you would know where everything is. “I can’t make sense of this…” Lyndis said to herself. A strong gust of wind suddenly swept by, stealing the umbrella Lyndis had held to defend herself from the rain. She reached out and attempted to grab it to no avail as she almost fell onto the wet ground. “Great…” Lyndis said now looking at her luggage slung across her shoulders. The rain soaked right through her bag and she sighed once more. Lyndis quickly scanned the area and found a small tarp next to one of the buildings across the street. She let the steam powered automobiles pass by before crossing and sheltering herself from the rain. Now under the tarp and leaning against the building’s wall, Lyndis removed her hood, freeing her head from the confines of her thick coat. She was then alarmed and quickly put it back on as she felt the cold sting of the air. It was not cold enough to start snowing, but plenty enough to cause discomfort. “Damn this place…” said Lyndis.

An hour had passed by as Lyndis waited under the tarp in hopes for the rain to end. It took her another half hour to accept the fact that the rain would continue to beat down mercilessly. During this time, many people walked pass her with cheery smiles and friendly gestures. She wondered how people could be so happy living in such a desolate place. The fact that this city was no more advance than her village dampened her mood. To Lyndis, any opportunity to leave her village, whether an important task or a simple errand, was perhaps one of the greatest things she could be gifted. It allowed her to experience the lavish lifestyle of city folk; what she had always dreamed of. With this no-name and small city practically being a carbon copy of her own village, she was disappointed that she accepted this task. Pushing her thoughts aside once more, Lyndis left her comfy stance against the wall and walked to the edge of the tarp. She gazed at the silver sky gifting the city with its watery contents before looking back and forth down the side of the road. She saw a few people strolling on the side where the directory rested and she quickly made her way back as she avoided the constant automobiles passing by on the streets. Catching a happy looking couple with her hand on the man’s shoulder, she readied herself to ask them for help. “Excuse me, sir. Do you happen to know where this is?” Lyndis asked as she pulled out a small paper with a wood cottage sketched on it.

“That looks like one of the neighboring backwater villages,” the man said. “May I see the paper?”

“Of course,” Lyndis said with a smile. She tried to appear as happy as possible, not wanting the couple’s mood to be discouraged by her own.

“What do you think, honey?” the man asked the woman next to her. “Looks like one of the outside villages right?”

“Yes it does,” the woman answered. “I think your best bet is to search the villages closest to the edge of our Geo, dear. There are dozens of them, but those ones are the most traditional ones. They share this cottage’s architecture.”

“I see,” said Lyndis happy with her lead. She took back the paper and stuffed it in her back. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

“It’s not a problem,” the woman said with a smile.

“If it’s not rude of me, what’s a pretty young thing like you doing in such an isolated place?” the man asked. “Your clothes look of decent stature. If anything, you should be living near the center of our Geo, not out here at the edge with us poor people.”

“I am an outsider, you have that right. But I came here due to urgent matters concerning my village,” Lyndis answered. “My father told me that the person that can help lives in this cottage near this particular edge of our Geo. That is all I know myself.”

“Sounds like a fool’s errand to me,” the man said jokingly.

“Hush, dear,” the woman said. “I wish you luck on your task. It’s best you know that the city exit is north of here. It should take no more than a few hours to reach by foot. From there, you might want some form of transportation to visit the neighboring backwater villages.”

“Thanks once again, ma’am,” said Lyndis. “Also, do you happen to have a spare umbrella?”

XXXXXXXXXX

The high city walls greeted Lyndis as she looked up from her umbrella to examine the gate that led out of the city. She slowly strolled down the side of the street until she reached the gates. There were tarps set up all over the base of the gate with at least four to five dozen people. Lyndis observed that some had animals on them while others had luggage. It seemed to have been a checkpoint both for those who wish to leave and those who wish to enter. As she approached, a man sporting officer’s clothes approached her. He wore leather strapped along his arms legs and chest. Underneath the leather, Lyndis noticed that he wore everyday attire. “Makeshift armor for a simple job I see,” Lyndis said with a smile.

“State your business,” the man said.

“I want to leave the city,” Lyndis told the man. “And if possible, I would like transportation.”

The man pulled out a quill and notepad from his satchel and wrote down Lyndis’ requests. “Your preferred transportation?”

“An automobile would be great!” Lyndis said.

“Sorry, miss, but Albion brand steam powered automobiles are only designed for travel on paved roads.”

“I know, can’t you figure out I’m joking?” asked Lyndis.

“Please do not show signs of aggression or I will be forced to detain you, miss,” said the man ignoring Lyndis’ question.

“Goodness,” said Lyndis putting her hand on her head. “Alright, alright. I would like passage out of the city and transportation in the form of a horse. Please.”

“Of course miss,” the man said. “I’ll have your request processed and it should be ready in an hour or two.” The man then excused himself and disappeared into the crowd.

“An hour or two?” Lyndis asked herself as she sat down on one of the soaked benches. “This place is hell…”

XXXXXXXXXX

Lyndis scanned the open fields astride her horse as she explored outside of the city. She had visited many villages and all of them had got her running around in circles. It was now late afternoon and both Lyndis and her horse were tired. She settled down under one of the many trees that littered the field which provided little protection from the rain. Lyndis then looked at her pouch, now mostly devoid of money. It took all her money to get passed the checkpoint and purchase a temporary horse. Lyndis sighed once more, now completely drenched. Her umbrella only provided so much protection from the rain when traveling on a horse. She looked up at the tree, admiring the droplets falling through the leaves. It was a beautiful sight that put a smile on her face. She had learned that when it came to situations like the one she’s in right now, the best course of action is to enjoy the little things in life. With eyes closed, Lyndis took a deep breath and smiled once more. “The rain’s not so bad…” she convinced herself. She looked at and patted her horse. “Wouldn’t you say so big guy?” The horse simply neighed and shook its head, causing its soaked main to splash water all over Lyndis. Her expression quickly changed as she frowned and wiped off the water on her face. She no longer bothered with her outfit since the water had soaked through all the layers long ago. Lyndis rubbed her shoulders as she felt the cold pierce through her very core. After a futile attempt at warming herself up, she took the reins of her mount once more and set off. She searched for hours, visiting another half dozen villages to no avail. With every place she visited, she was redirected to either a new village or a village she had already been to. To Lyndis, it was the most irritating and frustrating thing she had ever experienced. She thought of what she would do to the cottage owner if she ever saw him or her. The first thing she had planned was a good blow to somewhere that would hurt. It would then be followed by a long talk that would involve her unleashing all the frustration she accumulated. “This guy better be ready…” Lyndis said to herself as she continued to gallop across the tall fields.

With the rain not letting up and night approaching, Lyndis opted to settle in the next village she would visit. After about an hour, she reached a small fenced village. It was near an area of the field where there were enough trees to consider everything passed that point as a forest. As she entered, Lyndis stopped her horse at the stables near the only inn in the tiny village. The people gave her odd looks, noticing how foreign she looked. She simply ignored them and entered the inn. As soon as she was inside, the festivities and dancing stopped as the people took notice of her. Lyndis was not surprised at all by their reaction. After all, she thought how she would have been surprised as well if she were in their shoes. It’s not every day you see a foreign-dressed woman with fairer skin soaked from head to toe just appear from out of the blue.

Lyndis wasted no time and sat at one of the tables after she dried herself a little. A server approached her as she propped her forehead on her hands. The server looked at her with a little concern before she asked, “Do you need anything, miss?”

Lyndis removed her face from the shelter of her palms and looked at her server. “Yes. Bread and cheese please,” Lyndis said wearily. “It’s all I can afford.”

“As you wish,” the server said to her. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Lyndis leaned against the chair, looking at the group of people gathered around the fire in the middle of the inn. There were many other tables and she noticed that she was the only one who sat alone. One bard played a lute standing next to the fire as another played a flute while sitting on a chair. As they did so, people danced to their tune. She despised how everyone was so marry. It made Lyndis realize how noticeable of an outsider she was that she caused everything to halt. As she went back into her own thoughts, Lyndis notice her server making her way towards her with food. The server laid the meal on the table alongside a mug of milk which Lyndis knew she did not ask for. Even though she didn’t ask for one, Lyndis was delighted by the kind gesture. “How much?” she asked as she searched for scraps left in her wallet.

“One silver and two coppers,” the server answered.

“Dammit…” Lyndis said as she produced only eight copper pieces. “I’ll do anything for it.”

“I can ask my father if there are any dishes that need by cleaned,” the server said before she excused herself.

At this point, Lyndis didn’t care. All she wanted was a good meal after a long day. She wanted it enough that she was willing to wash any amount of dishes. As she bit into the crispy skin of the bread and into the soft dough beneath it, Lyndis felt all her worries slowly die down. She then ripped a piece off the hunk of cheese followed by a gulp of milk. Lyndis enjoyed every moment of her meal as she scarfed down every last bite and drop. Just as she had finished, her server appeared before her. “Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, miss. I am Inna. My father owns this inn.”

“And I’m Lyndis of Sadou village,” Lyndis replied in return. “You can just call me Lyn, Inna.”

“That’s much too formal for just having met, miss,” Inna said with a smile. “I talked to my father about your predicament, and he said you could help with the unwashed mugs and plates that are piled in the back.”

“When do we start?” Lyndis asked.

“Right now,” Inna answered. “Please come with me.”

Lyndis stood up from her chair and followed Inna quietly to the doorway behind the bar. She took one last look at the merriment before she entered the kitchen. There, she saw the pile of dishes stacked up next to a large metal basin full of water. She rolled her eyes a little and sighed before kneeling next to the basin alongside Inna. “Let’s get this over with,” she said.

“It’s not going to be that bad,” Inna said with a smile. “Plus, you did say you’d do anything.”

“I know…” Lyndis said with a hint of regret. She then joined Inna and began to wash the dishes. A few hours passed by with her washing the dishes either with Inna or by herself when Inna needed to tend to more customers. Her hands pruned as the amount of dishes that came in did not diminish. Lyndis thought that all this work was hardly worth a small amount of bread and cheese. But as time passed by, she managed to tolerate the menial task. She made small conversations with Inna every time she would help her and it helped pass the time.

As Inna joined her once more, Lyndis was surprised by her sudden curiosity. “So what brings a pretty face like you here?” Inna asked her.

“I’m here on an errand for my village,” Lyndis answered. “Everyone is relying on me.”

“Well then, I hope you succeed,” said Inna. “Judging from how you look, you’re probably not accustomed to places like this.”

“What do you mean?” Lyndis asked.

“You probably live in a large city of steal and stone,” Inna said as she added clean dishes to a different pile. “And they’re probably powered by steam or even electricity. Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones that live in a city powered by both?”

“Nah,” replied Lyndis. “As I said, I live in a small village out in the countryside. Though our structures are made of stone, we have very few steam powered devices. Your village isn’t a far cry from my home really.”

“I see. So what or who exactly are you looking for specifically?”

“A man. My father didn’t say his name, but he said I will recognize him immediately due to him being strikingly handsome,” said Lyndis as she dried her hands to take a break. “He also apparently lives in this small cottage,” she added as she showed Inna her sketch.

“I know that place!” Inna said as she looked at the sketch.

“You do?!” Lyndis asked with anticipation. “Where is it?”

“It’s deep inside At the Edge Woods. That’s the forest right outside our town,” answered Inna. “It’s a strange little place that can…”

“I’m sorry,” Lyndis said interrupting Inna, “but did you say At the Edge Woods? What kind of name for a forest is that?

“When you live at the edge of a Geo where cultures are most primitive, you’d be surprised to find any place with a name. Our village for example, has no name,” Inna answered. “And the forest is named that because it just suddenly ends. Walk far enough in and you’ll see the edge of our Geo. Best be careful, one misstep is all it takes to be lost forever.”

“I see. So the name is fitting after all,” Lyndis said intrigued. “I’m sorry for ever asking such an asinine question. Would you please tell me more about the cottage?”

“Of course,” answered Inna. “As I said, it’s a small isolated place near the edge of the woods. It only seems to appear if you follow a set path to reach it. The path also only appears at night. The moment the first sign of sunlight replaces the light from the moon and stars, the path will be lost.”

“So I have to leave soon!” Lyndis said frantically. “I’m not one to shirk duties, so let’s get these dishes done!”

“Don’t worry about it!” Inna said with a smile. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done enough. It’s already midnight and you said that there are people relying on you. Just go. I can handle the rest.”

“A-are you sure?” Lyndis asked.

“I’m positive,” Inna answered.

“Thank you so much,” Lyndis said as she gathered her belongings. “I’ll find a way to repay you some day, Inna.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Lyndis strode the woods atop her horse, looking at all possible directions. The path that Inna mentioned was elusive, but noticeable. Lyndis wasn’t even sure if she was on the right path. She just noticed that the moon hit some of the flowers in a different light. It wasn’t much of a lead and for all she knew, she could have just been crazy to notice something so insignificant, but it was all she had. She followed the path desperately for hours, keeping track of the subtle light bouncing of the flowers strewn across the forest. After a while, Lyndis heard a curious noise. It sounded as if a strong wind was blowing nearby. As she entered a clearing, Lyndis was in awe at the sight in front of her. There stood a small wooden cottage built into a large mound of dirt. There were no trees around the cottage. Instead, grass grew a deep green like she had never seen before. The flowers also bloomed so serenely that it gave off the presence that this area was magical. No more than a few feet away from the cottage was the edge that Inna mentioned. Though she knew it was dangerous, Lyndis led her horse towards the edge. She stopped and got off, standing right at the cusp. “Wow…” she said as she looked down. Heavy purple clouds covered the infinite abyss which was ablaze with light from streaks of electricity traveling across it. A strong gust of wind continuously pushed up and Lyndis felt the wonder of the sight. As she looked up, she saw the vast sky littered with stars. Here at the edge, she felt so close to them that she thought she could just reach out and grab one. Breath taking in all meanings of the word, Lyndis gazed at the view for several minutes before she snapped back to her mission at hand. She walked away from the cliff and quickly approached the cottage. Taking a deep breath, Lyndis opened the door and let herself in.

Now inside, Lyndis was surprised by the size of the cottage’s interior. It seemed much larger than what she saw from the outside. She noticed a sign right next to the door as she closed it and she read it. “The Night Crusaders Detective Agency, specializing in all manners of strange matters both public and private,” Lyndis read. “Are you kidding me? My father sent me to look for a stupid investigator?! We could have just hired one from the city!!!” She palmed her head with force and shook it as she remembered all the trouble she went through to get here. She then noticed that nobody was even home. Frustrated and ready to go home, Lyndis decided to explore the place with or without the consent of the owner. As she sifted through the owner’s strange belongings, a large parchment on the wall attracted her attention. She approached it and noticed it was a map unlike anything she had ever seen. It was gigantic and had locations she had never even heard of. It was then that a thought struck her. Lyndis noticed that part of the map was shaped an awful lot like the continent she was on right now. “Wait, is this…”

“Can I help you?” and unknown voice questioned Lyndis from behind, causing her to jump in both fear and surprise.

“Um…” Lyndis said as she looked at the figure that stood in front of her. He was only wearing pants and his upper body was laid bare before her, muscled and well defined. He had a face that she believed no woman could ever forget no matter how many years she lived. Every feature was perfect and flowed well, creating a countenance that could be rivaled by no one. He had brown wavy hair, arranged in what Lyndis liked to call an organized mess. He also sported a very light and almost unnoticeable beard, probably new hair just growing in after a recent shave. What was perhaps most alluring, were his eyes. They were a sterling silver color that Lyndis had never seen on any person. She didn’t even know silver was a possible eye color. She felt a strange feeling travel up and down her body the more she stared at the man and it slowly overpowered her reason.

“Like what you see?” the man asked with a smile.

“What?” Lyndis said now back to her senses. She blushed a little as she felt the man’s confidence echo through his words. “Well, y-yeah…”

“You should,” the man said as he walked up to the wall next to Lyndis. “This is a map of Terra, which shows how the world used to look before it split into separate Geos. You can even see where land masses and bodies of water once connected to each other.”

“Wait, what?” Lyndis asked both surprised and confused. “I thought you meant… You weren’t talking about… You mean the map?”

“Of course I mean the map!” the man answered confused by Lyndis’ confusion. “What did you think I meant?”

“N-never mind,” Lyndis said as she fought the want to stare at the man’s body for a prolonged period. “I thought there weren’t any maps of Terra left?”

“I got this one for a bargain price about a hundred years ago!” the Man answered with glee.

“A hundred years ago?” Lyndis asked curiously.

“Did I say a hundred? Hahahaha! I meant ten,” the man suddenly said. “Funny how you lose track of time and add extra zeroes right?”

Lyndis was silent and looked at the man questionably. “Is this guy insane?” she asked herself in her thoughts.

“Now I know you must think I’m insane,” the man said to Lyndis’ bewilderment. “But you’re here because you got a job for me right? Normally, my sister and I would do it, but she left on an errand and hasn’t come back yet.”

“And how long ago was that?” Lyndis asked the man.

“About fifty… I mean five! Yup, five years ago! Ahahaha! Aha! Ha…” the man answered with a smile on his face. “Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Mathew Tytarius. What’s the job you got for me?”

“There have been some strange and unexplainable things happening in my village,” Lyndis answered. “My father told me that you’re the only man qualified for this particular level of strange.”

“And he would be right,” Mathew said as he walked up to his desk. He sat on the chair and slammed his feet on the desk, causing the bowl of grapes on it to launch off and land on his lap. He leaned back on the chair, using the desk as a foot rest as he ate the grapes. “Where’s this job at?”

“Well, my Village is near Centropolis so…” Lyndis began to answer.

“Centropolis?! That’s all the way in the middle of this Geo! It would take at least a month to get there!” said Mathew. “Sorry kid, you’re on your own.”

“But you just said you’re the man for the job!” Lyndis said irritated. She unleashed all of her pent up rage and frustration. “I’ve spent the last three months looking for you! I haven’t been in contact with my father for all those months as well! You can’t just tell a person †˜no’ after everything they’ve been through to get here! And don’t call me a kid! I’M YOUR AGE!!!”

“You look my age,” replied Mathew.

“What in the Nine Hells is that supposed to mean?!” Lyndis asked still very much frustrated.

