The King was already in the throne room before they had arrived. It was unmistakable. Irinia could hear her father's voice booming outwards from the archway.

  “What can the guards report? I need to know the situation. Now! Where is Irinia? What is the condition of the guard? Is the threat gone? Check outside the walls! How could they just disappear? Where is my daughter?” He was asking questions faster than any of his generals or advisors could answer, clearly panicked.

  Croix walked through the archway, holding Irinia in his arms. The King jumped to his feet. “Croix! I trust she is in one piece?”

  Croix stood and the base of the dais. He could have set her down on the steps, but he held her instead. “She took a tumble and twisted her ankle and may have bruised her arm. Nothing she cannot fix up on her own.”

  Her Father stepped down the steps leading up to the throne. “But she is for the better? Come, Croix. Set her in my seat.”

  “I am going to take her to her room, Toran. She needs to rest. I would like seven of your guard to watch over her. And...” He looked around the room until he spotted Mina. “Ah! Mina, I would like you to stay with her as well.”

  Mina jumped at the sound of her name, “Yes, sir.”

  The king took a step closer and asked, “How did you do it?”

  Croix sighed, “I used the Lens. It’s meant to be a last resort, but there were all over the city. I wanted to mitigate the loss of life.”

  “Why the need for guards then? They’re gone so we’re safe aren’t we?” The King questioned.

  Irinia was surprised about how little her father had a handle on the situation. When the daem appeared Croix showed no hesitation. He jumped right into the fight while protecting her and others. He knew exactly what to do. How many times has he been in situations like this?

  “They are still outside the walls. The Lens was only meant to be used within city grounds.” Croix must have seen the King's disgruntled expression. “I couldn't amplify the spell, Toran. It would have leveled the city. Techniques like that are unstable to begin with. As soon as you deviate from the formula it can cause all sorts of problems.”

  The King stood straighter while his advisers watched as the conversation drew on. “You did the city a great service, and kept Irinia safe as well. Just as you said you would. You are, as always, welcome to stay, my friend.”

  Croix nodded and started carrying Irinia toward the archway they had entered from. Just as they reached their exit Croix stopped and turned halfway to see the King. “Toran, I need to discuss something with you later.”

  “What is it about, Croix?”

  “Irinia.” Everyone in the throne room could be heard murmuring as they left.

  Croix carried her through the castle and up to the tower which kept her room. Mina had to walk quickly to keep pace with them. They approached the door, “Mina, could you open the door please?”

  Mina hurried to the door, “Yes, Sir Croix.”

  He chuckled, “Just Croix is fine, Miss Mina. I am no knight.”

  "Then none of that 'Miss' stuff from you either." They both laughed. Irinia was surprised how quickly they were able to act casually with each other. It was strange to see laughter after all that had happened. The contrast between the attack on the festival and now was giving her a headache.

  They all entered her room and a cool breeze blew in from the opening in the wall that served has her window. Mina pulled the blankets down from the top of the bed. Croix laid her down gently on and pulled the blanket up to her chest. He patted Mina on the back and said, “Elevate her foot if you wouldn't mind.” He walked over to the window and put one foot up on the sill.

  Irinia turned to see him, “What do we do now?”

  "How is your arm?"

  She moved it around a bit. It was sore, but nothing intolerable. "I think it's just bruised."

  “You need to rest.” Irinia could hear the clamor of several guards approaching her door. Croix continued, “Mina, I would like for you to stay with the Princess for now. The King's guard will be staying with you as well, Irinia.” She nodded in acknowledgment. “Tell them that there needs to be one guard at the window, two on each side of the doorway inside the room. The rest are to stay outside the door.”

  Irinia sat up quickly and winced at the pain in her ankle, “Where will you be? You're my bodyguard.” She was still feeling jilted from the attack. He had stayed with her during the entire thing. She did not want him to leave.

  “There are no more threats within the city. It's just a precaution. I need to go outside the wall. The guards that your father has sent will not stand much of a chance of taking them all down.” He adjusted his blade on his lower back and unclasped his cloak. Removing the cloak revealed markings all the down the length of his right arm.

