“So, let me get this straight.” A familiar man’s voice spoke up in a large, echoing room. “A witch from the other witch’s castle sent me a letter with their confidential plans?”

A nearby guard nodded his head. “That would be correct.”

“Well then!” Akan spoke happily. He held a letter written in parchment in his hand. It detailed all of Elektra’s plans and exactly what the five who had left were setting out to do. It also listed the names of all five of the members along with notable characteristics. “Send reinforcements and a squad of the Lance Core with them to go where Knight Lortric’s unit went. Oh, and send Yulan’s Fist, then tell them to travel without stopping. That should do it. Go, on the double now!” The guard ran off to go do as he was told. Akan turned and smiled at the letter. “Surprising that one of them actually got something past under dear Everlock’s nose. This will be the biggest hit to them I’ve made in a few months now! Now, who do I owe my thanks…?” He looked down at the signature, printed clear as day. “Ah! Thank you, Lucelle Harping.”

Emily woke up, still inside the shadow. She heard the familiar sounds of the forest playing over and over again around her and Lucelle above was still walking. It looked to be sunset and there was a slightly heated conversation going on.

“She isn’t used to traveling so much, so give her a break,” Lucelle’s voice said in an annoyed tone.

“We cannot be slowed down by a weak link that refuses to walk,” Nagin’s normally agitated voice responded.

“You are underestimating the girl’s power,” Ysella spoke in a dull, collected voice. “Any of you can sense it. She is more extraordinary than all of us combined.”

Nagin’s voice became louder like he had turned his head to say, “Now you are on their side? Who even are you?”

“Ysella Everlock.” This took Emily by surprise. Everlock? Sister, long lost cousin, an aunt? Who was she? She spoke weirdly and didn’t look anything like Mother or I.

“What is it that you actually do around here?” Nagin was irritated, now taking out anger on anyone he can.

“I am a royal guardian to Lady Everlock.” Ysella’s voice was thickly accented and very robotic, yet she held many human traits. She was very unlike the metallic maids that roamed the castle.

“’Royal’ as if you work in a kingdom. She is a Lady, not an Empress.”

“You waste your breath arguing about such petty things,” she shot right back.

Nagin stopped and turned around. He marched right up to Ysella and stuck his face inches from hers and glared at her. “I want to get this done without being slowed down by you weaklings. You have no emotion, she can’t lift a hollow log, and he is as unstable as a one-winged bird. Let’s not forget about little miss I-Can’t-Walk-Five-Steps-Without-Needing-Rest either. You’re all slowing me down from getting my mission done.”

Ysella didn’t move an inch and calmly responded with, “Then I recommend we stop standing out here so that you are not slowed down further.” Emily pushed the shadows up a little bit so that she could see. She saw a small entrance to a hillside, natural cave, but she kept her eyes looking at Nagin and Ysella.

Nagin was red with anger. With surprisingly quick speed, he flung a fist up at her. It connected easily, making Ysella’s head flick to the right and her body take two steps over. She looked back up at him, a red-purple mark forming around her left cheek and eye. “Are you satisfied?” she asked, as calm as she was before.

“You’re weak,” he growled at her. He turned and walked away, shaking out his hand and mumbling something under his breath. If she was metal, she wouldn’t have recoiled like that. Then again… he was right; she had no emotion. If he did that to Emily, she would have lost control and retaliated. Instead, she did nothing.

An unfamiliar voice called out from the bushes, “Halt, rebels!” The sound of rustling bushes all over the area rang out and it became very clear that the four of them, plus Emily in the shadow, had walked right into a trap. Armor-clad soldiers aimed swords and crossbows at them, some more decorated than others. From the hole in the hillside, a man stepped out holding a small box. He wore gold-trimmed black armor and held an unfamiliar object in the other hand. The object had a short handle with a long tube extending from it that was rounded and had an open end. It was also decorated with gold and silver.

“Well well well, looks like your help paid off, Lucelle Harping,” The man said. He had a squared face and what looked like perfect teeth. He had clearly not been in a proper battle at all during his military career.

Lucelle spoke up as she moved into a defensive stance, “Yulan, the Fist. How do you know my name?”

Yulan smiled. “You told Akan all about it in your letter. No need to play dumb anymore.”

Nagin flung glaring eyes in her direction. “You dirty traitor!”