“Never mind,” said Mathew, “the point I’m trying to make is that I have no intentions of traveling that far. Look, miss whatever-you-name-is, I’m sure you can find somebody else. You’ve got a pretty face and you have a lot of conviction if you managed to find me. I’m sure those two combined will net you another specialist in no time!”

“My name is Lyndis,” said Lyndis. “Lyndis Sadou of Sadou Village.”

“Did you say Sadou village?” Mathew suddenly asked her with a serious look.

“Yes. Why?” asked Lyndis a little curious. From the ten minutes she knew Mathew, she knew he was too carefree to ever make a serious face without reason.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Mathew. He ran to the next room and came back in less than ten seconds now fully dressed, with a pack slung over his shoulder. “When do we leave?”

“This is as far as I can take you,” the coachman said as he stopped the carriage. “If you follow down this road for about a mile, you should reach a forest. There should be a village inside the forest that you can rest in. After that, it should be a straight shot to the city near the docks.”

Lyndis got off the carriage followed by Mathew. She shook the coachman’s hand as a gesture of thanks. “Thank you so much for even taking us this far,” she said. “I’m sorry we couldn’t pay you.”

“It’s not a problem at all, miss,” the coachman said with a smile. “Just pay it forward. I see it’s definitely not a problem for your friend.”

Lyndis took note of what the coachman said before she noticed Mathew already far off in the distance. “I’m sorry about him,” Lyndis said as she hefted her luggage and began to catch up with Mathew. She looked back once more at the coachman. “Thanks again!” she said.

“You’re welcome! Have a safe trip!” the coachman replied.

Lyndis ran after Mathew as quickly as she could. They had been traveling for the last week together and they had gotten nowhere. When Lyndis figured out that Mathew didn’t have a penny to his name coupled with her own financial situation, they had been island jumping for the last week in an attempt to find suitable transport to Centropolis. In the time they spent, they had move no further than a few hundred miles from their starting point. As she caught up to Mathew, Lyndis called out to her. “Wait up!” she yelled. “You walk so damn fast.”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Mathew said as he stopped to let Lyndis catch up. “I’m just really excited about this lead!”

“Are you ever not happy?” Lyndis asked out of breath. “We’ve barely gotten anywhere! We’re still in the same region, just on an archipelago instead of a major land mass!”

“Your point?” Mathew asked as he started to walk again. “A lead’s a lead. Besides, I haven’t been on a boat in ages! It’s going to be fun!”

“It’s going to take months to get back by boat!” said Lyndis.

“Yup! Which means plenty of time for sightseeing,” replied Mathew.

“Sightseeing what? Water as far as the eye can see?” Lyndis asked.

“Exactly! Water is beautiful, after all!” Mathew answered. He then picked up the pace and continued to walk down the trail. It only took another ten minutes before they reached the edge of a very thick forest. Lyndis stared up at the trees, taking note of their height. “Well,” Mathew said, “let’s go!”

“Something tells me we should go around,” Lyndis said as she continued to examine the forest.

“Nah, that’d take too long. Let’s go!” Mathew said as he walked in, not even waiting for Lyndis.

“Wait, Mathew!” Lyndis called out to him, now far in the forest. She then ran in and said, “Dammit…” As she caught up to him once more, they once again walked together in silence. Lyndis hated the fact that the only time she had any kind of conversation with Mathew was when she had a disagreement with him. She knew so little about him and it made her extremely curious. She also had a dislike of his overall appearance. Though it had been a week, she would still get lost in a daydream if she stared at Mathew long enough. Lyndis knew something about it was unnatural. She had traveled to many parts of the Geo and she had picked up many skills as well as encountered her fair share of handsome men. There was just something about Mathew’s appeal that didn’t seem normal.

As they continued to walk, Lyndis finally took note of Mathew’s pack. It was half the size of hers, yet something about it was extremely odd to her. She knew Mathew couldn’t have packed much in the ten seconds it took him to get ready, but it seemed like he packed more than he could possibly have in such a short time. Not only that, but Lyndis also noticed that he had been wearing the same set of clothes for the last week. It wasn’t the fact that they were the same that bothered Lyndis; it was the fact they still looked and smelled clean. Did he have multiple of the same outfit in his pack? And if he did, how did he fit it all into such a small compartment? These questions swirled in Lyndis’ head as she tried to figure out the anomaly that is Mathew. She backed the questions to the edge of her mind as she noticed Mathew stop. He sat on one of the giant moss covered tree roots and began to dig through his pouch. “What’s the matter now?” Lyndis asked.

“I forgot that I haven’t eaten,” Mathew answered as he pulled out a hunk of meat from his pack.

“You forgot to eat breakfast?” Lyndis asked another question.

“”No I’ve just forgotten to eat for the past three days!” Mathew said with a laugh. “Funny how you can forget things! Hahahahaha! You want a piece?”

“N-no thanks…” Lyndis said suspiciously. She wondered how he was still so energetic after not having eaten for three days. She then wondered even more as to how someone could forget to eat. To Lyndis, Mathew just became more and more strange the longer she traveled with him. She sat next to a tree branch as well, observing Mathew as he ate. She took note of how he had a piece of meat just stored in his pack. Lyndis thought of how it could possibly have fit in the pack alongside all his other belonging. She then jumped from her seat as she felt something crawl on her back. As she flailed and brushed her back, Lyndis let out a shriek as she knocked off a spider. It was about twelve inches in size, bigger than any spider she had ever seen. “What the hell?” Lyndis said as she felt around her back for anymore spiders. “I’ve never seen one so big.” She then shrieked once more as Mathew’s boot crushed it into a pulp.

“It’s just a spider,” Mathew said, confused by Lyndis’ reaction to the creature.

“I’m sorry, we are talking about the same spider right?” asked Lyndis. “It was huge!”

“I’ve seen bigger,” Mathew said as he sat back down and continued to eat.

“Excuse me?” Lyndis said shocked. “That spider was probably a world record!”

“Not it wasn’t,” Mathew said as he continued to eat. He finished the rest of his meal and stood up. “Let’s go find that village already while the day’s still young.” He then motioned Lyndis to follow him.

Lyndis simply complied and began to walk with Mathew. She disliked his head strong attitude. After all, part of the reason they had barely gotten anywhere was due to Mathew. He would follow a lead regardless of consequence and no matter what say Lyndis put, he just ignored it. She hated the fact that he was just leading her on some journey to nowhere. As she continued to think, Lyndis let out a yelp. The ground below her gave out and she fell into a pit. She was surprised when she realized that she was just floating in midair, looking at the razor sharp spikes at the base of the pit. Lyndis looked up to see Mathew with a grip on her leg. She was surprised how he could hold her up so easily with just one hand. His arm was completely horizontal, ninety degrees to his body as he held her over the pit. “Th-thanks…” Lyndis managed to stutter.

“No problem,” Mathew said as he pulled her up and laid her on the ground. His face was once again serious, an expression Lyndis had only seen once. Mathew scanned the area before he spoke to Lyndis. “Stick close to me, this whole forest is rigged.”

“H-how do you know?” Lyndis asked.

Mathew did not speak. Instead, he simply whipped something out from his pack and threw it. It was a silver knife aimed at one of the trees. As it collided with the tree, a shimmer ran up to its branches, revealing a micro thin wire stuck to a log that swung down and slammed against its trunk. “That’s why,” Mathew finally answered. “Stick close to me. These traps weren’t meant for people, but that doesn’t mean they won’t work on us."

“Got it,” Lyndis said as she got up.

XXXXXXXXXX

“On your right,” Mathew said as he pointed at a faint glimmer next to the tree trunk that Lyndis stood close to. This was the thirteenth log trap that Mathew warned Lyndis of in the past two hours that they had been in the forest. She froze and looked at the shimmer of the string, tracing it down to the base of the tree and to the ground. She scanned with her eyes, taking careful steps as she spotted the almost unnoticeable tripwire in front of her. “Right in front of you,” Mathew said.

“I see it,” Lyndis said. “I’m not helpless, Mathew.”

“Clearly you’re not seeing what I’m seeing,” Mathew said under his breath loud enough for Lyndis to hear.

“Is this all you do?” Lyndis asked irritated.

“What do you mean?” Mathew asked back.

“Act like an eccentric ass then suddenly become †˜Mr. Serious,’” Lyndis answered. She finally stepped over the wire and continued to walk. “I’m not buying into these sudden attitude switches. Who are you, Mathew Tytarius? Why are you so important that my Father has me scour the entire Geo to bring you back to our village?”

“Shush!” Mathew said suddenly as he scanned their surroundings. He looked at the trees and surrounding shrubbery with concern. Suddenly, Mathew pulled out a silver knife from his pouch and threw it at Lyndis. Her eyes widened as the knife neared her face before feeling a sense of relief as it hit an arrow with near identical trajectory. The arrow bounced off the knife, causing both to fly pass Lyndis’ head on either side. She stood there, completely stunned as she saw Mathew run towards her. He pulled out a shining silver dagger from the scabbard on his left hip and threw it over Lyndis’ head. She spun around to see the dagger connect with a humanoid shaped entity covered in vines. Lyndis was then stunned when the dagger suddenly ripped itself out of the man and back to Mathew’s hand. He threw it once more, connecting with another man just about to shoot Lyndis with another arrow. As he reached her, Mathew tackled Lyndis, knocking her underneath some giant tree roots for protection. She watched on as he continued to fight. Mathew threw the dagger into the distance, connecting with another target. It was then that Lyndis noticed how he moved his arms. She saw a momentary shimmer tighten as the dagger flew back into Mathew’s hand. Mathew had a near invisible string similar to the forest tripwires tied to the dagger which allowed it to return to his hands. “If you can fight,” Mathew said as he continued to throw the dagger. He pulled out a short blade from his pack and threw it at Lyndis. “Then use this to defend yourself.”

Lyndis reached out for the blade only to reel back as an arrow connected with it and knocked out in the open. “Shit!” she screamed.

“Just sit still!” said Mathew as an arrow connected with his shoulder. Lyndis gasped as he spun around and saw that the arrow was now in Mathew’s empty hand and out of where it punched a hole in his body. She was even more surprised to only see a small blood stain rather than profuse bleeding. She then saw Mathew rip out strange star shaped objects from his pack, placing four between each of his fingers. Lyndis had never seen such strange weapons and she assumed that they must have been foreign. She saw Mathew swing his body, using the centripetal force to arc the star shaped objects as they flew through the air. She then heard multiple grunts of pain in unison, quickly followed by silence as a body fell right in front of where she was hiding, causing her to gasp. “Got them,” Mathew said out of breath.

“Mathew…” Lyndis whispered in pure shock and wonder.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“That was amazing!” Lyndis said with a smile. “How did you… Where did you… You’ve got to teach me!”

“It was nothing. I’ve been out of a job that I’m not as sharp as I was before. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten hit,” Mathew said with a smile.

“Speaking of that,” Lyndis said as she pulled on his shirt to inspect his shoulder. She was surprised to see no wound. “You’re not injured…”

“My armor blocked it!” Mathew said reassuringly with a smile.

“Mathew, this isn’t armor, it’s just a shirt,” Lyndis replied. “And I can see the blood stain on this shirt where the arrow hit.”

“Forget about it Mathew,” said as he waved her off with his hand. “We need to find this village before more of them try to kill us.

“Are you kidding me?” Lyndis asked. “You do remember what they tried to do us just moments ago right?”

“Of course, I was in the middle of it,” Mathew answered. “But something tells me we’re not their biggest problem. In fact, I think they have a problem so big that it’s making them hostile towards everything. We need to find out what it is.”

“You honestly believe that?” Lyndis asked as she looked at him in disbelief.

“Yes, I do,” Mathew answered confidently.

“Well, I hope you’re right,” said Lyndis. She then followed closely behind Mathew as he examined the ground for tracks.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sun was mere minutes away from setting as Lyndis and Mathew trekked through the canopy. Lyndis looked at the sky, now a reddish purple color as the last rays of the sun disappeared into the horizon that she could not see in the forest. She quickly refocused her attention on Mathew as he walked in front of her. She eyed the dagger that rested inside the scabbard on his left hip. Lyndis wondered why this weapon was so special. Whereas he kept all his tools and other odds and ends in his seemingly infinite pack, the dagger was always at his side. Lyndis also noticed a few other odd pieces of equipment that Mathew carried that she had not noticed before. He had a thin cylindrical case about two feet in length strapped to the back of his cloak. What could he have possibly had in such a case? A paper? Or maybe some other weapon foreign weapon like the strange star shaped throwing objects? Lyndis pondered these questions as she moved her observations to Mathew’s waist. Around Mathew’s waist was a red sash. At first, Lyndis believed that it was just a piece of clothing Mathew used to secure his pants. But as she looked back on the past week, she finally realized that the sash was too wide and thick to just be simple a sash. If anything, Lyndis saw it more as a cloak. As Lyndis continued to eye him, Mathew turned around to look at her, causing her to look away in hopes that she wouldn’t look suspicious. “That was smooth of me…” Lyndis said to herself.

“You know,” Mathew suddenly said, “if you don’t want to look suspicious, don’t act suspiciously!”

“What are you talking about?” Lyndis asked, feigning ignorance.

“Dagger, back, sash,” Mathew answered.

Lyndis looked at him surprised. “Does he have eyes on the back of his head?” Lyndis asked herself in her thoughts.

“Maybe…” said Mathew as he looked at her with a smile. He walked away with the smile still plastered on his face, mot saying another word.

Lyndis’ eyes widened, and she said no more both out loud and in her thoughts. If she had any doubts before, this short conversation with Mathew killed them all. She was now convinced that he was not from this Geo. Lyndis wasn’t even sure if he was from anywhere in all of Terra. Never had she met a person who she believed knew so much, but pretended to know so little. In front of her stood an enigma that she did not know how to interact with. She was both impressed and intimidated as she looked at Mathew from behind. He was handsome, extremely analytical, and physically superior to everyone she knew. It was as if he was an Old God of lore given human form.

A few hours passed and the sky was now a dark blue as Mathew and Lyndis walked. It was very dark with not a light other than the moon and stars. Lyndis had a hard time seeing, now reduced to relying on Mathew’s sense of direction. She wondered if she should take the lead after everywhere Mathew dragged her in the past week. Then again, she thought that if it wasn’t for Mathew, they would have never left from where they started. He had a knack for finding places that offered odd and obscure jobs that required no experience. If it wasn’t for this, they would have never made any money to travel at all. It made Lyndis question whether he had a bad sense of direction or not. “Mathew,” Lyndis started, “tell me something about you.”

“Like what?” Mathew asked without turning around.

“Anything! Something other than your name. For example, how can you see so well right now? I can barely see you and I wish you’d slow down,” said Lyndis.

“I know you want me to slow down,” Mathew said. “But you also want to get out of this forest as fast as possible. That’s why I can’t slow down.”

“How do you know that?” Lyndis asked baffled.

“I just know, Miss Sadou. I just know,” Mathew answered.

“Well, if you won’t tell me about how you can read minds, tell me something else about yourself,” Lyndis said a little irritated. “What’s up with that dagger? It’s the only thing you don’t put in that bottomless pouch of yours.”

“My pouch isn’t bottomless,” replied Mathew. He pulled out his dagger and showed it to Lyndis. Mathew stopped for a moment and handed it to her. “And this is just a simple dagger.”

“But it’s not!” Lyndis argued. “I’ve seen silver before, but this is too shiny and reflective to be normal silver. Not only that, but this looks too pristine for something that sliced through several people.”

Mathew looked at Lyndis with a surprised face. “What color is my sash?”

“What? Why are you asking?” Lyndis asked confused.

“Just answer the question,” demanded Mathew.

“It’s red,” Lyndis answered hesitantly.

“And do I have something on my back?” Mathews asked another question.

“Yes, it’s a cylindrical case,” answered Lyndis. “I’ve been trying to figure out what could be in it. I just assumed it held a scroll or something.”

“That’s impossible…” Mathew said now in deep thought.

“What is?” Lyndis asked before an enormous spider interrupted their conversation. She reared back in pure shock as the eight legged beast slammed one of its appendages down between her and Mathew. Lyndis was completely bewildered by the sight of such a huge beast and she froze in place as it charged her. She then saw Mathew now in the air and right behind the spider. He landed on the vile creature and implanted the dagger right in its abdomen. The creature let out a strange shriek as it leaned left in pain. Just as it crashed into the ground, Mathew jumped off and landed perfectly right next to it. “I-it’s huge…” Lyndis said in horror.

“Are you okay?” Mathew asked before the spider suddenly got up. It whipped its forelegs right at Mathew, knocking him into one of the tree trunks. Mathew shook of his daze and looked at Lyndis before he concentrated all his attention at the charging spider. He pushed himself off the trunk of the tree and vaulted over the spider, causing it to charge head first into the thick wood. Mathew pulled out his dagger once more and jumped at the creature, slashing off one of its hind legs before being knocked away by another. The creature readied another assault and positioned itself above Mathew. It then proceeded to repeatedly lunge down at him with its fangs in an attempt to poison him. Mathew rolled on the ground back and forth, frantically avoiding all of the spider’s attempt to sink its fangs into his flesh. Just as the spider gained the perfect angle to impale him, it lost its balance and buried its fangs into the earth right next to Mathew. He inspected what caused this to happen and noticed Lyndis near one of its legs. She pulled with all her might until the leg separated from the creature’s body with a pop. In pain, the spider quickly spun around and knocked Lyndis away. Mathew used this opportunity and jumped at the beast while it was distracted. To his surprise, it turned around once more to face him astoundingly quick. It charged at him, sinking its fangs into his stomach and continuing to charge until it pinned Mathew against a tree. “OH, GODS!!!” Mathew screamed.

“MATHEW!!!” Lyndis screamed in horror at the sight of Mathew. The spider continued to push his body up against the trunk, causing a trail of blood to paint the tree red. Just as Lyndis rushed to aid Mathew, he jammed his dagger right into the spider’s head. Lyndis paused as the creature struggled violently from the pain. With all his strength, Mathew continued to stab at the spider’s head until it was full of nothing but holes. It finally ceased to move and it fell on its lower abdomen, dragging Mathew with it. “Mathew!” Lyndis exclaimed as she ran to his side. She was stunned to see him still impaled to the creature’s massive fangs and she began to panic. “Mathew? Mathew?!” She screamed, too afraid to dislodge him from the vile creature. “MATHEW!!! PLEASE!!!” Lyndis continued to scream. She was quickly silenced as an arrow landed next to her. She looked towards where it came from and she saw men of similar attire to the ones that attacked them earlier. They looked at her as if inspecting here from afar before they began to mutter amongst themselves. Lyndis watched as they spoke, overhearing their conversation.