  She had caught a glimpse of them before when he had first arrived. Ten chains winding down his arm, wrapped around one another and several runes that she did not recognize. It was a very clean pattern. He must have paid a large sum of money for a skin painter will skills like that.

  He set the cloak down at the foot of the bed, “Could you watch this for me until I return?”

  Irinia nodded and pulled his cloak close, “Of course.”

  “Thank you.” He walked back to the window and put a foot on the sill again.

  Irinia called out to him, “Croix.”

  He stopped and turned, “Hm?”

  “Be careful.”

  He smiled and said, “There's nothing to worry about. Just restore now. I'll see you in the morning.” Then he jumped out of the window.

  Irinia jolted upright, wincing at the discomfort again. “Mina, go to the window!”

  Mina was already running. She leaned out and announced, “He is running down the road! Unbelievable… this is the eighth floor.”

  A guard entered the room. Irinia told the captain how to arrange the guards, exactly as Croix had instructed. She still did not know who Croix really was and his relationship with her father intrigued her even more. Friends they said. There had to me more to it than that.

  “Mina. Send word to my brother. I would like to speak with him.” She gathered Croix’s cloak up in her arms. It smelled like him and it was oddly warm. The warmth permeated her body. She wrapped herself up and began to fall asleep.

  Croix preferred to take the rooftops to his destinations if possible to avoid people. It was his best option at the moment since the city was still panicked from the attack. The citizens were still running to and fro with no real idea of what to do. He knew the princess was safe where he had left her. For now at least. He warded the window on his way out and the door as they walked in. His stomach still felt as though it was going to take flight. That feeling was not from the attack, the impending conflict that would ensue outside the walls, nor from rebuilding the Lens he had to damage to activate. No, none of those. He was dreading what he knew was going to be required of his good friend. He though of how life sometimes requires you to do strange things, even if you are not completely sure if it is the right thing to do. Alas, that was a problem for tomorrow.

  Perched atop the wall where he had seen the first signs that the daem were in the city he had a decent view of the surrounding environment. It was dark but he could see well enough, and the moon was doing more than its fair share of illuminating the area.

  Thanks moon.

  He rubbed the markings on his right arm and let himself fall from the wall landing quietly in a crouch. Ensuring he was alone in the area he stood and walked south. After five minutes he finally reached a clearing. Walking to the middle he could see all the stars glimmering brightly in the night sky. He looked up at them and gave a customary nod to the gods everyone believed were watching. He knew differently, but was wise enough not to try to convince others. On the off chance someone was watching he had to keep appearances.

  Drawing his blade, he did the only thing he could think to do that would attract the remaining sentinels. This is probably going to frighten a lot of people in the city. He traced a circle around himself about three arms length on all sides. Then etched several runes between himself and the circle. Blue light traced the lines as it activated. Taking a deep breath he let out a deep scream. He voice echoed into the night and returned to him in kind. He heard a light rustle in the trees. Then another, and another. Bringing his blade up in front his his face he kissed the flat of it. “Do your thing.”

  Lowering the tip of the blade just above the ground he could feel the sentinels getting ready to attack. A twelve rayed star radiated out from his feet until it encompassed half the diameter of the clearing. Twelve sentinels appeared form the trees baring their claws. They charged, but when they stepped into the circle surrounding Croix a bright light came forth from the ground and they erupted into purple flame.

  Another came from the right, but it promptly fell to the ground in two pieces after his blade passed through it. Another from the left, Croix shot his fist out which gave the beast a stiff punch in the center of what you could call its face, the eye shattering into pieces. The eye itself partially functioned as a brain for the sentinels. Moving the magic around the body and allowing them to move and "think." It flailed about making a last blind attempt at Croix, but was killed by one of its own that was growing impatient and wanted to kill him itself. Croix backflipped over the creature and stabbed it through the back severing its' spine before stabbing it through the back of the head.

  The night grew quiet, but he knew that there were more out there. Another rustling in the trees behind him. He could feel the air part as something leapt at him. He spun around and brought up his blade and felt it cut deep into something. It fell to the ground and dug underneath it. The earth was turning over in wide lines as it tunneled under the ground.