Lucelle yelled back, “No, I didn’t do this! I know nothing about what he is saying I did!” Caviere was looking away towards the ground. Ysella was eyeing the soldiers, Yulan, and the box in his hand. Emily gasped inside the shadow and looked around, contemplating what was happening. She wouldn’t, would she? I trusted her!

“Thanks to you, we learned all about your Lady’s plans and beat her to the catch. For that, my boss will be looking forward to meeting you.” Yulan sounded confident and genuine. He had a coward’s heart, but was a strategic and technical mastermind.

“Why don’t you just do what you are here to do and we will do what we plan to do,” Nagin piped up. He drew his swords and readied himself.

Yulan lifted the weapon in his hand and pointed the open end at Nagin. “You sure you want that?”

Nagin, in response, charged at Yulan and began to swing one of the swords at the arm holding the weapon. In a single moment in time, the weapon’s end erupted. A flash of fire and smoke shot out of it accompanied by a scream of sound that would rival even Chelle’s magic. Nagin dropped to the ground right after, writhing in pain. From the right side of his stomach, blood was pouring out onto the grass. He looked up at Yulan with pure anger in his eyes. “You think that will stop me?”

Yulan had partially detached the weapon’s tube end from the handle and was loading a black ball into it. As Nagin leapt up from the grass to attack again, he backed away. “Guards!” From the bushes where the many soldiers stood waiting, crossbow bolts flung like vultures at a carcass. A few plunged themselves into Nagin’s body, but he kept going. One of his sword slashes sliced a hole in Yulan’s other arm, which was still holding the box. In time, however, Nagin became surrounded by swords and more crossbows.

Emily watched as Nagin stood, bleeding from at least five different holes in his body. “This is not the end,” he growled. He slammed one foot forward and let out a war cry, his veins bulging and becoming bright red. His eyes lit up with fire and he began a flurry of strikes, slicing the necks and exposed parts of his detainers. Some tried to stab or shoot him, but he just kept going, hacking and slashing at all around him. When all was said and done, there was no one in between Nagin and Yulan.

“Impressive show,” Yulan egged on the quickly dimming Nagin. He rose up the weapon once more and fired without another word. Emily screamed within the shadow and looked away while the others just watched. Lucelle was audibly crying and Caviere’s head was slightly bowed. A few seconds after the second firing, Yulan began to reload once more. New soldiers had by now surrounded the five. “Anyone else?”

Ysella slowly dropped to her knees and put her hands behind her back. Caviere did the same, the two of them surrendering. Lucelle spoke up in between sobs, trying to make a comprehensible sentence. “Please don’t hurt them… Take me if that is what you want.”

Yulan flicked the weapon upwards, reattaching it once more. “You are all coming with us. Lucky for you, though. You get to sit in the carriage for your act of heroism.”

“But I didn’t do this, I didn’t want this.”

He stepped closer to her and reached out a hand. “Enacting justice doesn’t always go the way you want, but you did the right thing. Come on, now.” His gesture was rejected, but she was prodded on by a couple of the surrounding soldiers, hesitantly following.

Emily looked around at the scene. Half of Nagin’s head was missing and blood covered most of his body, Caviere had a look of betrayal and disbelief on his face, and Ysella’s face showed failure and dishonor. Not again, Emily thought. I will not let this go.

Lucelle stopped and looked up. “Emily,” she whispered.

Yulan turned and tilted his head. “What did you just say?”

“Emily, she…” She looked down towards her own shadow.

“You mean Everlock’s daughter? Where is she at?” Yulan persisted, “You help us capture her and you will live like a queen.”

Lucelle kept her gaze down. “She’s… Uh…”

Suddenly, from her shadow, Emily stepped out. It was like she climbed stairs to reemerge into the world. “I’m right here,” she said. A moment later, she erupted into flames.

“Oh, lord!” Yulan yelled as he leapt back. Lucelle fell back away from Emily as well, dropping to the ground.

Emily, in her combusted state, stepped towards Lucelle with a dark, fire-emblazoned hand. “How could you do this?!” she yelled. Her voice was slightly muffled by the whirling flames, but still clear as could be. “I trusted you!”

Yulan stood and began to run towards the bushes. Emily reached out a hand and he fell down almost instantly. He tore away armor on his left leg and pulled back part of his pants below to show a bright red mark on his calf in the distinct shape of a hand. He looked back up in fear.