“I think they’re the ones that set off all out traps and killed our friends,” one said.

“Then they must be punished with death,” another said.

“I have a better idea,” yet another said. “Let us take them to the chief.”

“Why?”

“Yes, why?”

“Ever since the first time we warred with these creatures, we have done nothing more than just injure the large ones. These two seem to have killed one. They could be the answer to this problem.” A large debate followed between the mean as they chose who to side with.
“Our chief would never accept outsiders! The must be killed!” one said.

“No! They could be the only hope for our village!” another interjected.

“Silence!” said the man who suggested the idea to keep them alive. “We shall put it to a vote.” Lyndis watched on as they voted and she stayed completely still in shock. She stopped listening to the men’s rabble and simply waited for what they had planned. She assumed they finished voting as they feel silent. They then approached her and she felt a hard smack to the back of her head, followed by darkness.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lyndis woke up to the sight of Mathew, naked from the waist up and lying on his right shoulder in front of her. She too was on her shoulders, her hand and legs bound as she lay face to face with him. Mathew’s eyes were half open and Lyndis looked at him with concern as he made a weak smile. She looked down at his stomach to see four deep and bloody puncture wounds, now festering and turning the veins around them black. “Mathew…” Lyndis spoke quietly. “I’m so sorry…”

“I-it’s not your f-fault,” said Mathew, his smile ever present. He coughed a little blood before he spoke. “D-don’t worry, this m-much… this much isn’t enough to kill the great… Mathew Tytarius.”

“There are four two inch holes in your stomach,” Lyndis said as she looked at the wound. “You can barely speak straight.”

“S-see?” Mathew asked. “Doesn’t sound as bad… doesn’t sound as bad when you say it, does it?”

Lyndis couldn’t help but smile even though she was completely concerned for him. “Mathew Tytarius, ever the optimist…” she said. “So, where are we?”

“F-from what I’ve n-noticed, they dragged us back… back to their village. Th-this is area seems to be in the middle of their l-little village. Since you’re b-back’s to it, they have t-two pikes posted o-over firewood right behind… right behind us. I-I th-think their chief has decided to burn us… alive.”

“What?!” exclaimed Lyndis. “Oh, Gods…”

“G-gotcha,” said Mathew. He struggled to chuckle before he spoke. “Th-that was… that was a joke.”

“Dammit, Mathew!” said Lyndis now with a grin on her face. She chuckled with him as they waited for what would happen next. She then stopped as she heard footsteps from all round. In a matter of minutes, the area was flooded with people, both men and women. Some had their children with them and Lyndis saw the look of fear in most of them. She assumed some of these children had probably never even seen outsiders. Finally, she saw a large man part the crowd. His attire seemed more colorful and he had a strange wooden headdress. He kneeled next to Mathew before he approached Lyndis and inspected her. After a few minutes, he stepped back and ordered a few men to place Lyndis upright on her knees.

“State your business here,” the chief spoke.

“W-we are just simple travelers,” Lyndis started with a stutter. “Our coachman told us the fastest way to the coast was through this forest. He mentioned that there was a village inside that we could rest at.”

“You should have gone around,” the chief spoke. “Though the coachman was right about this being the fastest way to the coast, our village does not take kindly to outsiders. Especially not now with the looming threat of the spiders. Their clutter is led by a giant female that we like to call the “Queen.” She is very powerful and quite deceptive. We have warred with her for the past few years and she has sent spies in many shapes and forms to learn of our weaknesses. Who’s to say you’re not one?”

“I swear, we’re not. We’re just passing by. We didn’t even know that there was some peril happening in the forest,” Lyndis answered.

“You claim you are not, and part of me wishes to believe you…” the chief said. “But when cornered, one will do anything to escape. Who’s to say you are not lying.”

“I swear to you, sir. I’m not lying,” Lyndis pleaded.

“Most of my people say I should just have the two of you executed,” said the chief. “But if you truly claim to not be spies, then I have a task for you.”

Lyndis gulped as she pondered what the chief had planned. She hazard to ask him as he stared her down. “Wh-what is the task?”

“In all the time we’ve spent warring with these monstrous spiders, we have only ever killed the small swarms. You two are the first my people claimed to have seen actually murder a large one. For this very reason, I am sending you to the “Queen’s” lair. If you truly claim to not be spies, then you will have no problem killing her, correct?”

“That’s the most flawed logic I’ve ever heard!” Lyndis said to the chief in disbelief, causing uproar among the villagers. “It’s either admit were spies and be executed or prove our innocence and die the same. There’s no winning in this situation.”

“Whether you succeed or not, our village wins either way,” said the chief with a smile. “So will you accept the task?”

Lyndis grit her teeth in anger. She looked at the chief with a menacing stare, wishing she was free of her bounds to knock the smile right off his face. “…Yes,” Lyndis finally said reluctantly.

“Perfect!” the chief said happily. “Then we shall give you a map and weapon and send you off. “And we will be keeping custody of your friend. He will be our bargaining chip. Wouldn’t want you running away now, would we?”

A few men led Lyndis through the forest under the night sky. When they reached an area where the trees seemed to grow in the shape of a circular hallway, they undid her bounds and shoved her forward. The men tossed a bow at her feet followed by an iron dagger. They watched her pick up the weapons and spoke. “What are you waiting for?” one of them said. “Get to work. The sooner you do this, the sooner you and your friend can leave.”

“Like I have a choice?” Lyndis asked. She turned around and looked down the path. Taking a deep breath, Lyndis stepped forward and began walking. Within just a few minutes, the men that brought her here were no longer in sight. She felt uneasy as she walked down the path. Lyndis noticed that the deeper she got, the more web covered the forest. As she continued, the webs became so thick that they appeared like fresh snow on the tress. It became harder for her to walk as her feet glued themselves to the ground with every step. At this point, Lyndis noticed spiders of all shapes and sizes scurrying around on the ground. She looked at the trees and was repulse by the size of some of the ones that clung to them. It sent a shiver down her spine, feeling as if one was crawling on her already. Out of paranoia, Lyndis patted her back to make sure there were none attached to her. She sighed after feeling nothing. “They’re smaller than you,” Lyndis said to herself repeatedly. “They’re smaller than you.”

“Are you sure about that?” a voice echoed from the branches above Lyndis, causing her to jump. She took a stance and scanned above her, seeing nothing. She was quickly paralyzed with fear as she saw some of the branches ahead of her move. It turned out that they weren’t branches at all. They were the legs of a massive spider coming down from the trees. It was easily the size of the one Mathew killed, maybe even a little bit bigger. It approached her slowly, giving Lyndis an extremely unnerving feeling. “Would you still say I’m smaller than you?” it asked her.

Lyndis froze when she learned that the voice she heard came from the spider. Her whole body shook as if she was tossed out in the cold with no clothing as she sized up the creature. “Y-you can t-talk…” she stuttered.

“You think your species is the only one capable of speech?” it asked. “Your arrogance spells your doom today.”

“I-it d-doesn’t have to be th-this way,” said Lyndis. “I don’t want to kill you. Please, just let me speak to your queen. M-maybe we can discuss terms regarding the villagers.”

“You are from the village?” the spider asked. It let out a hissing sound as it reared back. “Any who follow that deceitful man and his village are enemies of our clutter!”

Lyndis dove out of the way, narrowly escaping the spider’s pounce. As she hit the ground, she rolled and readied her bow, only to realize that she was not given any arrows. The spider stood on its hind legs, lifting up its abdomen and shooting out a thick web. Lyndis used the bow to keep the substance from connecting with her body. The spider jerked its abdomen back and firmly planted itself once more on all its legs, ripping the bow right out of Lyndis’ hands. She readied herself as the creature pounced at her once more, rolling forward to get underneath the creature. As she got on her feet from her roll, Lyndis sprang up and slashed at one of the beast’s legs, severing it from its body. The spider doubled back, shrieking in pain before the sphincters on its hacked leg closed up to prevent further bleeding. It shuffled side to side, waiting for an opening to attack Lyndis. “Just pretend you’re fighting something you’ve already fought,” Lyndis said in her mind. Though she had never fought anything like the monstrous spider that stood in front of her, Lyndis thought it best to rely on past experiences from previous battles in her life to get her out of this situation. The creature rushed at her once more, swinging its large forelegs in a frenzy. Lyndis ducked and jumped, dodging the blows as best she could before stepping back and swiping at one of the legs. The dagger connected with it, slicing down the creature’s leg and splitting it in half. As it reared back from the pain, Lyndis chucked her knife at the spider. It connected with the underside of its head and the creature quickly fell flat on the knife, pushing out the blade through the top of its head. Lyndis approached the now dead monster and lifted up its head. She dug her hand into the entrance wound, feeling for the dagger’s handle before pulling it out. She repulsed as she looked at the visceral matter that covered her hand and the weapon.

After a short period’s rest against the spider’s large abdomen, Lyndis stood up and began to walk down the path once more. She wondered what the beast meant by †˜that deceitful man and his village’ as she did so. It made her wonder if there was still a piece of this puzzle that she did not have. But as she remembered about Mathew, Lyndis refocused her attention on reaching the queen’s lair.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mathew woke up to the sight of a ceiling made of straw. He looked at his wound and smiled when he saw that it was completely healed. He saw the last bits of the black poison in his veins as his immune system purged it from his body. He looked around to see that he was in a small straw hut with only one exit. There was a man with his back turned at the exit and he noticed that he was still bound by his wrists and ankles. Mathew rolled onto his stomach and got himself up. He stealthily hopped towards the man who guarded the tent before pulling his hands apart, snapping the thick rope around his wrist like a thread. The man turned upon hearing the noise and he was met by a swift palm from Mathew that left an indent of the flat of his hand on the man’s now caved in head. Similarly, Mathew pulled at his legs and broke the bounds around his ankles just as easily. He walked out of the tent and found himself in what appeared to be a somewhat isolated part of the village. He looked up at the sky and saw that the moon was precisely at the center, indicating that it was about midnight. Even from where he stood, Mathew noticed a large hut that stood a little taller than the ones around it. He assumed both his belongings as well as the chief were there. He smiled as a plan came to his mind. “Fear not, Miss Sadou,” he said to himself. “I’ll come rescue you soon.”
Mathew searched his guard and found a small iron throwing axe in his possession before he continued. As he rounded the corner of one of the huts, he was greeted by a surprised villager. Before he could even scream, Mathew jammed the axe into his jaw. He pulled downwards and separated the man’s lower jaw from his upper. Suddenly, Mathew turned to his left as he saw a woman drop a basket of fruit after seeing what he had just done. She ran the opposite direction and readied to scream, causing Mathew to chuck the axe at her. It connected with the back of her head and the woman fell dead on the ground. Too lazy to retrieve the weapon, Mathew carried on without it. He decided to take a more cautious approach, opting to avoid any more conflict as he went by each hut.

After a few stealthy kills and maneuvers, Mathew now stood next to the chief’s hut. He positioned himself as close to the straw wall as possible before closing his eyes and listening intently. Mathew zeroed in on a person’s footsteps on the other side of the straw hut and he waited for the right moment. Just as the footsteps became louder and stopped, Mathew dug his hand into the straw wall and pulled. He ripped out a woman from the other side of the wall and he put her in a strong chokehold with his other arm, ready to snap her neck. “Hello, dear,” Mathew said with a smile. The woman breathed heavily. She was just about to scream before Mathew spoke. “If you want your neck snapped, then by all means, scream. Ask for help. See what good that’ll do you,” Mathew said.

“P-please don’t!” the woman said quietly.

“I won’t as long as you answer my question,” said Mathew. “Where are my possessions? I had a bag and a few other things. I’d also like the rest of my clothes back.”

“The chief has them! I was one of the people who searched you after that woman you were with left. A few items changed appearance and popped up on your person when you passed out.”

“Thanks, you’re a dear.”

“S-so will you let me go?”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid not,” answered Mathew. He applied pressure to his hold and broke the woman’s neck. After he laid her on the ground, Mathew stepped into the hut through the hole he had just made. He looked to his left and right to see two different paths that made a round hallway. In front of him was another straw wall. Once again, Mathew closed his eyes and listened. This time, he took a knee and held his breath. When half a minute went by, Mathew stood up. “Double walled circular hut with one entrance into the hall at the east opposite where I stand and two entrances into the main chamber located at the north and south. One more patrolling the hall, five more including the chief in the main chamber,” he said to himself quietly. As he finished his analysis, Mathew walked down the right hall in hopes that he could intercept the last person who patrolled it. To his fortune, he ran into a man after just a few steps. The man ran towards Mathew and swung his weapon. He simply stepped to the side of the man’s clumsy attack and countered. Mathew grabbed him by the back of his garb and threw him into the inner wall. The man punched a hole in the wall as his body went through it. Mathew quickly followed him and walked inside to the surprise of the chief and the others. “I need my things back,” he said with a smile.

“Kill him!” the chief screamed.

The four men alongside the one Mathew threw through the wall rushed him. He simply danced around them, smiling as he slowly dodged and made his way towards his belongings. With every missed strike, the chief and his men became more and more dumbfounded. They couldn’t comprehend how Mathew had not been hit yet. Not wanting Mathew to take his belongings, the chief ran for them as his men distracted him. Meanwhile, Mathew continued to effortlessly swivel his way out of the attacks thrown at him by the chief’s men. “You use wild spins and unnecessary movements to distract your opponent’s gaze and land a solid hit,” said Mathew to the confusion of the men. He quickly replicated one of the men’s movements and jabbed his palm straight towards one of his assailant’s chests. It was a clean hit and Mathew’s arm exited through the man’s back. The rest were stunned by his action before Mathew ripped his hand out of his dead victim’s body. He threw some of the fleshy remains at one of the men, effectively blinding him for an instant. As two men readied to strike Mathew simultaneously, he dodged one of the attacks and countered the other, redirecting his opponent’s strike into the head of his other attacker. Mathew quickly swept his leg at the man who he countered, causing the poor fool to fall on the weapon held by his friend. Together, they fell to the ground in unison. With only two men left, Mathew, with a smile, slowly approached the one not blinded. The man swung at him in an attempt to kill him and Mathew easily countered the attack, robbing the man of his life. At this point, the man Mathew blinded finally managed to remove enough of his friend’s remains from his eyes. The first and last thing he saw upon regaining his sight was a knife flying straight towards him. It impacted with his head and he died instantly. Mathew simply watched as the chief finally reached his gear, oblivious of the events that transpired in the last few seconds.

“Now what are…” the chief paused as he saw Mathew standing over his dead men. “When did… when did you kill them all?”

Mathew shrugged his shoulders before speaking. “Strange isn’t it? What can happen in just a few seconds, I mean.”

“That’s impossible,” the chief said. He pointed Mathew’s dagger at him. “St-stay back! Or I will kill you.”

“Try it,” Mathew said confidently with that stupid smile of his. He started to walk towards the chief.

“You asked for it!” the chief exclaimed. Out of desperation, he threw the dagger at Mathew. It impacted with Mathew’s stomach, bouncing off harmlessly but causing Mathew to fall to his knees and curl up in pain.

“Son of a bitch!” he said as he held his stomach. He then reached for his dagger and stood back up. He looked at the chief once more, this time with an expression of pain. “You throw hard!”

“That’s impossible,” the chief said as he backed away. He stumbled and fell as Mathew continued to walk towards him. “My men said that dagger was sharp enough to effortlessly cut through flesh and bone. How did you…”
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Mathew interrupted the chief. “My dagger is only sharp when it’s in my hands. When it’s held by anyone else, it’s just a blunt piece of indestructible metal.”

“But how?” the chief asked cowering as Mathew towered over him. “Who are you? What are you?”

“Well, that’s a secret I’m not letting you in on,” Mathew answered smiling. He took his dagger and went to work on the chief.

XXXXXXXXXX

“This has got to be it,” Lyndis said to herself. She looked at the large cave that stood before her. It was very dark, but it glowed with a strange luminescence from what appeared to be organic growths attached to random parts of its walls and ceilings. Upon taking a closer look, Lyndis reared back in disgust when she realized that they were spider eggs. She looked over her back out of habit as she felt the strange sensation shared by most when they see bugs. Lyndis took several deep breaths before she gained the strength to delve deeper into the web and egg ridden cave. She noticed that the further down she went, the more eggs there were. She also noticed dozens of spiders of varying size tending to the eggs. Where there were egg clusters that were hatched, a large spider rested near their remains with hundreds of young attached to its abdomen. Lyndis backed away from these sights, completely repulsed due to her slight fear of bugs. She practically jumped out of her skin when she heard something splatter under her foot as she was distracted by her thoughts. Looking down, Lyndis gasped. She had stepped on a small cluster of eggs that were on the ground. Rather than seeing the sight of liquefied spider remains, Lyndis looked in horror as hundreds of the multi-legged vermin crawled out of the cluster. Lyndis shrieked and raised her legs in an attempt to stop too many from crawling on her. Even so, multiple of the creatures were able to latch on, and they crawled up her leg. Lyndis let out a plethora of noises as she struggled to get the young spiders off of her. Her frantic movement coupled with her noises began to agitate the brooding spiders. She took note of all the ones that were now eying her rather than ignoring her. In her panic and fear, Lyndis lost her balance. Due to the cave being sloped, she rolled down uncontrollably until she was stopped by wall of webs. She struggled to no avail in an attempt to set herself free. It was then that Lyndis froze as she heard a very distinct noise from behind her. She looked up the slope of the cave to see that she could no longer see the entrance, and panic began to build in her thoughts.
“You’re quite the mouthful,” Lyndis heard a harrowing feminine voice from behind her. “And quite beautiful.”

Lyndis said nothing and simply stayed still. Her heart quickened as she felt herself get hoisted up. She looked to either side of her and noticed a pair of enormous legs now twisting the web around. As she was turned the direction opposite the exit, she was horrified to the point where she could not even scream. In front of her was a massive spider that put all the ones she had seen to shame. Her abdomen was littered with young and she sported a pair of large fangs that were dripping with venom. She was a grotesque purple and red color and her eight eyes locked on to Lyndis with a ravenous hunger. There was nothing she could do except stare in absolute silence at the terror in front of her.
“Hello,” the massive beast spoke once more. “What brings a young vibrant girl like you so deep into our clutter? Speak, and your demise will be delayed.”
“Pl-please…” Lyndis stuttered. “The village wants no quarrel. Y-you don’t… don’t have to keep attacking them.”