  Croix laughed, “Finally, something different!” More daem appeared from the tree line and the line in the earth began to make way towards him.

  Besides sentinels there were many types of the monsters. The sentinels were the most common and most expendable of their kind. As their name suggested they were the advance guard. Searching for vulnerable places to attack and take over. They also were not very large. Most were a head shorter than Croix, but they made up for it in speed. The appropriately named “diggers” were able to go underground and work their way around their opponents, but if you know the trick to them... Those were advancing on Croix now.

  Holding his blade forward and bringing the handle to his cheek he ran forward. When the digger was close he brought his blade down where he knew it would jump out. It was the last thing it would do. He loved combat. It made him feel alive. Regardless of his wishes, destruction was the one thing he was good at. One by one he cut them down until nothing but the wind was heard.

  It had bee a few hours since Croix had left them, but Mina was practically falling out of the window trying to look into the distance. She had been trying to see anything in the dawn as the sun rose. Irinia thought it made for a funny sight. “Mina, come away from there before you fall.” She had awakened just before the sun began to rise. Other than her ankle, she was feeling rather good.

  “But I still can't see anything, Princess. What if he needs help?” She slipped back to the floor beside the window. “Should we send some guards?”

  Irinia had since sent the guards away from her room after she figured he had finished clearing out the rest of the daem.

  “He's fine.” She rubbed the fabric of Croix’s cloak between her fingers. “I don't think that the city's guards would be able to do anything against those things anyway. They fell all too quickly at the festival.”

  Flashbacks to the guards that were killed right in front her played through her mind. “They would just get in his way." As much as she hated to admit it, the soldiers of the city were not of any use against the daem. You saw what happened to my personal guards during the festival. The daem just killed them... like they were nothing.”

  Mina looked down at her hands. “I had heard from some of the workers in the kitchen. They said it was an awful sight. People just vanishing into the crowd as they were pulled down and...” She pressed her lips together trying to hold back her tears.

  Irinia wanted to get out of the bed and sit with her friend and try to give her any semblance of peace and comfort, but the throbbing in her ankle reminded her of her injury.

  Footsteps were echoing down the corridor and she heard a pair of boots stamp the ground in salute. The opened and her brother entered quickly. “Sister! I heard you were injured. Are you alright?” He looked up and down the length of the bed trying to assess the injuries. Even though she was covered in blankets.

  “They are minor, Garan. It’s just my ankle, and you should really knock before barging into a lady's room. What if I was getting dressed?”

  "True... I'm sorry." He dropped his head. “Where was that bodyguard that Father hired to protect you? It was his only task, to keep you safe.” She could see his temper beginning to flare. Always quick to anger.

  “He did his task. If not for him I wouldn't be laying here right now. He helped father as well, and do not fail to understand exactly whom it was that activated that tower.” She did not feel right listening to her brother disparage Croix's actions when Croix was the only one killing them. She realized then that he would probably leave Larin without saying anything. As quickly as he arrived.

  Just as quickly as it came, her brother's temper cooled. He regained his composure and sat on the edge of the bed. He grasped her hand, “You say he protected you?”

  She nodded, “With cold and calculated accuracy.” She made a comically serious face. “If one of the daem approached us it wasn’t alive for long.” The events of the fight to the Goddess Lens replayed in her mind. She could recall each moment in vivid detail. Some portions of the memory she wished she could forget.

  Her brother looked lost in thought as he stared at the floor. After a moment he glanced up at the wall. “After seeing them fight myself I’m honestly amazed he could go against them alone like that. We lost so many soldiers on the way back… and more last night.”

  Garan was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, “Where are you hurt?”

  “As I said, my ankle. When I was thrown into the air.” She moved her arm around some more and it felt better already. "My arm was bruised too, but it seems better already.

  Another voice broke into the conversation along with a gentle knock, “But you can fix that ankle up all on your own. Can't you, Princess?”

  She had not heard him coming down the hallway, but Croix had finally returned. He had several smudges of dirt or maybe blood on his face and forehead, but he still had that carefree smile on his face.

