Time passed. Lin said goodbye to Zara's picturesque group and headed to Halad's house, carrying one of the enemies they had defeated on her shoulder, still unconscious.
The road was long, so she had time to turn the matter over in her head. It was disturbing to think that someone in this vast empire wanted the princess dead. She wasn't a spiritualist anyway—what would they gain?
She had worn out her spirit too much. Using it more than necessary would put her to sleep, and she preferred to sleep in a bed, not on the city ground.
Walking was tiring—especially when you have to go down hundreds of meters with an adult man on your shoulder. She would complain to Callen once she saw him. This wasn't work for a young lady like her.
Halad's house was a mansion, so it was visible without much difficulty. As she approached, she noticed that both the Lord and the Lady were at the entrance.
"Halad, Jullie, how are you doing?" she greeted as she approached.
The noble was saying goodbye to a man—apparently wealthy, judging by his clothes and accessories—while holding his wife by the arm. Lin was glad she had rescued her. She looked very happy where she was.
"Miss Lin!" Jullie greeted her with her hand, maintaining her radiant smile.
"Welcome back, Lin. Have you discovered something?" Halad added.
"What do you think?" The pirate patted the unconscious man.
"How can you carry him?" Jullie asked her.
"I've carried heavier things."
The woman passed in front of both of them. When she entered the outer garden, she turned to look at them again.
"Are you going out?"
"We haven't been able to go out for a while now. You know, because of everything that happened," Halad responded.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. I'm here thanks to you, after all," Jullie said, hugging Halad tighter.
The two began walking in the direction of the village, with some guards as company. Lin was truly happy to see them together. She felt good about herself—after all, her good deed helped both of them be like this now.
She remembered a little late that she hadn't asked the nobles where Callen was. Normally he was in the study he now shared with Halad, but with him, you never knew.
She made her way to the mansion. Upon entering, the guards passed by her, and she passed by the guards. From time to time they shot her an aggressive look, but she was a guest of the prince—untouchable. The feeling of power was intoxicating.
She reached the study shortly after. Indeed, Callen wasn't there. She supposed he had gone to the patio to do one of his contemplations, or perhaps he was sleeping. Strange coming from him—he was one of those allergic to sleep, preferring to work. Lin got goosebumps just thinking about working instead of sleeping.
Oh, there he is, she thought upon seeing Callen in the patio through a window.
She went down the stairs once more, complaining that she was already tired of carrying the damn man on her back. A few servants looked at her strangely, but she ignored them to head to the patio.
"Hey, little prince, I bring news—!" she began to say.
Callen was training, launching cuts at the air and moving at great speed. He wasn't using his ability, so it seemed to be physical training only. He wasn't wearing his suit—at least not the upper part, only the pants and the belt. Though the pirate paid more attention to the absence of the upper part.
The prince sighed, sheathed his scimitars in his belt once he finished, and turned to look at Lin with a surprised expression.
"Lin, I didn't see you." He frowned upon seeing the body she carried on her shoulder. "Who is that?"
"I must say—" she began to say. "The suit doesn't do you any favors."
"Lin, get to the point."
"No, you don't have any point," she continued, captivated.
"Lin..."
"Ah, yes!" She threw the man to the ground, who began to wake up from the impact.
Callen approached the man, who little by little began to regain consciousness.
"This one survived the combat, so I brought him to you," Lin said while clearing her throat, trying to hide a blush.
"You say it like he's a gift," Callen said with
When the man realized his situation, he tried to move away from both of them, though he was stopped by Callen's foot pressing against his back.
"Why was there a combat?" Callen asked.
"It seems they tried to kill your sister."
Callen turned to look at her in disbelief. It was the first time Lin had seen him like that.
"Are you sure?" the prince asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Yes, quite sure. The princess even ended up with an arrow in her shoulder."
Callen grabbed the man and made him turn on the ground to face him. Lin expected to see terror through the man's mask. To her surprise, what she saw was a look full of hatred.
Callen drew one of his swords and stuck it near the hooded man's hand.
"I know your type. Why did they send you after my sister?" he said in a threatening tone.
"You won't get anything from me, ingrate."
Without hesitation, the prince stabbed the palm of the man's hand, making him unleash curses along with grunts of pain.
"Do I have to remind you that you attacked my sister, temple scum?" he said, moving the sword to maximize the pain. "Tell me why, or the next thing will be a finger."
At this moment, Lin was grateful to have allied with Callen instead of remaining affiliated with Viss's crew.