“And why do you believe this?” the female titan that stood in front of Lyndis asked her. “Do you even know why he wishes us dead?”
“W-well, your grotesqueness,” Lyndis began to answer, “maybe… maybe if you w-weren’t so hostile to them… maybe you could live without having to… having to kill each other.”

“Queen is fine, dear,” the Queen spoke as she inched closer to Lyndis, their faces were nearly touching. “You truly do not understand the situation at hand. It’s a shame, but I guess there’s only one more thing to ask of you.”

“A-and what would that be?” Lyndis asked completely scared out of her wits.

“Are you a virgin, my dear?” the Queen asked back.

Lyndis blushed and simply looked at the queen. It was definitely not what she expected to be asked. She didn’t know how to answer the question without sounding like a total fool. “Wait, wh-what?”

“There is a common legend among us vile beasts and creatures of the night,” the Queen answered. “It’s different for every society, but the concept is the same. To us spiders, it is said that devouring a virgin not only makes us live longer, but it also makes us females much more fertile. So, are you a virgin, my dear?”
Lyndis’ face became pale as the Queen asked her the question once more. She knew that no matter how she answered, there was no way out of this situation. She cursed herself for letting her guard down and getting captured by the Queen so easily before she readied to speak. With a furious blush on her face and with no options left, Lyndis readied to answer the question. “Um… the truth is… the truth is…” Lyndis paused. She gathered all the courage she could to keep her embarrassment at bay. “I…”

“Let her go,” a voice from behind Lyndis echoed before she could finish speaking. She tried to turn her head to no avail. A head rolled underneath the web that Lyndis was stuck to. She gasped as she noticed the head that rolled between her legs belonged to the Chief of the village. “Criminals,” the voice spoke once more, much close than before. This time, Lyndis instantly recognized it to be Mathew’s.
“Mathew!” Lyndis exclaimed with a mix of panic and relief.

“I’m here to rescue you, Miss Sadou,” said Mathew. He cut the web that entangled Lyndis with little effort, allowing her to be free.

“You dare free my prey?!” the Queen said furiously.

“Let me speak,” said Mathew. He helped Lyndis off the ground and held her close before he approached the Queen. “Those villagers, they were criminals, correct? They were escaped convicts from the prison in the nearby village at the docks if I’m not mistaken. They came here seeking asylum and decided to take over your forest. They don’t respect anything and that is why you wish them gone, correct?”
“You are much more knowledgeable than the woman that stands behind you, warrior,” the Queen said. She sounded much less hostile than she was before. “But just because you know the truth, why should I let you go? You two have murdered two of my children and all you have in exchange for me is their Chief’s head? That is simply not enough.

“I thought you would say that,” said Mathew with a smile. “So I had another plan just for this very situation. You need not worry about that village anymore. I murdered every single resident, down to every man, woman, and child.”
Lyndis’ eyes widened at what Mathew said. “M-Mathew, you’re… you’re not serious, are you?

“I agree with the woman,” the Queen added. “No man can murder a village of over a hundred people. They probably fed you that lie that they have not managed to kill any of us, but there were at least three dozen capable warriors among them who have murdered many of my clutter. Surely you don’t expect me to believe such an outlandish tale?”

“It’s the truth,” Mathew answered. “I am willing to bet my life on it. Send some of your scouts to the village to confirm it. They should find the village burned down with a pile of bodies stacked in the center of it. If they report anything else, you may have our lives.”

“An interesting offer, I accept,” the Queen said. She quickly focused on Lyndis. “For your sake, I hope your friend here is telling the truth.”

XXXXXXXXXX

It was very quiet inside the cave as Lyndis waited for the Queen’s scouts to return with news of Mathew’s actions. They were ordered by the Queen to sit back to back before being bound up and hung on the ceiling of what Lyndis assumed was the clutter’s prison. It had been a long time since the scouts left, but the inside of the cave made it hard to ascertain what time it was. Lyndis tried to look behind her in an attempt to steal a glance at Mathew. She managed to do so and found that he had a big smile on his face. “You’re still smiling? How?! Why?!” Lyndis asked.

“Why not?” Mathew answered Lyndis’ question with a question. “I know that when the scouts come back, they’ll report what’s happened to the village and the queen will set us free.”

Lyndis remembered Mathew saying that he left no one alive at the village. A slight concern came to her as she thought about it more. “Mathew, did you really kill everyone?” Lyndis asked.

“Of course,” Mathew said much more seriously, “I’m sorry if that startled you a bit. Think whatever you want of me, but I’d do it again to save you.”

Lyndis blushed a little upon hearing Mathew’s words. “Am I… am I really that important to you? D-don’t… Don’t you think that’s a little psychotic?”

“Not at all, Miss Sadou. As of right now, you don’t really know how important of a person you are. You and I are destined to be together, I just know it. If something happened to you now, it would upset the natural order of the world.”

Lyndis smiled and chuckled at Mathew’s words. Her blush quickly disappeared after she realized it was no confession. “You really are insane, aren’t you?” she asked.

“What about yourself?” Mathew asked back. “You’re taking the death of an entire village much better than I could have ever expected.”

“Eh, death is a common thing in this world,” said Lyndis. “In my travels around the Geo for my village, I’ve seen people and beasts come and go. I’ve even killed my fair share of beasts.”

“Like that spider?”

“You came across it?” Lyndis asked curiously. “Yeah, just like that spider. Though I don’t think I could ever kill a person. Seeing them die is one thing, but killing them is completely different.”

“I can do it. If I can do it, so can you,” said Mathew. “Killing that spider was impressive, by the way. Even I got heavily injured when I killed the one that attacked us. You came out pretty unscathed though.”

“Mathew, you have to stop. You’re not even injured.”

“About that…”

“I don’t want to know,” Lyndis cut Mathew off. “Look, there are things about you that you don’t want me to know. I’m sorry I tried to pry. Just tell me… Just tell me when you feel like telling me.”

“As you say, Miss Sadou.”

“Could you do me one favor though?” Lyndis asked.

“What is it?” Mathew asked back.

“Stop calling me Miss Sadou. Lyn is fine.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Can I bargain for Lyndis?”

Mathew said nothing. The two had a short moment of silence with Lyndis trying to get a look at Mathew as he contemplated. Finally, after a few minutes, he spoke. “Lyndis,” he said, “Lyndis shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good to hear,” Lyndis said with a smile. Suddenly, a large spider appeared from one of the many holes in the ceiling. It approached them before bundling them up and sticking them to its lower abdomen. With their faces completely covered, Lyndis gasped for what little air she could take. The web was thick and she could not see at all. All she saw was black, and all she knew was that she and Mathew were being taken somewhere. As moments went by, she lost perception of time. All she recognized was the familiar sway of the way the spider walked. She also recognized her own fear. Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid that it was going to burst. Her uncertainty made her feel completely helpless. She couldn’t even see or hear Mathew anymore. For all she knew, he was already dead. At this point, all Lyndis could do was bear her anxiety in hopes that it wouldn’t cause her to die out of fear.

What seemed like ages finally came to an end as Lyndis felt the spider stop moving. Her heart raced for a moment as she felt a short drop followed by hitting a hard surface. Lyndis felt the webbing begin to loosen as if she was being unwrapped. A few minutes more and she was completely free. Her eyes were greeted by a beautiful sunrise. She looked behind her to see the forest with a spider lumbering back into it. It didn’t take long for the beast to vanish into the canopy. Lyndis jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to learn that it was Mathew’s hand.

“See?” Mathew asked. “What’d I tell you?”

“We’re out…” said Lyndis. She never felt such relief.

“Let’s get a move on while the day’s still young,” Mathew said as he motioned Lyndis to start walking with him. She complied without a word and the two continued on. As the hours passed by and the sun rose higher, Mathew suddenly grinned at the sight of a small town and the ocean at the horizon. “There it is,” he said, “this is the final stretch.”

“Thank the Gods,” said Lyndis.

“You know, I got to ask. You think you’re beautiful right?” Mathew asked.

Lyndis was unsure about the question. She wasn’t really sure how to answer due to its random nature. Since it was Mathew however, she wasn’t even surprised anymore. “People have told me so. I always just thought it was stupid flattery,” she answered.

“I got that. But the question was: Do YOU think you’re beautiful?” Mathew asked again.

“Honestly, I really don’t think much about the way I look,” Lyndis answered. “What brought this question up?”

“It’s because you have a nice set of breasts,” Mathew answered bluntly. “You’re always wrapping them so I thought you disliked them. It made me think that you were unconfident in your looks.”

“I wrap my chest so that they don’t get in the way when I have to fight or do physically demanding things. That’s the only reason,” said Lyndis.

“Okay,” Mathew said simply. He began to walk faster, trying to get some distance between him and Lyndis.

“You’re welcome… Wait, how do you know I wrap my…MATHEW!!!” Lyndis screamed as she ran after him.

Mathew laughed hysterically as he began to run as well. He looked back at Lyndis with an ear to ear grin as he continued to run. “Careful now, you don’t want to waste all your energy,” said Mathew. “After all, our adventure’s just beginning.”

The ocean was a beautiful blue color and the docks were bustling with people. To Lyndis, it was a sight that she had seen too many times to find exciting. However, it did put a smile on her face when she saw all the docked ships. Though it would take at least several months, she was happy that she was finally leaving for home. She just hoped that she would still have a home to return to after all the delays.

“It will be fine,” Mathew said again as if reading Lyndis’ mind.

“I hope so. So when’s our ship departing?” Lyndis asked.

“I personally think the better question is: “When will it arrive?” Mathew answered. He walked away from the docks, making his way back to town.

“Wait, what?” Lyndis asked herself. She hurried back to catch up with Mathew. “What in the nine Hells are you talking about? There’re plenty of ships here. Why can’t we just take one of them instead of waiting for one to arrive?”

“Because nothing changes the fact that we’re broke,” Mathew answered. “It’s not that big of a problem. I have a good friend who owns a ship. He’ll be here by night and he can take us to Centropolis free of charge.”

“You’re joking…”

“No, I’m not. But if you really want to leave now, I suggest you find a way to make some money,” said Mathew. He pulled a large book out of his pack and tossed it at Lyndis. “Otherwise, read that to past the time.”

Lyndis examined the ridiculously thick book. “Sails and Studies?” Lyndis read the title out loud. “If you’re going to give me a boring book, you could have at least given me one for an Albion model steamship, not this wooden ship garbage.”

“Nobody appreciates the classics,” Mathew sighed. “Those wooden ships are the reason we have steam powered ships. You should be a little bit more respectful.”

“Whatever,” said Lyndis. She separated from Mathew and searched for a secluded place. After a little bit of observation, she noticed a lone wharf in the docks. There were no ships docked next to it and the only people were a few fisherman. Lyndis made her way towards the wharf. Upon reaching it, she nodded her head to greet the fisherman. Lyndis sat at the edge, staring out to sea where the ocean met the sky at the horizon. She put the cumbersome book on her lap, and with a sigh, opened it. “Sails and Studies: A book written by Richard Aeon, proud captain of the mighty ship, Annihilator.” Lyndis read quietly. “Chapter One: The History of Sails.”

Less than half an hour passed before Lyndis shut the book out of sheer boredom. She leaned back until her back was against the wharf, now lying on it and staring at the sky. Lyndis started to make shapes out of the clouds since she could not think of anything else to do. One took the shape of a spider, reminding her that she was in a forest full of giant spiders earlier today. It had been over six hours since then and she was surprised by how quickly the whole spider situation became nothing more than a memory to her. With her life being put on the line more than once, Lyndis herself was confused as to why she didn’t find the whole experience so memorable. It made her think of all her memories. Lyndis thought of all the times she left the village to seek adventures and thrills. Even so, none of the memories really stuck with her to be considered a noteworthy experience. It confused her even more that the memories she did cherish were the ones of her village. She had spent all eighteen years of her life trying to get away from such a droll place and didn’t even realize all the memories she had of it. From her friends to her father, she had many memories in Sadou village that were more precious than all the memories outside of it. It made her sigh when she came to the realization. She missed her village, and all she wanted to do now was get back as fast as she could to make sure it was still there. Incapable of really doing anything currently, she sat back up and pulled her legs closer to her. She undid the lacing on her traveler’s boots and set them aside; placing Sails and Studies on top of them. Lyndis dangled her feet over the wharf until they touched the water. It was cool and refreshing as her toes touched the surface. She splashed her feet a few times before fully submerging them and lying back down. Then, with a deep breath, Lyndis closed her eyes and fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Lyndis,” said Mathew.

Lyndis shook her head to the sight of Mathew’s face right above her. Her eyes widened and she sprung forward, making their heads collide. “Ow, shit!” said Lyndis.

“Son of a bitch!” said Mathew in tandem. “What was that?!”

“Don’t scare me like that!” Lyndis exclaimed. She rubbed her soar head before turning around to face Mathew. “What time is it?”

Mathew went from being on all fours to sitting. “The town clock said that it was five o’clock, so it won’t be light for much longer. Are you okay, you seem a little… off.”

“I guess that’s proof that you really can’t read minds,” said Lyndis. She leaned back and rested her weight on her hands. She looked at the sky which was now a mottled orange color. “I’m fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so,” said Mathew. “Anyway, our ship’s going to be here the moment the sun sets beyond the horizon. I suggest you get your things together and be ready.”

“I will,” said Lyndis. She smiled as she grabbed her boots and began to put them on. Her heart sank a little when she realized that Sails and Studies was no longer on top of her boots.

“What’s the matter?” Mathew asked.

“Nothing,” said Lyndis smiling. “I was just thinking about how much I enjoyed your book.”

“Speaking of which,” Mathew started, “I’ll need it back soon. It’s one of a kind and it was given to my sister by a dear friend. She left it in my care when she left me.”

“R-really now?” Lyndis asked as she tried to hide her nervousness. “Well, it’s in my pack and I’m almost done with it. I’ll give it back to you once I finish.”

“You read fast!” Mathew said quite impressed. “I guess that’s what happens when you find a nice secluded place like this. Tell you what, why don’t you hold on to it until our ship gets here? Deal?”

“Deal!” Lyndis agreed.

“Perfect,” said Mathew. He stood up and started to walk away. “I’ll see you again in an hour or two. Enjoy your wait! The Gods know I’ll enjoy mine.”

“Yeah, you bet!” Lyndis said with a smile. When she saw Mathew disappear out of sight, her expression changed to dread. She opened her pack in desperation and found nothing. “Shit! Where’d it go?” Lyndis said afraid. She scanned around her to the same result before she looked into the water. Lyndis stared into the ocean with a look of determination. She quickly took off her clothes until she was only wearing the bandages that wrapped her chest and her lower undergarments. With a deep breath, Lyndis dove into the water head first. She went as deep as she could before her breath could no longer hold out. Even though she managed to reach the bottom, she found nothing. As she surfaced, Lyndis was greeted by a surprised fisherman who had just casted his line. “Do you know the other fishermen that frequent here?” Lyndis asked.

“Um, yes,” the man said still surprised.

“Where do they usually go after they’re done?” Lyndis asked another question.

“The pub,” the man answered. “There’s a tiny bar us fishermen frequent right here at the docks. They’re probably there right now.”

“Thanks,” Lyndis said as she practically flew out of the water. She grabbed her clothes and hastily put them back on. Lyndis felt quite awkward in her attire due to her soaked undergarments. She ignored both the feeling and the wet spot it created on her attire as she grabbed her pack and left the wharf. People walking up and down the docks gave Lyndis a good glance when she walked pass them. Men particularly did so more than women, making subtle movements with their eyes that Lyndis noticed. “Keep staring, you pigs,” Lyndis thought. She was disgusted by how they thought they were being sly. Lyndis opted to ignore the rest of the eyes on her and concentrated on reaching the pub. After just a few more minutes, she reached the pub. Lyndis let herself in, not surprised by the absence of women. She was also not surprised when the small building went silent for a moment after seeing her walk in. All the men quickly played it off and Lyndis made her way to the bartender. She sat down and looked to either side of her, noticing that the men gave her a look as if she was out of place. She noticed that one of the men staring was one of the fishermen at the wharf earlier today.

“What’s a pretty lass like you doing in a place like this?” the bartender asked.

“I’m not talking to you,” said Lyndis. If there was one thing she learned from her travels, being timid was the cause of most unfortunate events. Lyndis learned that if one has the freedom to fight, one should maintain an air of confidence. It reminded her of her helplessness in the forest, causing her to be more aggressive in the current situation. That was her first moment of weakness in a long while, and it made her a little upset. “You,” Lyndis said as she pointed at one of the fishermen. “You were at the wharf when I fell asleep. What happened to my book?”

“I don’t know what you’re…”

“Bullshit, you don’t!” Lyndis exclaimed. She caught the attention of the entire bar, silencing everyone as they observed the scene. “It was a big book and I must have been at the wharf for at least a few hours. Tell me the truth or I’m going to beat it out of you.”

The fisherman smiled and stood up. Two more joined him before he made eye contact with the bartender. The bartender simply nodded and left for his wine cellar without a word. The whole bar was standing in attention at the chaos that was about to ensue between Lyndis and the three men. “Pick your next few words carefully, lass,” the fisherman said. “You’re an outsider. We have no qualms about beating a rude outsider, even with a face as pretty as yours.”

“You still have time to change your mind,” said Lyndis confidently. In her mind however, she was assessing the situation as best as she could. “Three attackers, it’s definitely not the worse odds I’ve had,” she thought.

“Let’s teach this girl a lesson,” the fisherman said with a smirk.