  “You!” Garan quickly rose from the bed. “You are to meet with the King at once to discuss your sentence of your failure.”

  Irinia could not believe what she was hearing, “His fail-”

  Croix interrupted, “What failure? The girl is alive and the city is still standing. I contributed more in the battle in five minutes than your royal guard could have done in the whole night.”

  Garan grabbed Croix up by his shirt. Croix seemed unfazed, but Irinia was upset by her brother's behavior. “Stop it!” Irinia shouted. “Garan, release him now.” Reluctantly, Garan abided. “You're hurt, Croix. Mina, check him.”

  Mina hurried over to him but when she reached for Croix's face he gently grabbed her hands and lowered them. “I am in perfect health. I assure you. The blood isn’t mine, but thank you for your concern. I am actually here to collect the Princess.”

  Everyone in the room looked at him. Garan was the first to ask the question, “What do you want with her?”

  “I need to speak with the King about something, and it concerns your Princess here. Irinia, would you please come with me?” He glanced around the room and saw all of the guards glaring at him, “An escort would be fine as well if I'm not to be trusted.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  She trusted him. Her brother on the other hand, not so much. They were walking to another place in the castle so she did not see what all the fuss was about. “I'll go, but...” She looked down at her swollen ankle.

  “Ah, yes” He nodded toward her brother, “Excuse me.” Croix walked passed him to the bed and very gently picked her up. “Comfortable enough?”

  Irinia agreed then smiled at Mina whom gave a wink. “I will be ready for you upon your return, Princess.” Mina was waving at her from the bedside as Croix walked around Garan and the guards carrying her down the hall.

  She turned to him and asked where he was taking her. “To the throne room. We are going to talk to your father.”

  “About what?”

  “Your healing abilities are excellent. More advanced than they should be for one who is not being trained. You have a natural affinity for it.” He was keeping his voice low. She could hear her brothers boots stomping behind them. Many boots actually. Her brother's soldiers must have been with him.

  She had never told anyone about her abilities. She had never used them in front of another person until the other day when the boy tripped in the street in front of them. She had wanted to keep them a secret. As they crossed the threshold into the throne room he whispered to her, “You are an adept, a gifted one at that. You can use your gift to help others.”

  “Croix! You bring her to me in one piece. And you saved the city. I heard you fought an entire hoard of them outside the city walls last night.” Toran was leaning forward in his seat. A huge grin across his face. "How many? I'm curious."

  Croix continued up the steps and set her down carefully on the top of the platform. Before walking back down to the floor he asked if she was comfortable and she nodded.

  "Forty-two. A mixture of them too. Made it more interesting at least."

  The voices around the room that had been talking fervently about the festival and what to do about it stopped and turned toward them. Some had their mouths open after hearing the number.

  “I have no doubt. Spare me no details! Give me your report.”

  Garan burst into the room and tried to interject but the king waved him off. Her brother was the commanding officer that night. He probably figured his report had more authority than a simple bodyguard.

  “You are going to want to cut down any trees both inside and outside the walls that have a height that rivals the wall itself. That is how they got into the city in the first place. When I discovered signs of the daem I immediately made my way to the city's center where the princess was performing her ceremony.“ He gestured towards Irinia. “I arrived in time to see two guards cut down by a sentinel and witnessed as it singled out the Princess. It specifically targeted her, Toran."

  He paused for a long moment. It seemed like that fact had some significance her father was not immediately understanding. "I felled the first and its partner. Having no guards in the city that are capable of performing effectively against the daem in combat I determined that the safest place that the princess could be was at my side.” Croix paused to let that sink in.

  Toran leaned forward and asked, “Why would it target her?”

  “I’ll get there in time.” He smiled weakly before continuing, “While we were making our way towards the Goddess Lens I saw you about to get a few claws in your back and dispatched the sentinel with my bow.” Her father nodded in remembrance and thanks. “We fought our way up to the top of the Lens and activated it. Unfortunately, before I could drop myself to the bottom and trigger the final piece of the spell Irinia was struck by one of them. I caught her and we fell together. That was when she hurt her ankle and arm. She stayed calm during the whole thing. At least on the outside. I witnessed her perform a healing as well. Those strongly aligned with water have those abilities.” Croix paused for a long moment again. “Irinia is a water adept, Toran.”