One of the soldiers went to slash at Emily with a sword, but it was to no avail. After pulling the sword back, he saw that it was melted and blackened by the flames. The other soldiers backed off as well. The two that now held Caviere and Ysella in chains began to retreat.

“Emily, I didn’t do this!” Lucelle screamed at her. “You have to trust me, I wouldn’t have betrayed any of you!” She turned her head and forced the box away from Yulan and took it in her hands. She faced Emily while backing up in the grass. Holding up the box, she yelled, “Here, you can take it! I would let them have it if I was working with them. Please don’t do this, Emily!”

Emily, within her carapace of flames, swung a hand to force the box to the side. She then flung her darkened hand towards Lucelle, sending a blast of fire at her. The blast touched down within a foot of her and then erupted, sending out a shockwave of energy. The box flew off towards the bushes while Lucelle flew back into the cave. The ground left behind was scorched and a crater was dug into it. She looked up and flung a few more blasts right at the cave. A series of explosions followed, leaving the hillside collapsing on itself.

Yulan and his soldiers had gotten their bearing once more. He stood against a tree with the weapon in hand, the end of it against Ysella’s head. “Emily!” he yelled. “Why don’t you simmer down now?!” Emily’s gaze turned and she almost instantly dimmed. “Yes, that’s right. Cool down, fireball.” Her blood boiled by his words, but she didn’t want to endanger Ysella more.

“Don’t hurt her or you will regret it,” Emily spoke angrily.

“I’m not so sure of that,” Yulan grinned, and then aimed the weapon at her. He fired from a lot farther away than when he shot Nagin. The flak from the bullet dug into her stomach, dropping her to her knees. She cried out in pain and her mouth began to fill up, tasting like iron. She looked down to see her hands stained with her own blood. Her vision became dizzy as she turned to the rubble of the cave, now hearing new sounds.

At the cave’s entrance, the rubble that fell was being clawed out of the way. When there was a decent-sized hole open, Lucelle emerged, but was different. Emily looked, then gasped at seeing her blackened skin. Lucelle’s horns were protruding and her eyes were catlike and bright yellow. Her fingernails were enlarged claws and her skin was smooth looking, but scaled. From her back, massive, webbed wings spread out. She looked much worse than she did back in the safety of her room.

“Demon!” a soldier yelled out. Another screamed about a dragon and another called her a creature of the Void. One thing was certain, however: they were not staying. The soldiers began to flee, running from Lucelle’s presence.

“Come back, you cowards!” Yulan ordered, but they didn’t respond. He looked back to see Lucelle flying towards him. She tackled him and the weapon fell off into the grass. He spat in her face on the ground, “Do it, you monster! You are no better than the witches!” His screams ensued, accompanied by the sounds of flesh being flayed. Eventually the sounds died down and two loud *clangs* indicated that Lucelle broke the chains cuffing the two’s wrists. When it was all over, Emily was in the fetal position on the ground. She had her bloody hands covering her ears and her eyes were wide open, staring completely into space.

Ysella stood, and then looked around at the scene. She walked over to Emily and kneeled. “It’s all over now,” she spoke in her elegant, soothing voice. She reached a hand over and stroked Emily’s hair. “We need to take care of you, my Lady.”

Emily spoke, her voice completely shaken up, “H-how? All I feel… it hurts.”

Ysella took hold of her and pulled her onto her back despite her whimpering. “I know a thing or two about healing. Calm down now, please.” She took hold of the ripped fabric over Emily’s wound and tore it open to completely expose the shredded skin and flesh. Afterwards, she placed her fingers around the wound while having her palms slightly above it.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Emily was quickly fading after having lost so much blood already.

“Rest now, my Lady. Do not think too much about anything.” Ysella spoke quickly and her phrases came out in orders, as it seemed. She pressed the tips of her fingers into Emily’s skin, receiving plenty of resistance. “Calm down, my Lady.”

“It’s… difficult. Please, it hurts.” Her breath was shortening, but remained very heavy.

“I know it hurts. Just a little bit longer,” Ysella responded.

This hurts too much, Emily thought to herself. Just stay awake. It will get much worse if I stay awake… But… it is hard to keep my eyes open. Her eyelids fluttered as the world became less and less clear. I’ve got to… stay… Before sleep fully took her, she thought she was able to see a dim glow emitting from Ysella’s hands.