Before Lyndis could even stand, the man closest to her took a wide swing at her with his fist. Lyndis slid off the stool to avoid the blow before grabbing it and swinging at the man. The stool splintered as it connected with the man’s face, sending him over the bar and into the wine rack. The men cheered at the sight of the carnage while the two engaged with Lyndis rushed her. With one of the legs of the stool still in her hand, Lyndis ducked underneath the second man’s swing. She used her momentum to do a full spin before clubbing the man with the piece of wood in the stomach. With the added force, Lyndis took the man off his feet with her blow. He puked as he flew through the air, trailing a colorful stream of vomit before landing on his back unconscious. At this point, the men cheered even louder before Lyndis was struck in the face by the fisherman. She gritted her teeth from the pain before looking at him angrily. As the fisherman swung at her again, Lyndis raised her left arm to block the hit. She stepped forward and elbowed him in the chest with her right arm to knock him away. Lyndis followed up her counter by delivering a punch with her left arm. It connected with the man’s nose, knocking him down to the ground on his back. Lyndis walked up to him and forcefully put her foot on his chest. She ignored the crowd’s obnoxious cheers as she looked at him. “Talk,” said Lyndis.

“Okay!” the fisherman said. “The moment you walked on that wharf, I planned to steal your book. Do you know how valuable it is?”

“I just recently found out,” Lyndis answered.

“Exactly, that book is one of a kind and is even said to not exist! I was dumbfounded to find it in the hands of someone like you.”

“Where is it now?” Lyndis asked.

“I took it to one of the ships owned by the archipelago’s merchant guilds,” the man answered. “The man I gave it to authenticated the book for me and paid me one thousand gold for it. He was really happy and ran onto the ship to show it to his supervisor. They’re planning to leave, but I think you can still catch them if you hurry. It’s the red steamboat with a flag of our archipelago.”

Lyndis wasted no time with words and dashed out of the pub. She scanned the docks and zeroed in on the ship about half a dozen docks down to her right. She noticed the funnel beginning to smoke as it prepared to depart. Lyndis undid her cloak and tossed it aside. She ran straight for the ship at breakneck speed, leaving indentations on the earth and sending lighter objects into the air. By the time she had reached, the wharf, the ship was already a good distance from it. This did not dissuade Lyndis from sprinting down the wharf. The wood buckled where her feet made contact with it as she made a beeline for the ship. Her phenomenal speed attracted the attention of the entire crew.

“Sir,” one of the men called to their supervisor, “I think you’ll want to see this.”

“What is it?” their supervisor asked as he made his way to the back of the ship. His eyes widened when he saw Lyndis. “Don’t tell me that girl is planning to…”

As she reached the edge of the wharf, Lyndis jumped. At her speed, she flew through the air a good sixty feet. Lyndis reached out for the ship and managed to grab on to the railing on the back. She hung on with one hand, panting and out of breath. “I don’t think so!” Lyndis managed to say between deep breaths.

“Don’t just stand there, help her!” the supervisor explained. A few men took hold of Lyndis’ hand and began to help her up. “I am Supervisor Shina Grant of the S.S. Grant, loyal ship to the second branch of the Archipelago Trinity of Merchants. Who are you?”

“You guys really aren’t creative with your names, are you? I guess that’s what happens when you live at the edge of nowhere,” Lyndis said as they pulled her up. “My name is Lyndis Sadou, and I’m here for my book.”

“If you’re talking about Sails and Studies I bought if fair and square from one of the fishermen in this town,” said Shina.

“Yeah, but that fisherman stole the book from me. Technically, it’s mine, and I have no plans of selling it,” said Lyndis.

“Since you have no proof,” Shina said cockily, “you cannot have it. And since you entered a commercial vessel without the authority of its crew, you are technically trespassing. You must be punished appropriately for your crime. Drop her.”

“No…” Lyndis said as the men who held her arms let go.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Sir?” the bartender questioned Mathew as he poured him another drink. “You’ve had over a dozen shots. Are you sure you don’t want to slow down.”

“Of course not!” Mathew said enthusiastically. “What better way to get your sea legs ready to go than by drinking”

“It’s hard to argue with that logic, sir,” the bartender said with a smile. “So you’re setting out to sea?”

“Yeah, to Centropolis,” answered Mathew.

“That’s a far ways,” the bartender said surprised. “What could possibly be there that it’s worth traveling to?”

“It’s just a job,” answered Mathew. He took the next shot the bartender gave him and downed it. “I might also find some answers.”

“Answers to what?” the bartender asked.

“As of right now, I’m unsure of that myself,” answered Mathew. He leaned against the bar, resting his head on his hands as he reminisced about the past.

“Mathew? I’m back!” said Rebecca.

“Sis!” Mathew said with excitement. “I didn’t think you’d ever come back.”

“I was gone for less than a day! Anyway, look at all the money I made.” said Rebecca. She grabbed the sack attach to her belt and poured its contents on the dining table. There were about two hundred gold pieces.”

“Sweet! We can live comfortably for the next year!” Mathew said happily. “How did you get it?”

“It’s best you don’t know” said Rebecca. She flashed a smile at Mathew and patted him on the head. “You’re still just a kid.”

“You’re only six years older than me!” Mathew complained. “I’m almost eight now. Don’t you think I have the right to know?”

“I’ll tell you this much,” said Rebecca. She moved her hand from patting Mathew on the head to rubbing his cheek. “As long as I’m around, I’ll take good care of you.”

“Okay,” said Mathew. He wasn’t content with the answer, but he didn’t bother to pry further when he smelled what he thought was fresh iron on his sister’s palm.

“Did you hear,” Mathew overheard a conversation that brought him back from his memories. “Some lunatic woman tore up part of the docks in a matter of seconds. I heard she even broke one of the wharfs.”

More people joined in on the rumor and suddenly there was a crowd. “That’s impossible,” a woman said. “How did she even manage to do so much damage in such a short period of time?”

“I heard she did it just by running!” another man added. The crowd made a few noises of agreement and disagreement to the claim. “She apparently ran at such an extreme speed that it caused collateral damage.”

“Preposterous,” a few men and women said. The crowd quickly began to escalate in noise as they started swapping rumors about the woman.

Mathew approached the crowd and caught the attention of one of the men. “What did this woman look like?” he asked.

“She was apparently of fit build,” the man said.

“She also had blonde hair tied into a ponytail,” another man added.

“No, I heard she had red hair that she didn’t tie,” argued a woman. Suddenly, the crowd began to argue amongst themselves, causing Mathew to give up. He walked away from the table of crazed men and women back to the bar.

“Here,” Mathew said to the bartender as he pulled out a throwing knife. “It’s made of pure silver. Since I have no money, melt that down and it’ll be about fifteen to twenty silver pieces. The finger bone of a paladin is also imbued within the hilt. It’ll keep demons away.”

“Thank you, sir” the bartender said graciously.

“It’s not a problem,” said Mathew. He made his way out of the bar and began to walk towards the docks. From where he stood, Mathew saw the clock tower in the middle of the town. It stated that is was nearly seven o’clock. Mathew looked to the sky to see that the orange color was now fading away and being replaced with blue. He knew there wasn’t much time left before their ship arrived. As he reached the docks, Mathew quickly made his way towards where the commotion the people in the bar spoke of took place. There, he saw another crowd of people talking amongst themselves. What truly caught his attention was the group of people gathered around the fishermen’s pub. Mathew walked towards them to take a closer look. Upon further inspection, he looked inside the open door of the pub to see three men knocked out. The bartender was desperately trying to explain the situation to the authorities present with little avail. He also noticed that the men standing in front of the bar were looking at a dark grey cloak.

“This cloak must weigh at least two hundred pounds. Maybe even more,” a man said as others watched him try to lift up the seemingly light fabric.

Mathew pardoned his way through the crowd of people and approached the cloak. He took a firm grip and felt its outrageous weight before he picked it up from the ground. The people around Mathew gasped at his display of strength. “Did anyone get a good look at the owner of this cloak?” Mathew asked. “Please, I want an accurate description.”

“It was a woman,” Mathew heard a voice in the crowd. A woman stepped forward from the mob and began to speak. “She was fit of build with blond hair ending it what appeared to be natural red at the tips. She wore her hair in two messy pigtails and her eyes were green. In fact, they were so green that they were practically similar to neon. She had quite the beautiful face.”

Mathew approached the woman and smiled at her. “Where is she now?” he asked nicely.

“She jumped on a departing ship that belonged to the Archipelago Trinity of Merchants,” the woman answered. “She could be anywhere by now.”

“I see. Thanks for the information,” said Mathew. He walked away from the crowd and towards one of the wharfs where a soul wooden ship had just arrived. “Looks like I’m not the only one keeping secrets huh, Lyndis?” Mathew asked himself smiling.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Sir, our ship has sprung a leak!” one of Shina’s men reported to him. “It might be happening at an extremely slow rate, but we’re sinking.”

“What?” Shina asked confused. “How is that possible?”

“More leaks appearing all over the boat, sir!” another man reported. “It’s her, sir! The woman we dropped is punching holes in the ship.”

Lyndis held her breath as she clung to the underbelly of the ship. She gripped the metal with such strength that she left dents. Finally, after getting a firm hold, Lyndis reared back and delivered another punch that added one more hole on the ship. This time however, Lyndis dug her other hand into the hole she had just punched and pulled at the metal. She used all her strength to pull it apart, tearing the metal like paper. As the hole reached a certain size, Lyndis crawled into it so that she was inside the ship. She took in a big gulp of air after having held her breath for nearly six minutes. With the men in too much of a panic trying to cover the more than two dozen leaks Lyndis made, none of them even gave her the time of day. She leisurely made her way to the deck of the ship where even more men were in a panic. She saw Shina attempt to calm his men before he took notice of her.

“You! You monstrous woman!” He yelled. “What the hell are you?”

“It doesn’t matter what I am,” answered Lyndis. “All I want is my book.”

“Never! I will never return this book to a monstrous woman who can’t even appreciate its value!”

“I can appreciate its value more than you ever can.”

“If you truly believe that, then just try and take it from me. Men, to arms!” Shina ordered his crew. The dozen or so that heard him readied their weapons and charged Lyndis.

“I’m getting that book back even if it kills me!” Lyndis screamed as she started to charge towards the charging men. She avoided the first two men’s sword swings and easily knocked them out. The rest quickly followed to Shina’s terror. To Lyndis, her speed made Shina’s men feel slow. She easily dodged their sluggish blows and took them out one by one. As she turned to face Shina, she heard a loud noise that echoed through the air. Lyndis felt an indescribable pain in her shoulder as something passed through it. As she tried to understand how Shina did it, Lyndis fell to a knee from the pain. It was then that she noticed a weapon unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was discharging black smoke and it looked like a smaller version of a ship’s cannon. “What… what is that?” Lyndis managed to ask.

“It’s a firearm foreign to our Geo,” Shina answered. “Where they are abundant in other Geo’s they are very rare on ours. They’re also extremely deadly. No matter how fast you are, you will never be faster than a bullet.”

“Damn you…” Lyndis winced in pain.

“Men, tie her up and put her in the brig,” said Shina. “Her face will fetch us a fine price to the right noble.”

“I don’t… I don’t think so!” Lyndis screamed. She knocked away both men that approached her.

“You’re a rebellious one. It pains me to have to put you down,” Shina said after finally reloading his pistol. “A shame really, you would have fetched a pretty sum.”

“I can’t believe this is happening because of a stupid book! I’m sorry Mathew,” Lyndis thought to herself. She closed her eyes, ready to accept what would come next. Lyndis’ thoughts of the life she would have after death were cut short when a cannonball punched a hole on the left side of the S.S. Grant. Lyndis noticed Shina stumble, his shot missing her completely.

“We’re under attack, sir!” one of Shina’s men said.

“What in the nine Hells is causing all this bad luck?!” Shina screamed as he looked to his left. “Prepare to fire back!”

As he gave out orders, Lyndis rushed at Shina. More cannonballs impacted with the S.S. Grant, sending debris and men flying into the air before they hit the water. With her good arm Lyndis delivered a right straight to Shina’s face. The blow knocked him to the ground and made him lose the grip on his pistol. Shina rolled as he hit the ground, landing on his feet. He pulled out a sabre and pointed it at Lyndis. Lyndis stood ready as Shina swung and thrust his sword, dodging the attacks while being firmly rooted to one spot. When he finally overstepped and swung too wide, Lyndis lifted her leg and spun on the other. She delivered a kick to his head that sent him spinning through the air before he hit the ground. “Fucking Merchant…” Lyndis said. She stumbled her way towards Shina’s unconscious body; ignorant of the destruction the mystery ship was unleashing on the S.S. Grant. As she rummaged through his belongings, Shina suddenly rolled onto his back and swung at Lyndis’ feet. She jumped to avoid the blow before landing right on his arm. Lyndis stomped down on Shina’s arm upon landing, shattering his humerus.

“Oh, Gods!” Shina screamed. “Oh, Gods! It hurts! IT HURTS!!!”

“That’s what you get,” said Lyndis. She opened his pack and finally found the book. She pulled it out and clutched it tightly against her chest, making sure that none of the blood from her shoulder touched it. Lyndis sat down against one of the many supply crates that had not been destroyed. She let out a heavy sigh as she watched the onslaught that unfolded around her. Lyndis smiled at her good fortune as she was surprised how not even one stray cannonball had come close to hitting her. Either way, Lyndis accepted that she would not be leaving this ship alive. She was ready to accept whatever came next. As she closed her eyes, Lyndis heard the voices of screaming men followed by clashing steel. She assumed that the mystery ship must now be boarding the S.S. Grant. At this point, she didn’t care what happened to her anymore. Lyndis was just happy that she got Sails and Studies back.

“Hello, Lyndis,” said Mathew.

“Mathew?” Lyndis asked as she opened her eyes. He stood in front of her with his hand extended. Rather than taking his hand to get up, Lyndis handed over Sails and Studies to Mathew. “Here…” she said. “I got it… got it back.”

“So that’s what this was all about?” Mathew asked. He took the book and wiped the cover. He then put it in his pack and extended his hand to Lyndis again. “You got shot for a book?”

“You said… it was precious to you,” answered Lyndis.

“It’s just a book, Lyndis.”

“Don’t give me that,” Lyndis said to Mathew’s surprise. “I know you care about that book. You said it belonged to your… your sister. I might… not know anything about her, but I know… I know you cared for her.”

“None of that matters now. Take my hand and let’s go,” Mathew insisted.

Lyndis nodded and did so. Mathew wrapped her arm around his shoulder and they stumbled to the side of the S.S. Grant. Lyndis noticed a plank that lead to a fairly large wooden ship. “I thought wooden ships no longer… no longer existed,” Lyndis said as they crossed the plank and stepped on board the wooden ship.

“You’d be right. This is the last wooden ship,” said Mathew. He lead Lyndis to a burly man who made Mathew look short. The man was a good head or two taller than Mathew and easily twice as wide. He wasn’t fat, but rather very muscular. He had grey hair and a nicely kept grey beard. “Let me introduce you to our captain,” said Mathew. “This is Richard Aeon, proud captain of the Annihilator.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Sadou,” said Captain Aeon. “Mathew here has been talking about you and I was quite interested to meet such a vividly described woman.”

To Lyndis, all she heard were inaudible noises. She tried her best to keep her eyes open with very little success. Soon, even the noise began to disappear as Lyndis passed out.

Lyndis woke up to the sight of a wooden ceiling. Wearily, she moved her right arm to lift up her loose outfit. She lifted it up by the collar to inspect her shoulder. Surprisingly, it was completely bandaged up and the pain was minimal. After the inspection, Lyndis realized that she was lying on an extremely comfortable bed. The sheets felt nice and cozy; the mattress and pillows made her feel like she was on a cloud. Lyndis smiled a little as she relished in the bed’s comfort. Since traveling with Mathew, she couldn’t quite recall the last time she had such a lovely cot. Finally, she looked to either side of her, realizing that the bed was at a corner of a small wooden room. A small oil lamp kept the room lit, giving it a nice and relaxing shadowy atmosphere. Lyndis noticed Mathew asleep on a chair leaning against the door. He had Sails and Studies opened and resting on his chest. “Mathew…” Lyndis said weakly.

“Huh?” said Mathew as he woke up. Sails and Studies slid off his chest and almost hit the ground before he caught it. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah, I am. How long have I been out?” Lyndis asked.

“About four days,” Mathew answered. “So, since when were you able to run at inhuman speeds?”

Lyndis couldn’t look Mathew in the eyes. She always complained about how he kept secrets from her and didn’t even realize how much of a hypocrite she was. “Since I was young,” Lyndis answered. “I never understood why. My father told me that I should master my power. Ever since that day, he taught me an enchantment to modify the weight of my garments. It’s how I’ve been training and conditioning my power.”

“Your father’s name is Mathias, correct?” Mathew asked.

“Yeah, it’s Mathias Darkwright. How did you know that?” Lyndis asked back. She was completely bewildered by Mathew’s random knowledge of her. “Does that mean… does that mean that you know I’m adopted?”

“Yeah, I do,” answered Mathew. “I also know that your real dad, Marcus Sadou, is dead.”

“You don’t need to tell me that,” Lyndis said as she stared at the ceiling. “I’ve known he’s been dead for years. Mathias told me so in a less blunt manner than you just did.”

“What do you mean?” Mathew asked curiously.

“Well, Mathias has told me this story a million times, I’ve kind of memorized it,” Lyndis answered. “Even though my father founded Sadou village, he left it in the care of Mathias and left shortly after. I have no recollection of when I was born, all I know is that I was dropped off by a hooded man at the gates of Sadou village. Though only a few villagers actually saw the man drop me off, many claimed that he was my father. When the villagers approached my carriage, there was apparently a single note with two things written on it. The first thing that was written down was Lyndis Sadou, my name. The other was that I was to be left in the care of the village elder, Mathias Darkwright. So, he adopted me and raised me as one of his own. When he discovered I had a strange power, he wasn’t afraid or surprised. Instead, he wanted me to master it. After that point, the rest is all history. There are a few days where I wished that I did meet my father, though. Mathias and the village always speak so highly of him. It makes me think that he must have been a great man with a very good reason for leaving me at the village.”

“I’m sorry to bring up painful memories…” said Mathew.

Lyndis simply smiled at Mathew. “I never met my father so I can’t really feel more than small ounces of regret. Trust me, Mathew, it not that big a deal. But I do admit, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if he was still around to raise me. Would I have had a different life? Or would it still be similar to the one now?”

“One can never say,” Mathew answered with a smile of his own.

“That’s the first non-psychotic smile I’ve seen on you,” said Lyndis. “I didn’t even know you were capable of comforting people. Are you really Mathew?”