  The king’s face was painted with surprise. He slowly turned his gaze to Irinia. “You can use magic?”

  Irinia nodded slowly. This was why she had hid it. She was already treated differently as a princess, she did not want any additional attention for having magic ability. The king’s gaze went back to Croix. Though, she had to admit she did not know what sort of attention it weld garner.

  There was a long silence. Her father stared, unblinking at Croix. Minutes passed with nobody speaking. “You want to take her with you when you leave… don't you?” Her father sighed.

  Irinia felt like the entire world was just kicked out from under her. If she had been standing she was sure she would have fallen over. What would he want with me? However, in that same thought she realized she could finally travel. If it were with Croix, surely she would be safe on the outside.

  Croix nodded, “I am sorry to have to ask you this. She isn't just a mage. She's an adept. There's a good probably that she has a very long life ahead of her.” He walked up the steps and stood before the king, her father, and his friend.

  The King leaned forward and sighed. This was likely the last conversation he was expecting to have today. “It’s not like I could stop you… Living life under constant threat, combat, and death. That’s not the life I wanted for her.” He sounded defeated.

  The thought of being able to travel outside their kingdom, this one city, excited her to no end. However, she would be leaving everything and everyone she knew. Why was her father just giving up?

  “I won’t steal her away, Toran. You know that.” Croix tipped his head a bit to the side.

  Her father sat down hard on his throne.

  “I know, but… why her?”

  “She has a lot of potential. She could be a Pillar.”

  “Bah! Prophecy. I never much believed in that stuff.” Toran crossed his arms.

  “May I?” Croix asked gently. Toran reluctantly nodded.

  Croix approached Irinia. Kneeling again he asked, “Princess Irina, would you accompany me on a journey through worlds unseen and become my student? You will learn many abilities to help both others and yourself during the course of our journey. You will learn to fight and you will frequently be in danger. Being an adept it is difficult but can be very rewarding.”

  Croix looked up at the ceiling for a second and placed is hand on her head. She felt that same pulling sensation from earlier.

  “You may be a Link as well.” Croix said quietly. “I’m guessing you wouldn’t know of your lifespan either?” He asked.

  Irinia was very confused. Too much was happening at once. She was still stuck on the fact she would be leaving home. She could not have been prepared for any of this. Though Larin often felt small and she would love to travel the world she would need time to think. Having abilities that she herself was not aware of yet piqued her interest too.

  Before she could answer she heard her father shift in his seat again and speak, “A Link… you mean she’s like you?”

  Croix glanced at Toran and nodded before locking eyes with her again, waiting for her response.

  "Y-yes." She stammered.

  He continued, “You sound unsure... It is your decision in the end. Nobody else's, not mine or your families. Not even the gods may force you to make this choice, it is entirely up to you.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but words would not come.

  Croix smiled, “Take your time. I will stay in the city until you have made your decision. Take as much time as you need. I mean that.”

  The King raised an arm and called for a carrier to return her to her room. “That is not necessary.” Croix said.

  Taking her hands into his, he placed them on her ankle. They had the undivided attention of each person in the room. “Just concentrate. Just like with the boy. Close your eyes. I'll help.” She closed her eyes to concentrate. Toran walked closer to get a better look. “Focus. Instead of pushing your thoughts outward, bring them in. In and down. It is going to hurt a bit, but do your best not to break your concentration.”

  She could feel the bone shifting in her ankle and then it snapped back into place with a loud popping sound. She gasped and felt Croix's hand on the back of her head. The pain was gone almost immediately. “Perfect. You will learn so much.”

  “By the gods. She is an Adept...” Her father sighed. Sorrow could be seen etched in his face. Irinia had never seen him appear his age until that moment. “Croix. It’s her choice, obviously. It pains me to no end to say this, but this is your choice, Irinia. If you choose to go with him then I won't stop you.”