"The Goddess will watch over me! Everything I did was for her grace!"
A sound made itself present—like the one you'd make chewing a small piece of stone. Callen ran to remove the man's mask upon hearing it, just in time to see him swallow something.
"My life for the Moon! Let her will be done!"
That was the last thing he managed to say before beginning to have spasms and bleed from his nose and eyes. In a few seconds, the man died.
"A poison that destroys the spirit. This confirms it." Callen sheathed his sword and began to move away, with Lin following closely.
"Confirms what?"
"Those who attacked Zara are Assassins of the Moon—the armed hand of the Temple." This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Callen took the black suit from where he had left it to begin putting it on.
"Callen, would there be any reason for you not to put on that suit?" Lin asked.
Callen turned to look at her slowly.
"What? You can't judge me."
"The suit stays."
"Damn."
After putting on the suit, both took off running. Lin was embarrassed to have asked the servants to dispose of the corpse in the patio. She wouldn't forget the faces they made.
"Where are we going?" Lin asked as they left to the outer patio.
"I don't know why the temple assassins are after my sister, but if they are, then it won't be just one group."
"How are you so sure?"
"I know how they work. I've seen it. I don't want to talk about it."
Lin respected the prince's decision and didn't speak more on the subject. Midday had already passed, and if she was correct, then Zara and company should be preparing to leave for Tarzovia. In broad daylight—would they really attack in broad daylight in this village?
She had no time to ask the prince, since an explosion caused much farther ahead gave her the answer.
Several minutes earlier, Zara's group was in their room at the tavern, preparing to leave. According to Alice's own words, it wasn't safe to stay here, and she had already gotten the information about someone who could take them to Tarzovia.
"How is your spirit, Derek?" the woman asked, while checking that she wasn't leaving anything behind.
"Bad. I'll be able to launch a few attacks, then I'll be useless," he said with a sigh, checking that his wound hadn't worsened.
Zara was sitting in a corner, trying to reactivate that power from the ruins. She moved her hands forcefully, tried to force something to appear, but it was impossible for her. The image of how she had changed glowed in her mind, yet she couldn't do anything.
"Did you finally go crazy, princess?" Alice joked as she passed by her side.
"Haha, very funny," she responded with a sigh.
The girl stood up, tried to stretch, but the pain of the wound in her shoulder stopped her short.
"I hate this."
"Hate what?" Derek approached her.
"The wound. It hurts with the slightest movement."
"You get used to it."
The princess narrowed her eyes upon hearing Derek's phrase, following him with her gaze. She hadn't paid much attention, but it was true that the wound on Derek's thigh no longer seemed to bother him.
Friend, why did you two have to go through this? she couldn't help but think.
"We're ready. Take everything you like now that we're leaving," Alice said, walking to the exit.
The two young ones followed her closely.
Though she was still worried about everything that had happened recently, Zara couldn't help but get excited at the idea of going to another nation. Another kingdom, other people. Besides, she had read that most of Tarzovia is always covered in snow for most of the year.
"Hey, Derek, tell me about Tarzovia. You two come from there, right?"
"There's not much to say, I think. The climate is quite cold, snow covers everything, wild animals here and there. The enormous Barsenium mines."
"Barsenium?"
"That's what they call it in Tarzovia—I think in honor of the one who discovered it, the first king, Bars Tarzoin. The more popular name is Spiritual Steel."
"I do know that name, though I didn't know it was also called Barsenium." The princess smiled. "Every day you learn something new, after all."
The group of three kept walking. Upon leaving the tavern, they headed directly to the port—to a somewhat farther area, where supposedly someone had told Alice someone would come to pick them up.
"Sister, this..."
"Don't tell me anything."
That part of the dock was completely deserted. The houses were completely closed, and there was no one around. Neither villagers nor, much less, the person who was supposed to take them to the other kingdom.
"This looks like a trap."
"Are you telling me or asking me?" Alice said sarcastically.
"Where did you get that information, sister?" Derek asked.
"A man gave it to me in the tavern. It was cheap even—just..."
She stopped talking when she saw the judging looks of the two young ones.
"Is your common sense failing you?"
"It's hard to believe you're the oldest of us."
Alice began to glance sideways at the sides—shadows. On the rooftops, in the alleys, watched from everywhere. The lack of people in this specific place, added to this, made her suspect that, indeed, they had set her up.
"Derek, I think we'll need a smoke bomb," she began to say, reaching for her sword.