“I live to surprise,” said Mathew. He stood up and started to stretch, putting Sails and Studies back in his pack. “Anyway, why don’t we concentrate on something more important than the past?”

“What would that be?” Lyndis asked. She adjusted her pillows so that she was sitting up against the bed’s headboard.

“Your life,” Mathew started, “as it stands, your little enchantment isn’t enough to get you to master your powers. For that very reason, I’m going to train you to fight just like me.”

Lyndis’ face lit up. “Really?” she asked. “Just like you? Awesome! So when do we start?”

“Settle down. We’ll start when you’re nice and healed,” Mathew answered. “So let’s give it a few more days. Is that a deal?”

“It’s a deal,” Lyndis answered cheerfully.

“Perfect. Get some rest for now okay? Just knock on the wall if you need anything,” said Mathew. He flashed one final smile at Lyndis before he let himself out.

XXXXXXXXXX

“I’m glad to see you up and about, Miss Sadou,” Captain Aeon said as he lead her through the deck of his ship. “It’s been a whole week and I was starting to think that you wouldn’t be interested in ever having a tour of my ship.”

Lyndis looked left and right, taking in the wonder of the Annihilator. She had never seen such a pristine looking ship before. “It truly is amazing,” said Lyndis. “It’s a frigate class ship, correct?”

“Oh, I’m surprised you know that,” Captain Aeon said delightedly.

“Me too…” Mathew added.

“Well, I’ve had three days to rest up. I thought it’d be the perfect time to read your book,” said Lyndis. “Besides, Mathew insisted that I did.”

“Well, Miss Sadou, I’m glad you took the time,” Captain Aeon said with a smile. “And to give you a full answer, the Annihilator is a frigate class ship. It has four front loaded cannons and eighteen guns on either side. The nine on the top deck are cannons while the nine on the bottom are culverins. Allow me to explain what a culverin is.”

“A culverin is a heavier and larger cannon designed for long range combat,” said Lyndis. “Due to their extreme range, they sacrifice damage output. You need not explain it to me, Captain. I read it all in your book and found it quite interesting.”

“If I were thirty years younger, I’d ask you to be my bride!” Captain Aeon said. “Mathew, you found yourself a good woman. The fact that she’s more interested in weapons and warfare rather than drawers and dresses makes her quite the beauty.”

“Don’t think too much of her, she’s got some downsides too,” Mathew said smiling.

“If we weren’t friends, I’d hit you for that comment,” said Lyndis.

“Speaking of hitting, we should really get to training. I still have permission to use the fore of your upper deck for practice, correct?” Mathew asked.

“Of course, do with it as you please! I shall leave the two of you to your training,” said Captain Aeon. He quickly excused himself and began to give his men orders.

Lyndis continued to look at Captain Aeon for a while, admiring how carefree and charismatic he seemed. She focused her attention on Mathew shortly after. “Captain Aeon seems so happy,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve seen a more content man. He must really enjoy his life.”

“It was Captain Aeon’s dream to sail the seas,” said Mathew. “I would be quite happy too if I were in his shoes. But enough of that for now, let’s concentrate on your first lesson. I want you to hit me.”

“Wait, what?” Lyndis asked a little confused. “I thought you were going to train me to protect myself? Wouldn’t me learning some counters be the better way to go?”

“I’ve seen your fighting stance, Lyndis. Defensive counters are your strong point,” Mathew answered. “But what happens when your enemy is the same? In those situations, you need to be the one to strike first.”

“But that’ll just result in me being countered.”

“The point isn’t to land a hit, it’s to make your opponent do a counter that you can counter,” said Mathew. “The first thing you need to learn is that combat is a deadly dance of counters. Someone dies when someone makes a mistake. You’ve been fighting the average lackey that has a simple knowledge of combat. But what if you end up fighting someone like one of the crew members on this ship? They were trained by Captain Aeon and each is easily worth a dozen men.”

“Fine,” Lyndis said a little irritated. “But I’m not holding back. If you get hurt, it’s your fault.”

“Perfect. Come at me with the intent to kill or you won’t be able to hit me. That is a guarantee,” Mathew said confidently.

“Your funeral…” Lyndis said smiling. She zipped left and right to distract Mathew’s eyes before running straight towards him. As she readied to strike him by sweeping at his legs, Lyndis stopped at mid attack. She retracted her leg and rose up as she continued to spin from the sweep, aiming a punch right at Mathew’s unguarded chest. She was quickly surprised when Mathew read her feint and blocked her with his bare palm. He quickly twisted his palm and used Lyndis’ own momentum against her, making her lose balance. Mathew gave Lyndis a soft push on the back and she fell front first onto the ship’s deck. “Ow…” Lyndis said as she shakily got up. She looked at Mathew a little annoyed before readying to strike again. Much like the first time, Mathew easily countered her attack. After a dozen more tries, Lyndis didn’t even bother to get up. She rolled onto her back and breathed heavily.

“What’s the matter?” Mathew asked as he stood over her. “I’m doing the exact same thing you do to your opponents. And just like you, I’m leaving some serious openings. I bet you didn’t even know that your counters had openings, huh?”

“My counters have no openings,” Lyndis said as she panted. She got up and took a fighting stance. “Let me prove it to you.”

“Alright,” said Mathew. He rushed at Lyndis and swung wide with his right arm.

“Just like the fisherman at the bar,” Lyndis said. She raised her left arm to block the attack. Like before, she readied an elbow with her right arm to connect with Mathew’s chest. She was once again surprised by how quickly Mathew palmed her elbow up with his free hand. Lyndis quickly lost her balance and Mathew jammed his right palm into her stomach, sending her on another date with the ship’s deck. “Shit…” Lyndis said as she got off her back and stood up.

“What was that about your counters not having any openings?” Mathew asked. “That’s it for today’s lesson. By tomorrow, I hope you can hit me.”

“Wait, that wasn’t a lesson, that was just you kicking my ass for half an hour!” Lyndis said angrily.

“It was a lesson since you learned something,” said Mathew. “You learned the lesson that you’re not as good at fighting as you thought you were. Think about that and try to change up your fighting style by tomorrow. I’ll be below deck if you need me.”

“Dammit, Mathew…” Lyndis whispered to herself as he walked away. She was extremely irritated at him. Even though Lyndis knew that Mathew thought he was giving her a lesson, she still couldn’t help but feel like she was just toyed with. Lyndis rubbed her head in an attempt to calm herself before she decided to make her way to the port side of the ship. She leaned over the railing and stared out into the open ocean, feeling at piece with herself. She didn’t know why, but Lyndis felt more serene on the Annihilator. To her, there was something about a wooden ship that a steamship could never fill in. There were no loud engine noises and the air itself felt much less toxic. It made her realize what she had been missing out on. All her life she had travelled on huge metal ships. All the hustle and bustle between the machinery and people distracted her from the beauty of the ocean. But with the absence of technology and the minimal amount of people needed to operate a wooden ship, Lyndis rejoiced in being able to bask in the tranquility of the open ocean. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The fresh air had a slightly salty smell that put a smile on her face. She enjoyed the sound of the gulls, hovering above the ship. Most of all, Lyndis enjoyed the sound of rustling water as the Annihilator cruised along at a leisurely pace.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Miss Sadou?” Lyndis heard Captain Aeon’s voice.

“I am,” she replied. Lyndis turned around to face him, leaning against the railing. Captain Aeon was quick to put his hands on the railing and stare out into the sea similar to Lyndis.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? Nothing beats the open sea,” said Captain Aeon.

Lyndis turned around to look out towards the ocean once more. She gave Captain Aeon a smile as they gazed at the sea together. “I never did appreciate it before,” Lyndis said. “But being on this wooden ship has shown me how much of the sea I missed when I was on an Albion model steamship.”

“Ah, Mr. Albion,” Captain Aeon said. “He’s come a long way since his first metal ship design. As much as I am proud of him, I do regret the fact that all the ships out at sea are either his model or some other company’s now.”

“You knew Lloyd Albion?” Lyndis asked with interest.

“Yes, I knew him before he founded “'Albion Steam and Steelworks',” Captain Aeon answered. “In fact, I also know Mr. Deathknell. You might know him by his company. He’s the head of “'Arcanum Navigations'.”

“I do!” Lyndis said excitedly. “That’s amazing! You know both the men who introduced steam and electricity as viable power sources. That’s really impressive.”

“A lot of well-known men whose names would have never been etched in history have been on my ship now that I recall,” Captain Aeon said with a smile. “Maybe it’s blessed with the power to make men succeed.”

“I wouldn’t say that, I’ve seen Mathew,” Lyndis said jokingly.

“Mathew is a different story. I’ve known him since he was just a child barely capable of walking. It was his sister that brought him in. She was eight at the time.”

“Eight?! Where were their parents?!” Lyndis asked a little astounded.

“They didn’t have parents, they died soon after Mathew was born,” Captain Aeon answered. “But Rebecca was no ordinary child. She had a will of iron with visions and ideas to match. She searched for my ship knowing that I knew their parents. I was honestly surprised when she found it. Can you imagine? An eight year old girl with a child who just barely turned two managed to find my ship. When she did, she stayed with my crew for a few years before settling at the most isolated edge of our Geo.”

“Mathew’s sister sounds quite admirable,” said Lyndis.

“She was and I hope, still is. Only the Gods know if she’s dead or not, but I pray that she’s alive for Mathew’s sake. He cared deeply for his sister,” Captain Aeon said regretfully. “But enough of that, I’m just happy to see the man well after so many years.”

“How many years has it been?” Lyndis asked curiously.

“The last time I saw him was thirty years ago. I was beginning to think he’d never visit me again,” answered Captain Aeon.

“I knew it!” Lyndis said triumphantly. “Mathew told me he was only twenty-two! He only looks twenty-two! He does age slower!”

“He hasn’t told you that?” Captain Aeon asked surprised.

“No. In fact, I don’t even know how old he really is!” answered Lyndis.

“I lost count of it myself,” Captain Aeon admitted. “It has been over a hundred years since I met Mathew.”

“A hundred years? That means that you don’t age like a normal human being as well!” Lyndis said as she came to a revelation.

“Not quite,” Captain Aeon chuckled. “I age just like any ordinary being. I looked about ten years younger when I first met Mathew.”

“That’s still not normal, Captain.”

“No, you don’t understand. Much like how your clothing is enchanted, so is my ship,” Captain Aeon clarified. “When you enter my ship, time is halted. As long as you are in it, you do not age.”

“Are you serious? Th-that’s… that’s incredible!” exclaimed Lyndis.

“So I have been told that it is nothing short of a miracle,” Captain Aeon said with a smile.

“Captain!” the first mate shouted from the aft deck.

“What is it, Mr. Strange?” Captain Aeon asked his disgruntled first mate who ran towards him. “As a quick introduction, this is Mr. Jason Strange. He is my first mate. Introduce yourself to Miss Sadou, Mr. Strange.”

“Hello, Miss Sadou,” Mr. Strange said as he shook her hand. “I’d love to continue speaking, but we have urgent matters. There are two dozen ships coming from the horizon, Captain. At their speed, they will be on us very soon.”

“Tell all men to quarters, including Mathew,” said Captain Aeon. “I know he loves seeing my ship in action. Would you care to join us, Miss Sadou?”

“You seem a little outnumbered, don’t you think?” Lyndis asked out of concern.

“Is that a yes or a no?” Captain Aeon asked back.

“Yes,” Lyndis answered. She followed Captain Aeon and Mr. Strange as they ran to the aft deck of the ship. Lyndis met up with Mathew as he appeared from below deck to join them.

“So I see we’re under attack again,” Mathew said as he ran next to Lyndis.

“Wait, it’s happened before?” Lyndis asked as they reached the aft deck. Captain Aeon pulled out a spy glass and inspected the incoming army.

“Yes, just yesterday. Captain Aeon is the only one who knows the 'Ship Immortality' enchantment, Miss Sadou,” Mr. Strange answered for Mathew. “That means he’s a very wanted man who is always being hunted. Usually, we keep away from shores and it significantly lessens the amount of hunters. But with us appearing at a dock to pick you and Mr. Tytarius up, many witnesses must have surrendered information about us for gold.”

“This happens every time you go to shore? That’s crazy!” said Lyndis.

“Aye, it usually takes a week or two of sinking every ship that hunts us before people either lose interest or lose track,” said Mr. Strange. He pointed out to the ships as they got closer. “But this is a much larger fleet than usual. It concerns me.”

“C’mon, Jason, you’ve known the captain longer than I have! I know that you know that we’re going to come out of this practically unscathed,” Mathew reassured Mr. Strange.

“I hope so, Mr. Tytarius, I truly hope so. Your orders captain?” Mr. Strange asked.

“A fleet that size will require use of our Prism Stone,” said Captain Aeon. “Tell the men to ready it for battle?”

“A Prism Stone?” Lyndis asked.

“A Prism Stone is what’s left of a fallen star,” Mathew answered. “They usually break upon impacting with the ground, but on rare occasions, they stay intact. They are prismatic pearls that emit starlight which can be used in a multipurpose manner. Just watch and be amazed, Lyndis.”

“Captain, twelve gunboats are rushing our position! Three of the ships are also opening fire with long range mortars!” the man in the crow’s nest yelled.

“Barrier now!” Captain Aeon screamed. “Ship to port! Ready all weapons!”

Lyndis watched as flaming balls of metal readied to crash down on their ship. She was surprised that Captain Aeon didn’t even bother with trying to maneuver out of the way. For an instant, Lyndis lost her balance as the ship turned. She was also surprised by how quickly it did so, considering the maneuvering capabilities of a wooden ship. Just as the metal was about to pulverize and set the Annihilator ablaze, a strange beam of rainbow colored light exited from one of the grates leading below deck. When it reached a certain height past the sails, the light expanded and formed an umbrella shape over the Annihilator. The would-be dangerous slabs of metal impacted with the light and quickly disappeared, as if vaporized by some extreme heat. At this point, Lyndis focused her attention on the dozen or so gunboats that were now at shooting distance from the ship. They unloaded their salvos to the same effect as the dome of light cascaded down from above to engulf the whole ship in its protective influence. Lyndis was paralyzed by the wonder in front of her, unable to believe that the ship remained unscathed. “This is amazing…” she managed to say.

“It gets better,” Mathew said with a small smile.

“On your mark, Mr. Strange,” Captain Aeon told his first mate.

Mr. Strange quickly ran down the portside of the ship before jumping and standing on the bannister. He held on to one of the ropes that secured the ship’s sails and raised his hand. “FIRE!!!” Mr. Strange said with conviction as he quickly lowered his hand to give the order.

“No way…” Lyndis said as she saw the content of the cannons. They were firing beams of pure rainbow light rather than cannonballs. The light arced and curved, zeroing in on gunboats and exploding upon making impact. Of the couple of gunboats still left afloat, they began to quickly retreat in an attempt to rejoin with the main force.

“FIRE!!!” Mr. Strange said again to Lyndis’ surprise. The cannons fired once more, destroying the escaping ships with little effort. “Orders captain?”

“Get below deck,” Captain Aeon said, “on your mark like usual.”

“Aye, aye,” Mr. Strange said. He looked at the men who were cheering at their success. “Men, if any other ships get within cannon range, spare them no mercy!”

Lyndis simply watched as the crew screamed to signal their agreement with Mr. Strange. She looked at Mathew who was now playing with his dagger. Not wanting to distract captain Aeon from giving orders, she opted to ask him instead. “Mathew, how did the cannons do that?” Lyndis asked. “They were able to fire so quickly without even reloading.”

“It’s because of the Prism Stone,” Mathew answered. “Even without it, the Annihilator is capable of taking down any ship with its superior maneuverability. But Captain Aeon wanted the ultimate edge in any naval situation. He rigged a system that connects the cannons and certain parts of the ship to the Prism Stone. This allows him to use starlight as a weapon. Don’t get me wrong, he loves to use conventional cannonballs, but in situations like these, the Prism Stone is the way to go.”

“That’s absolutely incredible,” Lyndis said. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve thought or said that word ever since I started travelling with you.”

“Goes to show that there’s still a lot for you to see in this world, huh?” Mathew asked.

Lyndis nodded her head in agreement. She was taken a little by surprise when she saw the culverins on the lower deck unleash their payload. The beams of light fired straight and true, connecting with the ships far off in the distance. They continued to fire until the horizon was filled with nothing but an armada of sinking ships. All but one was spared, and the Annihilator quickly set course to approach it. The transparent dome of rainbow light that covered the ship retreated back inside of it and the crew began to arm themselves. “Most impressive, Captain Aeon,” Lyndis said.

“You flatter me, Miss Sadou,” said Captain Aeon. “It’s not a complete experience until you board a ship. Will you join us in this endeavor? Mathew has told me of your distaste for taking human lives, but surely you can give us the honor of breaking a few arms or legs?”

“Gladly!” Lyndis said with a smile as they neared the mostly intact ship. After what she had just seen, she was itching for a fight. Lyndis joined the crew at the center deck and began to stretch. She was all fired up and ready to unleash some pain. She noticed Mathew approach her and he began to stretch as well.

“The cannons fire beams of rainbow light that home in on targets while the culverins fire long range streams of white-hot raw starlight that can pierce even the most heavily armored ship from absurd distances. Truly a magnificent sight,” said Mathew. “You could even say that it lighted your life?”

“Shut up, Mathew,” said Lyndis rolling her eyes. “Nobody likes listening to puns.”

“I can sea that. Get it?” said Mathew with a wide grin.

“I can’t believe you just said that…” Lyndis said as she slapped her forehead.

“Alright, in all seriousness, take this,” Mathew said. He pulled out a strange slightly curved piece of wood from his pack and handed it to Lyndis.

Confused, Lyndis accepted it. Upon closer inspection, she realized that there was a groove that divided the wood into two parts about a third of the way. There were two bells attached to the shorter end and Lyndis quickly realized what it was. She put one hand on the longer end and the other on the shorter end. With a pull, they separated, revealing a curved sword with a black blade. “It’s a sword,” Lyndis said. “It’ handle is made from the same wood as its scabbard.”

“And since it’s missing a hilt, it looks just like a harmless piece of wood when it’s put away,” Mathew added. “It’s a sword foreign to our Geo. Do you like it?”

“Mathew, I can’t possibly have this,” said Lyndis. “I’m not a murderer.”