  She started object, seeing her life shifting completely away from all she knew. Excitement of travel aside, this was a big decision. “Father, what does all this mean?”

  “People with your abilities are rare. If Croix is right and you’re a Link as well. Then… You would do the world a great disservice to stay here.” His eyes appears damp as he sat back down heavily into his throne. “The decision, and its weight, is yours to make.”

  Croix gently interjected, “I will leave you with your family. Whatever your decision you may find me in my quarters or just send a messenger for me.” He walked up to Toran and placed a hand on his shoulder. The guards in the room quickly became alert until Toran waved them down. They exchanged words too low for anyone to hear. The king nodded and the expression on his face lightened a bit and Croix smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

  “You will always be a great friend. Remember the Ander Straits.” Croix waited until his friend nodded his head with a weak smile in remembrance before he departed the room.

  A long silence followed his departure. Garan, as usual, was the first to react. “Father, you can't honestly be considering letting that-that fool take Irinia away with him!”

  “Garan, settle down. You don’t yet understand such things. I had traveled with Croix for quite some time in my youth. He is a good man. If Irinia can, in any manner, aid him on his journey or mimic the deeds he performs for people around the world then I would be incredibly proud. However…” he paused, “She won't just be helping him. She could help everyone.”

  “You’re serious?” Garan's temper was beginning to flare again.

  Toran gave him a hard stare, “Son, if you raise your voice at me like that again I will personally put you to the floor.” Toran looked up to the ornate paintings on the ceiling. “This entire city would not exist if it were not for him. He has saved my life on many occasions, he rescued your mother once as well. He managed to keep both your sister and I alive during the course of events last night and, do not forget, he cleared the daem within the city and without. There is nobody that I could trust more.” He looked down to Irinia, “How is your ankle?”

  She stood up, “Just fine.” She said. “Father I-”

  Her father raised his hand, “It is your decision to make, my dear. I will support whichever path you follow. You always seemed so caged here. How often would I need to get you down from walls and windows when you were a child?" He chuckled at the memories. "I would like you to go and talk with him, talk with others as well if you wish to help your decision, but be sure to discuss the matter with Croix directly before making this decision. There are things that only he can answer, and those things are important. It will be dangerous work. The training will be grueling at times. Can you do it?”

  Irinia thought about it, “I think so, but I’ll wait on my final decision.”

  The king nodded.

  Garan made another futile attempt to persuade his father to tell Irinia that she should not even consider the option, but Toran simply waved it off. Irinia left the throne room to return to her bed chambers hoping that Mina would be there so that she could talk with her. Just as Mina had promised, she was still waiting for the princess to return.

  “Princess, your ankle!” Mina exclaimed.

  “I'll explain everything.” She sat hard on the bed, hard. Unsure if it was healing herself or the new turn of events in the throne room that exhausted her, but she was tired. Very tired.

  They sat together on her bed as Irinia told her everything that had happened. Starting with the ceremony up until the events that occurred in the throne room. Afterward they sat a long time in silence.

  Irinia threw herself backwards onto the bed and groaned. “I don't know what to do, Mina.”

  “This is an opportunity that will never be presented to you again. You can get out of the city and explore the world!” Her maid was excited enough for both of them.

  “I know, but I would also spend the rest of my days fighting those horrors out there. I don't even know how to fight. They have never come this far south in my life, that is the first time I have ever seen one of the daem. Also, do not forget that I will be leaving everyone behind.” She touched her blankets. “Sleeping who knows where.”

  For a moment Irinia saw sadness on Mina's face, but she did well to hide it. “This could be your calling – what the gods have given you for a lifelong task. I think you should go with him.” Mina winked, “And you get to spend all your time with Croix.”

  Mina's attempt at humor to lighten the mood worked a bit, but the decision was still a heavy one. “Could I be left alone for a moment please, Mina?” Mina nodded, gently touched her arm, and left the room closing the door behind her.

  "What do I do?" she asked herself before?she laid in her bed for some time before succumbing to sleep.