"Size?" the young man asked.
"Big."
"I'll be useless after."
"On the count of three."
Zara shielded herself between both of them.
"Two." Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Alice drew her sword.
"One."
From the nearby alleys, arrows flew toward them. Before they could arrive, Derek provoked an explosion on the ground. The resulting wind deflected the arrows and launched an enormous cloud of dust, which the group used to begin fleeing from there.
"Where are we going now!?" Derek asked, wiping a small drop of blood from his nose.
"To the people! Don't stop!"
Arrows passed close to them again, but none impacted. Upon leaving the smoke, they saw how some masked ones were running behind them.
"Derek, they're like them!" Zara shouted, nervous.
"Stay close!"
Alice stopped before entering one of the alleys, blocked by four more masked ones. This made Derek and Zara stop too.
The masked ones approached, threatening. Four on one side. Zara counted five more on the other. Also, by the sound of footsteps, there seemed to be some on the rooftops too. They were completely surrounded.
One of the ones from the alley took a few steps forward. A man, by his bearing—imposing and quite tall. He stopped in front of Alice before speaking.
"Tarzovians, our crusade has nothing to do with you. Hand over the heretic, and by the Goddess, you will leave intact."
Heretic? Zara thought, frowning. Do they mean me? Why do they think I'm a heretic?
"And why should we believe you?" Alice asked, raising her weapon.
"I know you defeated Logan's group. He was a good spiritualist. His loss requires vengeance, but not one we will carry out now." The man drew his sword. "Our mission is one. Hand over the false princess."
"Over my dead body." Derek stepped forward in front of Zara.
"As you wish."
Before they could even take the first step, a reddish light flooded the place, making those present turn to look at the source with surprise.
"Hey, the heroes have arrived," Lin said jokingly.
Lin stood behind Callen, smiling confidently, while the prince held his two scimitars in his hands, already covered in the red aura.
"Disappear from here, right now," Callen ordered, without taking his eyes off the leader.
"We have strict orders, Prince," the man said.
Though the leader seemed calm, the others took a few steps back upon having Callen in sight.
"How do you prefer to return to your temple, assassin?" Callen began to say, walking until he stood face to face with him. "Alive with your mission failed, or dead with your mission failed?"
"Do you want to start a civil war, Prince?"
"For my sister? Gladly."
The tension increased with each second. Zara didn't doubt her brother's ability, but seeing him intervene in person meant that whatever was happening was something serious.
"01, orders from above." A woman fell from the rooftops, throwing a letter to the man.
The man opened the letter, read it, and closed it.
"Can I trust that these are the words of Her Grace?" he asked the woman.
"They are. 02 ensured their reliability," she responded.
The man crumpled the letter and put it in his pocket.
"You're lucky. We have new orders—do not engage in combat with Prince Callen."
Some sighs of relief could be heard among the assassins. Upon hearing it, they began to disappear the same way they came.
"That doesn't mean the main mission has come to an end," the leader said afterward.
With the threat given, the man and the woman jumped to one of the nearby rooftops, disappearing from sight. Immediately after, the prince deactivated his aura.
"Damned lunatics," Callen complained as he approached Alice.
Though the woman stayed on guard, Callen moved her aside to approach Zara, whom he hugged.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened for this to happen to you," he said with sincere concern.
"It's not like it's your fault. Don't worry," she tried to sound carefree, feigning a smile.
Callen looked at Alice, who didn't look happy at all to have him near, then at Derek, who looked much more neutral. Zara suspected it was a result of the encounter they had in the morning.
"Were you looking for a way to get to Tarzovia? I'll give you one."
"What!?" Alice and Derek were surprised.
"I don't know where they're taking my sister, but these assassins will return. I know it. Right now, no place in the empire is safe."
Callen called Lin with a movement of his hand, and the woman came.
"You called me, little prince?"
"Lin will be your captain. I'll get her a small boat so you can travel comfortably."
"Yes, yes, wait—does that mean we won't be together anymore?" Lin said that last sentence with genuine pain.
"No, I'll leave here as soon as I can. I need to know what's happening here."
"Callen," Zara called him.
The princess hugged him.
"Thank you. Truly."
She hugged him even tighter, since she knew this was a goodbye. When they set sail, she wouldn't see her brother again for a long time, and with how events were unfolding, it was something that terrified her. Deep inside her, she suspected that power had something to do with it. In Tarzovia, whoever was looking for her knew how it works. She needed answers, more than ever.