“I know. But it doesn’t hurt to have a weapon,” said Mathew. “It’s called Hyaku Hekitou, and it belonged to my sister.”

“But…”

“Just hold on to it for me. You don’t even need to use it,” said Mathew. The Annihilator finally reached its target and the crew began to toss hooks for boarding. “I just need the assurance that if you should ever get injured or even die, there was something I tried to do to prevent it.”

Lyndis said nothing, unsure of what to say. She focused her attention on the screaming crew of the Annihilator, now readying planks to board. Then, after a brief moment of composing herself, Lyndis joined Mathew and the rest of the crew as they charged.

“Can I help you with anything, miss?” a man asked Lyndis. “You seem to be lost.”

“Um… could you direct me to where the merchant stalls would be?” Lyndis asked as she marveled at the city.

“I’m surprised you missed it, miss,” the man said chuckling. “It’s one of the streets near the docks.”

“About that…” replied Lyndis. “I didn’t come from the docks.”

“Preposterous! If you didn’t come from the docks, that would make you one of those savages that live on the other side of our walls,” the man insisted. “You’re far too beautiful and well-dressed to come from one of those primitive villages out in the jungle.”

“I’m… from one of the more advance ones.”

“I didn’t even know those existed. If half of those savages were as agreeable as you, we’d have all the iron on this island already.”

“Well, I’ll see… I’ll see if I can make a deal with my father once I return to my village,” said Lyndis.

“That would be great, miss!” the man said happily. “All of Irvingrad would be in your debt. But look at me still talking! I should let you on your way.”

“Thank you, sir. I hope you have an enjoyable day,” said Lyndis with a smile as she walked pass him. It quickly disappeared as soon as she was away from the man. Though she did not mind being mistaken as one of the people who lived outside of the city, she disliked the hatred the man clearly had for the local natives of the island. Rather than letting it eat away at her thoughts, Lyndis focused her attention on the city. Irvingrad was large and prosperous. She smelled the familiar smell of pollution that wafted through the air as she walked down the streets. The structures were tall and strong, made of stone and steel of very high quality. Lyndis looked down at the curb as she walked along the side of the street with automobiles and people passing her by. It was a filthy sight that Lyndis was accustomed to. Pieces of garbage decorated the drains with their varying colors. It was the same for the many garbage cans that she passed. They were close to overflowing and garbage adorned the cement around them with litter that fell short of their mark. To others, the sight would have caused disgust. To Lyndis however, it was paradise. She longed to live in such a place. Despite its appearance, she knew that the city was her best chance to make her dreams come true. Lyndis strongly believed that an adventurer’s heart beat through her veins. She revisited her dream of amassing enough money to be able to travel to another Geo. Even though she knew it would cost most of her time, money, and life, she was ready to sacrifice it all for the sake of one grand adventure.

Now nearing the docks, Lyndis saw a change in scenery. The architecture became less daunting and more inviting. Tall intricate buildings with metal supports were being replaced with simpler buildings with wood supports. Though designs on the stonework were similar, it was easy to spot the increasing modesty of the buildings around her as she got closer to the docks. The air also became less foul, making Lyndis take a deep breath. Though she did not mind the practically poisonous gas that existed in the city, nothing was more refreshing than fresh air. It made her understand why all the shops would be closer to the sea. It was an attempt to keep goods unspoiled. Lyndis looked once more at the road as automobiles passed her by. From where she started, she had gone a very long distance, crossing many streets and going down multiple paths to reach where she was now. It made her sigh as the thought of what took her over two hours’ worth of walking could have been accomplished in easily less than half the time on an automobile. With a slight bit of envy for the passengers inside the box-shaped transportation devices, Lyndis continued on, making her task the very first priority. Many people were counting on her, and she would have hated to let them down. As she continued to walk, she noticed two boys next to a crying girl. They laughed at her as she kneeled at the ground and wiped away her tears. Lyndis noticed the doll in one of the boys’ hands. “Give her back!” the girl wept.

“What’s the matter, Sena?” the boy said. “Sad because you lost your doll?”

“Give her back, Edin! I want my doll back,” said the girl as she tried to pry it out of Edin’s hands. She was easily pushed back down by the boy.

“Edin, I think you should give it back…” said the other boy.

“Give it back, or what? Are you going to stop me, Patros?” Edin said menacingly. “I say when we’re done picking on her, not you!”

“Give it back,” said Lyndis as she twisted the boy’s arm.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Edin winced in succession as Lyndis’ hold became tighter. He looked to see that Patros had run off upon his arm being grabbed.

“Don’t be an ass, boy. Drop it!” said Lyndis with one final twist. The boy let out a cry of pain before he let go. Lyndis quickly released the boy and caught the doll all in one fluid motion. “Get out of here, kid.”

The boy said nothing and simply ran off. He had a vengeful look on his face that only gave Lyndis a slight concern. She walked towards the girl, now silent and speechless. With an extended hand, she offered her doll back. “Th-thank you… um… miss…” she said nervously.

“Lyn. You can call me Lyn,” said Lyndis. “Sena was it? Why were those boys picking on you?”

“They pick on everyone,” answered Sena. “Edin has a group of friends that he uses to help bully all the other kids.”

“And the other kids just let him?”

“Th-that’s because he’s the son of one of the dock merchants,” Sena answered now clutching her doll tight. “Everyone is afraid of his father’s power.”

“Well, I’m not,” Lyndis assured the little girl with a smile and pat on the head.

“Thank you, Miss Lyn,” said Sena with a smile of her own.

“Lyn is fine,” said Lyndis with a chuckle. She exchanged one final goodbye with Sena before she continued down to the docks. After what was most likely another hour’s worth of walking, she could finally see the ocean in the distance. In front of her stood a blocked off street dotted with merchant stalls. There was plenty of commotion as merchants plied the ears of their buyers. Lyndis reached into her pack and pulled out a piece of paper. On it was a list of everything she needed to purchase. She approached the nearest stall that had some of the items on the list and waited in line. Lyndis leaned a little, noticing that there were five people ahead of her. She speculated that it would take about fifteen minutes before it was her turn. She used this time to survey the other stalls from her position. Some had lines that were shorter while other had ones that were longer. “Three or four hours to purchase everything, about an hour to purchase a way to transport everything, about two to three hours to get back to where I started, and about another hour to find a discreet place to get out of here,” she thought to herself. As she was lost in thought, a person bumped into her with considerable force. Though she was unaffected, she noticed that the person who collided with her was reeling. “Are you okay?” Lyndis asked out of concern.

“I’m okay,” said the person.

Upon hearing the voice and taking a closer look, Lyndis noticed that it was a woman. Though she was covered from head to toe in large brown cloak, Lyndis managed to eye out her slender figure. The woman was short, making Lyndis assumed that she was a good three or four inches shorter than her. Though her hood covered most of her face, Lyndis saw that she had bright orange hair. Her eyes were bright amber, matching her hair in a striking fashion. “I’m sorry,” said Lyndis.

“Whoa…” the woman said upon looking up at Lyndis. She stared at her longingly. “You’re beautiful,” she said as she eyed Lyndis up and down. “The long skirt and modest dress are a crime on a woman such as you. You should show a little more skin. Men would flock to you in a heartbeat.”

“Um… thanks?” Lyndis said a little confused. “So, you’re okay right?”

“I’m fantastic!” the woman said with energy. “It’s a shame really.”

“What’s a shame?”

“Oh, nothing,” the woman said. She secured her hood and the fastener on her cloak before running away.

“What was her problem?” Lyndis asked herself as she dug her hand into her pack. An unfamiliar feeling greeted her palm that caused her to rummage through her belongings. “My coin purse!” Lyndis exclaimed. She looked towards the cloaked woman who was now far off in the distance. “Get back here, thief!”

“Uh oh…” said the woman. She did not stop and continued to run.

“Give me back my money!” Lyndis yelled as she ran after her. She darted pass the crowd, pushing people aside and causing a large commotion. She was fast approaching the cloaked woman and she readied to pounce on her. When she was close enough, Lyndis leapt at her. She was surprised by how easily the woman moved out of the way, causing her to fly through the air and hit the ground. She rolled into a merchant stall with astounding speed, causing it to collapse from the force. Lyndis sat up from underneath the wood that she was buried under. She ignored the complaint of the merchant who owned the store and focused all her attention on the woman.

“Not only are you beautiful, you’re fast,” the woman said. She continued to run, leaving Lyndis in the destroyed stall.

Lyndis got up, he anger reaching a boiling point. She grabbed one of the fruits that were not spoiled by her accident with the stall and chucked it at the woman. To her surprise, the woman spun around and deflected the projectile before she continued to run. Lyndis questioned how she missed her target, angering her even more. “No more games!” she said as she ran after the woman once again. “Oh, spirits that gather on my cloak, I release your restraints,” she said. Within seconds, Lyndis felt as if she was free. Her pace quickened and she started catching up to the woman. She removed the enchantment on the rest of her clothing, making her move at a speed that slowed everything around her to a crawl. She reached out, ready to grab the woman by her shoulders and slam her down to the ground on her back. As she was about to do so, she was surprised by the fact that the woman turned around at normal speed. It only meant that she was moving as fast as her. “That’s impossible…” said Lyndis.

“I never expected you could go this fast,” the woman said with a very pleased smile. She grabbed Lyndis’ hand, redirecting her into one of the houses on the street before going on her way.

“Shit!” said Lyndis as she lost her balance. She tried to stop with little success, crashing into the stone as if it was straw. It barely slowed her momentum, and she crashed through another stone wall, exiting the tiny home and causing it to collapse. The second crash caused her to completely lose balance, making her skid and roll across the ground through the backyard of the house and into the street where she collided with the side of an automobile. She hit it with such a force that it dented the metal and shattered the glass, startling both the driver and passengers as the transport fell to its side. The automobile behind it had very little warning as it crashed into the back of the one Lyndis collided with. Soon after, many more crashed behind the one that rammed into Lyndis,’ resulting in a large traffic jam. Even with all the commotion, Lyndis barely noticed as she blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Wake up!” Lyndis heard a voice ring through his ears. “Who are you?”

Finally opening her eyes, Lyndis panned her head side to side to get a good look at the room. She was surrounded by three walls of stone and a set of iron bars. She tried to move and realized that her hands and feet were bound to the chair. Across in front of her was a table, and across from the table, was a man sitting on a chair that looked much more comfortable than hers. There was another man that stood behind him. He build was more slender and even Lyndis could tell that he would be taller than the man sitting down if they were both standing. Regardless of their difference in body shape, Lyndis could tell that they were both quite fit. They looked to be in their late forties or early fifties. Lyndis also noticed that they were dressed very well. Between their fancy hats and complicated attire, Lyndis assumed that they were more than just simple cops. She looked at a corner of the room and noticed a coat hanger with two coats on it, further supporting her theory. “Where am I?” Lyndis asked.

“You’re in no position to ask questions, little lady,” the man who sat on the chair told her. He leaned forward, allowing the singular light that hung in the middle of the room to illuminate his face. He had strong features, but Lyndis could see signs of aging as she picked out a few wrinkles. The man took off his fancy hat and placed it flat on the table. “Who are you?”

“Lyndis,” answered Lyndis.

“Do you have a full name?” the man asked another question.

“Lyndis Sadou,” she said immediately. “Who are you two?”

The two men looked at each other upon hearing Lyndis’ question. They nodded their heads before the man who sat spoke once more. “We’re detectives,” he answered. “We’re the people that are sent in when an unusual crime happens.”

“What counts as an unusual crime?”

“When a young girl runs fast enough to keep pace with an automobile,” the man answered.

“Running into a house and slamming into an automobile with minimal damage suffered also counts as unusual,” the man standing added. His voice was even deeper than the man sitting down.

“But let’s put that aside for now,” said the man sitting down. “Do you know how much damage you caused with your little stunt?”

“Enough to put me in a cellar,” Lyndis answered.

“Now’s not the time to be witty, young lady,” said the man standing. “You’re set to be locked up for life. Lucky for you, you didn’t cause a death. Otherwise, you’d be executed.”

“You honestly think you can keep me locked up?” Lyndis asked. She almost laughed at the thought. With a good tug she yanked her arm up to break the shackles that pinned her to the chair. She was quickly surprised when she could not budge them. Again and again, Lyndis tried with all her might.

“Those shackles are enchanted,” the man sitting down said. “Did you honestly think that we would not take precautionary measures?”

“Damn…” Lyndis said under her breath. “If I’m supposed to be imprisoned for life, why am I here right now? What do you want from me?

“We were told by witnesses that you were in line in one of the stalls before you chased after a cloaked woman,” said the man standing up. “This woman has been a menace to the public ever since she arrived here. Before you came, we didn’t think there was anyone else like her.”

“We know you’re not from one of the outer villages,” said the man sitting down. “We also know that the only reason you would chase her is if she stole something from you. Are we correct?”

“Yes,” answered Lyndis. “She stole my coin purse. I needed it to buy some supplies for some friends of mine.”

“Friends not from here, I assume?” the man sitting asked.

“Yeah, but I’d rather not say anymore.”

“You can keep your secrets,” said the man sitting down. “All we want to do is strike a little deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

The man standing approached the table and placed his hand on it, leaning over to reveal his face into the light. “You help us capture that woman, and we’ll get the whole city to forget you were even here. A fresh start, so to speak. We’ll also allow you to purchase everything you require for your friends.”

“But why do you need me?” Lyndis asked confused. “You two seem very capable of tracking her down, why do you need me?”

“Tracking her down is easy, catching her is the hard part,” said the man sitting down. “You however, are able to keep pace with her. That is why we need you.”

“If you agree, you will sleep her for tonight and we shall come to retrieve you in the morning so we can start our attempt to catch her,” said the man standing. “If not, I’m sure you’ll cozy up to living in here for the rest of your life. Eventually.”

“Fine,” Lyndis said with a little bit of disagreement in her voice.

“Fantastic,” said the man sitting. “We’re pleased to work with you, Lyndis.”

“Please, call me Miss Sadou,” Lyndis insisted.

XXXXXXXXXX

“You’re a fine piece of woman,” said Lyndis’ cellmate. He eyed her up and down as she lied on her bed and stared at the ceiling. “Why don’t you show me more?”

“I’d rather not,” said Lyndis apathetically. She wasn’t in the least bit intimidated by him.

“I guess I’ll just have to get you to show me,” he said with a maniacal smile.

“I guess so,” said Lyndis. She turned to her side and thought of what led her to this situation.

“So, did you get all that?” Mathew asked Lyndis. “Captain Aeon and the crew are counting on you.”

“I got it, but why am I the one who has to do this?” said Lyndis.

“Because the last thing we want is for the Annihilator to dock again,” answered Mathew. “Retland Isle is owned by the Centropolis government. Not only that, but Irvingrad is one of the biggest economic powerhouses of our Geo. It’d be over for us before we reach the shore.”

“You don’t think I don’t know that?” Lyndis asked a little irritated. “Why can’t you go?”

“Because I don’t want to,” Mathew answered bluntly. “Besides, it’s a good way to put everything I taught you to use. “Look, all you have to do is buy what we need and get out of there.”

“And how am I supposed to get there if the Annihilator can’t even approach the docks?”

“Simply really, we’ll teleport you there!”

“Wait, what?” Lyndis said. “Are you insane? Teleportation enchantments are some of the most complicated spells.”

“You forget that you’re in the presence of great people,” said Mathew.

“Crazy is a more appropriate word, I think,” Lyndis retorted.

“Whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t matter. So, will you do it?”

“Do I have much of a choice? Yes, I’ll do it. But I feel like there’s more to this that you’re not telling me.”

“Me? I would never! Anyway, we’ll use the Prism Stone to teleport you just right outside of the city limits. You’ll have a whole week to purchase everything on this list,” said Mathew as he handed a small parchment so Lyndis.

“Even with all this, it shouldn’t take longer than a day or two,” said Lyndis. “Why give me so much time?”

“You’ll have no way of contacting us, so how will you tell us to teleport you back?” said Mathew with a smile. “You’ll have to figure that out on your own. If you don’t, we’re leaving you.”

“That’s funny!” said Lyndis now laughing. “Your jokes get crazier the longer I know you!”

“I know, right?!” Mathew said laughing back. “You know what I find really funny though? It’s not a joke!”

Lyndis continued to laugh before suddenly stopping. “Wait, what?!” she said in anger. “You’re just going to leave me there?!”

“Think of it as a test,” said Mathew. “You’ve done many things that normal people would never be able to. Do this, and I’ll consider you my student.”

“That would mean…”

“That’s right, I’ll stop toying with you every time we spar,” said Mathew. “I will teach you how fight like me.”

“A week’s more than plenty enough of time!” said Lyndis excitedly. “When do I go?”

“Tomorrow,” answered Mathew.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lyndis woke as she heard her cell door creak open. She looked to see one of the prison guards standing by it. “You’re free to go, miss. Detectives Aster and Granus are waiting for you outside the prison.”

“So those are their names,” said Lyndis. “They never did introduce themselves last night.”

“That’s just the way they are, miss. But the amount of crimes they have prevented is considered legendary,” said the guard. “Most people forgive their somewhat rude tendencies.”

“I guess I’ll have to learn to do that as well,” said Lyndis. She walked out of her cell and stretched.

The guard watched her as she continued down the hall. He looked into the cell to see Lyndis’ cell mate on the ground, groaning in pain. “Did something happen to your cellmate, miss?”

“I’m not really sure,” said Lyndis shrugging her shoulders. “He fell off his bed last night and coincidentally broke all his fingers.” She continued to walk down the hall, ignoring the cold and menacing glares that she was receiving from both prisoners and authority figures alike. When she finally reached the exit, two guards reluctantly stepped out of her way in order for her to leave. Outside, Lyndis spread her arms and took in the sun’s heat. She was happy that she was out of the wretched prison.

“Whenever you’re ready, Miss Sadou,” a familiar voice broke Lyndis out of her moment.

She looked down to see that it came from the shorter detective. Lyndis wondered which one he was. Though she now knew there surnames, she still did not know which one belonged to who. She stared at him before she spoke. “I’m ready now,” said Lyndis.

“Good. We’ll begin our investigation at the markets,” said the short detective.

“And we apologize if we came off as a bit rude last night,” said the taller detective. “Allow us to properly introduce ourselves. I am Detective Darin Aster.”