  Irinia sat up quickly to see the sun beginning its' decent below the horizon. “Dammit.” She had not meant to nap, but she was tired from all that had happened yesterday and this morning. She let her feet fall to the floor and walked out of the door. She looked down the hall and saw a person sitting down on the floor leaning up against the wall. She walked closer. It was Croix. He was slumped against the wall with his head tipped back, mouth partially opened. Irinia's sudden burst of laughter woke him.

  He slowly sat up straighter, “I've been waiting for you.”

  “I could tell.” She chuckled, “What for?”

  “I had assumed that you would have some questions for me.”

  “Why would I have any questions? The answer is obvious, is it not?”

  He smiled, “You will join me?”

  Irinia laughed, “Of course not. Give up my entire life here? I would have to be out of my mind.” She knew it was immature, but she teased him about it anyway.

  His expression fell, “So you won't...”

  “You have a lot of convincing to do. Like what would I be to you? How long would I be away from home and what would I be doing exactly?” She put her arms behind her back as she waited for his answer.

  Croix stood and gestured towards a bench further down the hall. They walked to it and sat. “You would be my student. Similar to how knights take a squire. There is a similar process for mages. However, your situation is a bit more complicated. You'll learn both aspects; magic and combat.”

  “Alright, explain to me... what I am.”

  “You're a water adept, meaning you are able to heal others and yourself. You an also manipulate water through various spells. Those abilities can be used in many ways. All of them useful.”

  “That cannot be all...”

  “You will learn to fight and you will fight by my side against the daem and... other things. There will be many battles, you will see death, you will heal the wounded.” He stopped talking as a guard walked by on his rounds. After the guard disappeared around the corner he continued, “And you will be doing this for a very long time.” He stopped talking for a moment and had a faraway look in his eyes.

  He looked at her and continued, “You can back out at any time. If you’ve been at it for one year or fifty, if you want out, you can go. You’re not a prisoner or a slave.”

  That option made things easier in her mind. A way out if things became too burdensome for her. “How long is a long time?”

  “Eternity. Unless you're killed, of course.”

  That caught her by surprise, “Eternity? What does that mean?”

  “Irinia, we are a special breed of people. If we even are human... Visually we are no different. We can use the same magic, we go to the bathroom, we can get hurt, we bleed, and we can be killed.” He paused to make sure she was following the conversation. “But we never die of old age, and we can withstand more physical damage than the normal human can.”

  “I-I-I-” She stammered, "What!?"

  “Immortal. Mostly, yes." Guessing what she was thinking. "I bet that answered a lot of your questions about my past, does it not?” He leaned back on the bench as though it were something he had been wanting to share with someone for a long time.

  Irinia felt light-headed. Croix placed his hand on her shoulder to attempt to reassure her. “You do not hear about it often. A handful of our kind are typically born ever few thousand years, if that, so our population is sparse. There are others out there too. As I said; there is a lot that you do not know. I can teach you much of it. The rest, with the help of others." Croix stood, "Again, the choice is yours.” Croix stood and walked down the hallway.

  Irinia sat there for a long time thinking about what she should do. The things that he talked about fascinated her. There were good things and bad. She would need to leave home. She would be entering the unknown. She was going to miss her family and her friends. The fighting still seemed less than pleasant.

  Croix walked down to the street and wandered aimlessly around the city. He looked to the west, it was going to be dark soon. Many shops on the main streets were beginning to close. He saw Ara walk out of the restaurant that he and Irinia had dined at the other other day. She was laughing and saying her goodbyes to her friends.

  Croix walked closer to her and waited there for her to turn around. “Bye everyone!” She spun around and bumped into him. She stumbled backward but he caught her before she hit the ground.

  “Oh! I am so sorry, sir I... Croix!” She threw her arms around him.

  Croix picked her up and squeezed, ”Is there anything to do around here that I should know about? I will be here for a couple of days and have nothing to do.”

  “There is plenty to do here. Come with me, you will love this!” She grasped his hand and led him to the city gates. By time they passed through the sun had set. They worked their way up to the edge of the forest. “All of the daem are gone, right?”