“And I am Zane Granus,” added the shorter man.

“I don’t care,” said Lyndis. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve got a tight schedule to keep.”

The two detectives looked at each other before smiling. “As you wish, Miss Sadou,” said Aster. “Step in our automobile and we will be on our way.”

“Alright,” said Lyndis. “Let’s catch this bitch.”

“Find out more about her?” Aster asked as he watched his partner tap away at the pyramid shaped device that rested on the table.

“Yes, I have,” Granus smiled as he made a few more taps, causing the images the device was projecting to take different shapes. No matter the shape however, they were all of a woman who looked to be somewhere between her late teens to early twenties and was cloaked. It was hard to see a face from her hood, but it seemed as if she had blonde hair. Other than that, it was hard to see anything else. “There’s no doubt about it, she’s the one.”

“Then we’ll have to make sure to take advantage of this opportunity we’ve been given,” Aster said. He looked to their server as she approached with two pints of ale. She placed them in front of the two detectives before stepping away without a word. Aster took hold of his mug and took a few gulps. “You are sure it’s her though, right?”

“I’m positive, Darren,” Granus assured his partner. They both looked to the entrance as they saw their newest member enter. With her entrance, Granus quickly tapped at the device and caused all the lights to disappear. He hurriedly put it in his coat’s pocket as the woman approached. She had a scowl plastered on her face as she pushed through some people to reach them. Men who were easily heads taller thought twice before doing anything as they saw the grizzly look on her face. She made her way to their table and sat across from them. “Hello, Miss Sadou” said Granus. As he smiled at her, she reciprocated in kind with a frown.

“Were you successful today?” Aster asked in his usual taciturn manner.

“Define successful?” Lyndis asked back. She tugged at her skirt a bit before continuing. “I visited several market stalls that she has been seen in. Every merchant said the same thing. She came and stole something from them. The strange fact remains that what she steals doesn’t always have the same value. One claimed that she stole newly melted gold pieces like the ones on my person. Others claim she stole something simpler.”

“And what counts as simple?” Aster asked further.

“Some examples are a handcrafted flute that had been polished to perfection,” answered Lyndis. “Another claimed she stole a crystal clear box that held nothing more than a few pieces of copper.”

“That truly is odd,” Aster pondered about the randomness of the belongings being stolen.

“Well, I used my Arcanum portable terminus and connected to the main terminus of the city to see what I could find out. The city’s database states that they’ve seen a similar hooded thief often frequenting the food stalls in the markets. Other than that, it seems that the information you have is all we can go on.”

“It’s been three damn days,” Lyndis sighed. “My companions are going to leave me and I’m going to be stuck here forever…”

“Let’s not give up so quickly,” said Aster. “We must be missing something. She isn’t just randomly stealing. We don’t want today to end with us drinking our problems away like we’ve been doing for the last few days.”

“All I can think is that she steals… anything…” Lyndis slammed her fist against the table. Everything that rested on it jumped a few inches as she left a big dent in the dense wood in the shape of her forearm. “I got it!”

“Control, Miss Sadou…” Granus advised. “What is it that you’ve learned?”

“Everything she’s stolen shares one quality!” Lyndis said excitedly. “They’re all shiny. Everything she’s stolen is something with a very strong shine! Give me your portable terminus, I want to check something.”

“Do you even know how to operate it?” Granus asked.

“Just give it to me,” Lyndis demanded.

“Hm…” Granus was hesitant. He looked to his partner to see that he nodded his head as a sign to comply with the woman. Reluctantly, Granus removed the terminus from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Thank you,” Lyndis swiped it with alarming speed and began tapping away in a similar fashion. She noticed the surprised look on the two men’s faces as she tapped away. “Considering everything you find odd about me, is knowing how to use one of these damn things really that big of a surprise?”

“Fair point…” said Granus. He felt a bit uneasy that Lyndis was so adept at using the device. Termini were not easily accessible to just any one person. A family with a terminus was often considered quite well off. Those with multiple were often very well of or quite wealthy. For this reason, most people didn’t even have a clue on how to operate them. Even so, here was this girl tapping away faster and more efficiently than he was. “What are you trying to find, Miss Sadou?”

“I’m trying to check this city’s database for any other people she’s stolen from other than merchants. I can’t be the only one she’s stolen from. A city like this should have detailed files and a way to facially recognize said people,” Lyndis answered. She pumped her fist as the images of people surrounded her. “Yes!” she said excitedly as she glanced back and forth at the crisp colored images. Lyndis looked to the detectives with her first smile of the day. “Do you see anything in common with these people?”

Granus and Aster inspected the seven individuals carefully as Lyndis waited. Aster finally looked at Lyndis when he pieced it together. “They are either handsome men or beautiful women with outrageously bright eyes. Very much like yours.”

“Exactly!” said Lyndis. “When she stole from me, she told me that I was beautiful. She only robs fairly good looking individuals with bright shiny eyes or shiny objects in general.”

“Hm… if we can combine these two together, we could use it as bait,” said Granus. He looked to Lyndis. “So, Miss Sadou, are you willing to be bait?”

“We have the entire city’s police at our disposal and we can have them surround the area should she try and escape,” added Aster. “You however, will get first crack at trying to catch her. I assume you’re satisfied with this?”

“Very,” Lyndis cracked her knuckles. “I’m ready for the second go-around.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“Where’s my money, Preston?!”Rebecca shoved the Man against a wall. She placed her dagger against his throat. “You promised me gold. One-thousand pieces for every traitor in your gang. I killed all seventeen of them even though you said there were only thirteen, so where’s my money?!”

“You’re not getting paid because you didn’t follow the rules,” Preston croaked. “We said kill all thirteen expected and you killed seventeen. If you don’t follow the rules you don’t get paid.”

Rebecca clocked the man a few times before bashing the back of his head against the wall. “That’s a bullshit excuse to not pay me!” she roared. “I should have known better than trusting a damn gang lackey.”

“Sis, stop!” Mathew pleaded. “Stop hurting him!”

“Shut up, Mathew!” Rebecca growled. She focused her attention back on the man. “This man is the reason we aren’t living comfortably right now!”

“No, Sis!” Mathew ran up to his sister’s leg and attempted to push her off the man. “You’re wrong! We lived comfortably with what he had! You’re the one who wanted more when we were already fine! This is your fault!”

“Mathew…” Rebecca looked to her brother. “All I’ve ever wanted is a good life for the both of us. This would have been that final step. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because working with people like them isn’t a way to gain a good life,” Mathew began to cry. “Please, Sis, let’s just go home. Please…”

“Mathew…”

“The boy’s right,” Preston cut off Rebecca before she could address her brother. Despite being pinned he was very confident. “You’re wrong. And I mean that about many things. I think it’s time for you and your brother to meet your maker.”

“Mathew, stay close,” Rebecca said demandingly as she glanced down either end of the alley. Men of all shapes and sizes resolved from the dim glow of the moon. While some came unarmed, many had an assortment of weapons. Rebecca focused her attention on Preston and threw him into the crowd. She looked to Mathew who was trembling and clutching on to her leg. She got him to let go before kneeling in front of him. “Hey, you with me?”
Rebecca asked her horrified brother.

“Y-yes…” he managed to say between his sporadic short breaths.

“No need to cry, okay?” Rebecca assured her. “Stay right at this spot, don’t move, and close your eyes. Got it?”

“O-okay…” said Mathew.

“Good,” Rebecca smiled once more.

Mathew did as he was asked. He crouched down and closed his eyes, pressing his palms against them for good measure. Despite the loss of site, he could still here and smell everything perfectly. A pungent smell of iron began to suffuse around him as he heard the agonizing vocalizations of men. With every grunt he picked out from his sister, he heard an appropriate ear shattering screech of pain accompany it. It took several minutes before everything became silent. Mathew felt a pair of arms take hold of him and carry him. He waited for a moment before opening his eyes. “Sis?” he asked as he saw the apathetic bloodstained face of his sister. He tilted his head about to inspect her better. She was splattered with blood from head to toe. Despite having worn leather to protect herself, half a dozen stab wounds left marks on her armor. Even so, there were no traces of any severe injury other than light stains of blood.

“Your safe now, Mathew,” said Rebecca. “Let’s go home. We need to get out of town.”

“Again?” Mathew said regrettably.

“Yeah, again…” said Rebecca. “I know you just recently made new friends, but we can’t stay here. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay…” said Mathew. He reached up and wrapped his arms tight around her sister. He cried into her shoulder as he hugged her. “I love you, Sis. Don’t ever leave me.”

“I won’t. You can bet on that,” Rebecca assured her brother. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what. It’s a promise.”

Mathew opened his eyes and was greeted by the wooden ceiling of the Annihilator. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head before groaning. Not wanting to return to slumber, Mathew got off his bed and took his top from the chair he draped it on. Upon concealing his upper body, Mathew took the bottle that sat atop the desk in front of the chair. He took a swig of it before walking out of his room and onto the deck. He made his way towards the railing before leaning against it and staring at the open ocean. Far off in the distance of the moonlit water was Retland Isle. It had been several days since him and the crew sent Lyndis on the supply trip. He began to worry about her as he wondered how she was not back from such a simple task.

“Worrying about her?” Captain Aeon called to Mathew’s surprise.

“Captain Aeon!” Mathew said gleefully before taking another swig from his bottle. “The day I know you’re behind me is the day I know you’ve lost your touch.”

“Or the day your senses are finally as good as your sister’s” Captain Aeon chuckled a bit before joining Mathew against the railing. “Dreams bothering you again?”

“Yeah…” Mathew admitted. “All this time and I still haven’t found her. Where could she be? I refuse to believe she’s dead.”

“It’s a mystery to all of us, Mathew,” Captain Aeon sighed with his less than acceptable answer. “Her disappearance is as big a mystery as Marcus’.”

“Marcus is dead,” Mathew said coldly.

“Do you honestly believe that, Mathew?” Captain Aeon rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know,” said Mathew in a frustrated tone. “How am I supposed to know?”

“You’re the last person to see him. If anybody would know best, it would be you,” said Captain Aeon.

“Well, despite being the last person to see him, I haven’t a clue,” said Mathew. “I’m going to head back to bed. It’s too damn late to be talking about this. And please don’t tell Lyndis any of this.”

“Your wish is my command,” Captain Aeon said before watching Mathew make his way back below deck. He took notice of the bottle that Mathew left on the railing. Captain Aeon took the bottle and made one final glance at Mathew before finishing it for his friend.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Hello, miss! I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Are you a visitor to our city?” a merchant asked Lyndis as she inspected his wares.

“Yes, actually,” Lyndis smiled at the man. “Did you make all of this glassware yourself?”

“Yes indeed! I crafted it all myself,” the man said with pride. “Many people often buy my wares, so I make sure they are the highest of quality.”

“I can see that. They’re completely symmetrical and absent any imperfections,” Lyndis said as she took one off the shelf and inspected it closer. “Smooth and shiny. Completely reflective too.”

“That’s the goal!” said the man. “No one work isn’t a piece of perfection. It takes days to make them. That’s why I only have a dozen or so on display and that’s why the prices are pretty hefty.”

“Worth every piece of gold, I would think,” Lyndis said as she tossed the intricate piece of glass into the air to the dismay of the man. When it reached its peak, the sun lit the little piece of art and reflected beams of radiant light in multiple directions. Gravity soon pulled it down and safely back into Lyndis’ hand to the man’s relief. “How much is it?”

“It’s… um… It’s a thousand gold pieces,” the man said still in shock.

“A thousand? Really? For this tiny thing?” Lyndis was surprised.

“Yes. As I said, the prices can be a bit hefty, but they are of supreme quality,” the man assured her.

“Let’s see if that’s true…” Lyndis said to the slight confusion of the man. She waited for a few minutes and sighed before she put the piece back on its display. “I guess not. Maybe next time, good sir.”

“Are you sure?” the man attempted to persuade Lyndis. “You seemed so excited no more than a moment ago.”

“It happens when you discover new things,” said Lyndis. She turned around and began to walk away. Just as she did, a person bumped into her and fell flat on the ground. Lyndis smiled as she watched the cloaked figure shake her head. “Are you okay?” Lyndis asked.

“I’m okay,” the figure flashed Lyndis a smile with closed eyes. Upon opening them, the figure’s expression turned to dread at the sight of Lyndis. “You…”

“I got you now,” Lyndis smirked as she grabbed the woman by the wrists. She was surprised when the woman jerked her arms out and broke the hold she had on her. The woman pushed Lyndis off and began to run. “Come back here!”

“I’m sorry! I never try to rob the same person twice!” the woman yelled at Lyndis as she ran through the crowds and stalls. “Please forgive me!”

“Not this time!” Lyndis yelled as she forcefully pushed her way through the people. This time, she was determined to catch this woman. She had no doubt that she would be able to. With every person she pushed out of her way and angered, she got closer. With every inch gained came a bit of excitement. She chased the woman relentlessly into a busy intersection loaded with people. Lyndis was surprised to see her get real low and slide through most of them. With less finesse, Lyndis pushed through the crowd. She ended up on in the opposite end and an saw no traces of the woman. Lyndis turned around to view the two other directions she could have gone. Luckily for her, she caught the woman at the edge of her vision. She was left of her and already far off in the distance. Not wasting anytime, Lyndis continued her pursuit and was soon hot on her robber’s trail once more. She rounded the corner, leaving a trail of dust as her boots slid across the paved path. “Get back here!” Lyndis screamed.

“I’m sorry! Just leave me alone!” said the woman.

“I don’t think so!” said Lyndis as she sped up. She recited the incantation that placed the enchantment on her clothing. With the final words said, she felt light as a feather. Her boots left noticeable cracks on the ground as she ran. Despite her new found speed, Lyndis realized that the woman was still a fair distance away. “I knew it!” Lyndis thought. “She’s just as fast as me, but with more finesse. I just have to concentrate and she’s mine.”

After a few more minutes of running down the market streets, a horde of automobiles appeared ahead of the street. Police men stepped out of the car and formed a barrier. Lyndis watched as the woman turned left and down another street. As she expected, the barrier provided nothing more than to divert her target. “Stop running! You’re not getting away!” said Lyndis in hopes to make the woman give up.

“No! I can’t! I can’t be caught! I’m sorry!” said the woman. To Lyndis’ confusion, she sounded very genuine. It even seemed like she was sniveling. With every street the two of them ran down, automobiles appeared to coral them. It reached a final point as they ran down an intersection. Auto mobiles blocked off each road, leaving the woman with only the options to either submit or turn to face Lyndis. “Stop! Please just leave me alone!” said the woman.

“It’s over!” Lyndis said confidently before being shocked. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one when she saw the gapes on all the police men. The woman jumped a good ten feet or so into the air. In reality, Lyndis was surprised she was shock considering she was capable of the same feat with the current speed they were both moving. Not wanting her to escape, Lyndis went for broke and pushed off against the ground with all the force she could. It cratered the pavement, shattering the bricks placed in the dirt and sending a small shockwave outwards from where she leapt. As she neared the woman, Lyndis remembered Mathew’s teachings and expected what came next. The woman spun around similar to on their first chase and attempted to redirect her. Rather than doing so, she was met by Lyndis’ hand taking hold of her wrist and twisting it. Lyndis could see the shock on her target’s face as she forced her into submission. They flew through the air for a few more feet before landing a substantial distance away from one of the barricades. They rolled about on the round before they stopped moving with Lyndis keeping a firm hold on her target’s twisted arm. To her surprise once more, she was taken aback to see the woman roll on the ground to escape the twist on her arm. She yanked it out from Lyndis’ grasp before attempting to run again. She was met by a net that blanketed both her and Lyndis.

“Nice try, miss, but you’re ours,” Aster said as he appeared from behind the crowd of people and police men. He kneeled down next to the woman, took hold of her hood and flipped it off her head. What the crowd saw had everyone in all sorts of emotions. “Just as I thought. You’re one those savages’ pets, aren’t you?”

“Cat ears?” Lyndis questioned as she looked at the pointy parts on the woman’s head that stuck out of her hair and were covered in fur. “What are you?”

“An abomination is what she is!” Aster answered. “There are creatures outside this city’s walls that are part human and part animal. These †˜hybrids’ act as †˜familiars’ or †˜pets’ to the savages. Most of them seem to fight alongside one.”

“I am no pet!” the woman hissed before revealing a hand with claws that Lyndis distinctly remembered didn’t have any upon first glance. She attempted to swipe at Aster but could not move.

“Sorry, miss, we made sure to take all precautions,” said Granus now approaching Aster. “This net is enchanted and binds those under it. You will not be moving any time soon. I am surprised that you managed to move as much as you did, however.”

“Such a barbaric response. The day we get rid of all you creatures and savages on this island will be the day we can get some sensibility and decency to finally take hold here. Anyway, you’re obviously just the pet,” said Aster. After a deep breath, a fierce expression appeared on his face and he slapped the girl. “Where is your master?”

“Hey!” said Lyndis. She tried to move but realized she couldn’t due to being under the net as well. “That was uncalled for!”

“You’re right,” Aster agreed with her. “This matter is bet handled in a private area away from the public. Arrest them and have them ready for interrogation by this afternoon.”

“Them?!” Lyndis yelled. “What the Hell is that supposed to mean?! You can’t arrest me! I was free of all charges the moment I was supposed to help you!”

“True, but I did some digging on my Terminus yesterday and discovered that you are a fugitive,” said Granus.

“What?!” asked Lyndis.

“You, Miss Sadou, were last seen boarding the Annihilator,” said Granus. “You were working in conjunction with an extremely dangerous and wanted fugitive. That is worthy of arrest.”

“Are you insane?!” asked Lyndis. “I boarded the ship for transportation and nothing more! You can’t prove I did anything wrong at all!”

“While you have a point that what you did in the open sea can’t be proven one way or another while aboard the Annihilator and therefore rules out any form of claim that you assisted and did dealings with a high class fugitive, the fact remains that we can hold you in prison for the night for this small misdemeanor,” said Granus.

“And a night is all we need from you so you can tell us where you last saw the Annihilator,” Aster added and smiled.

“I hope you enjoy our continued company, Miss Sadou,” said Granus with his own smile.

“Oh, I will. And I hope the two of you can keep me restrained,” replied Lyndis. “Because mark my words, if you give me even the smallest opportunity, I will hurt both of you. Badly…”