  Croix nodded. "For now." She continued to lead him by the hand through the trees and up an incline. When they crested the hill they entered an opening in the trees. For a moment he was worried she would take him the clearing where the fought last night. The bodies were likely still there.

  It was glowing in the moonlight. Looking up he could see the stars, bright and crisp. He could see several constellations that represented the heroes of old that he had learned about long ago. Some he had known personally. Several brighter objects were noticeable – the planets, representations of their gods. He wondered how many people here knew about planets. That the land they lived on was moving through an infinite void. Likely not many, if any.

  “Do they hear us when we call out to them?” Ara asked as she laid back onto the grass.

  “They do. Sometimes they forget since they are so far away.”

  “How do you know?”

  Croix sat on the grass beside her, “They have come to my aid several times throughout my life. All of those occasions I am extremely grateful for.”

  She pointed to a bright object in the sky that had a blue tinge, “Which one is that?”

  Croix smiled, “She is my favorite. Her name is Ishtamara. Goddess of power, balance, and love.”

  “Sounds powerful.”

  “All of the gods and goddesses are powerful. Wouldn't be much of a deity if they weren't I think." Ara laughed at that. "They keep each other under control to prevent any one god or goddess from becoming too powerful and overthrowing the others. She... helps to govern the balance both in their realm and in ours.”

  She rolled over onto her side to look at him. “Then why are the daem here to kill everyone? Why doesn't she do anything about them?”

  “She is doing what she can. Unfortunately, the gods have limited influence in our world. It is up to us to drive them back to where they came from.” He reached over and mussed her hair and stood up.

  Frustrated, Ara fixed her hair, “Why do you always treat me like a little kid?”

  “Because compared to me you are.” He reached out for her hand. “Come, Ara, I should get you home. Your mother will be worried about you.”

  She sighed and followed him. This was the typical interaction between the two. He knew that she had feelings for him so he kept a good distance from her emotionally. He did not want to hurt her. Relationships like that never worked.

  They walked back the same way that they had come and in a short time they were back at the city gates. Croix stayed with the girl until he reached her home where she lived with her mother.

  “Good bye, Ara. Thank you for the company.”

  She spoke as she unlocked the door, “You should come in and see her. I am sure she would love to talk with you.”

  Before she could turn around he had left. She would be mad about that, he knew, but it was for the best. He had other problems to focus on. He rounded a corner and saw a group of guards standing in a line, blocking the street ahead of him. Garan was standing amongst them.

  “Where do you think you are going?” Garan was the first to speak.

  “Back to the room that your father has so graciously allowed me to reside in during my visit here.” Simply looking at Garan he could tell that he wanted a fight. He seemed quite drunk and the guards with him must have been friends or lower ranked officers. They also seemed rather intoxicated.

  “Not if I can help it.” Garan walked forward and tried to punch Croix hard in the stomach, but he sidestepped it. He temporary adversary came from the right to strike Croix in the head with his fist but Croix simply ducked under the punch.

  “I am not going to fight you, Garan.” Croix stepped around high kick.

  “Damn you, you're not taking my sister from us!” Another punch to Croix's face was easily avoided.

  “Annoying…” Croix sidestepped another punch and grabbed Garan's arm. Using the momentum from the punch Croix flipped the prince sending him sprawling out onto the street. People were beginning to crowd around to watch the fight. “This is pathetic.”

  There would be no excuse for assaulting Toran's son in public and doing so would only work against his plans to leave with Irinia. Croix thought about how much he would like to be up on the rooftops and in a flash he was. Rooftops are always faster, quieter. Fewer people. People were a problem.

  He could hear Garan shouting from the street below. “I will get you, Croix! Father may be blind to your intentions, but I am not!”

  What intentions? Oh… he thinks... He stifled a laugh.

  A short while later Croix was at the castle. He walked in through the front gate and quickly ascended the stairs. Once in his room he laid down on his bed and rubbed the markings on his right arm. “I hope you’re right about this.” He said aloud, “I hope you're right...” He turned his head to look out of the window to see the bright star sitting in the night sky.