Belle glanced out the carriage window, sighing every now and then at the dawning sun. She had much on her mind. We had a lot on our minds. The otherwise peaceful ride to Ors was drowned out by my own thoughts. Hundreds of scenarios played out in my head about how we would face Edith.

No one truly knew how strong she was, or how much stronger she had become after centuries walking the earth. Meanwhile, a barely twenty year old me who only graduated last year was afraid to die. Sure I was empowered by forces beyond my imagination, but it could have seen better use in more capable hands. All we would have going for us was the element of surprise.

Mira wasn't fazed at all. If anything, she seemed excited. Since departing Lotherain, she had fallen into a rather elated mood. Her eyes were shut, she hummed a harmonic tune, and very gently swayed to her own music.

Eudora accompanied Princess Lisette in another carriage ahead of us. It was probably for the best. Putting her in the same space as Mira and Belle didn't typically end well for anyone.

"Do you really think the potion Eileen made will work to hide us from Edith?" I asked, more to disrupt the quietness than anything else.

"Whether it works or not, we're already out here. What we should really be asking is if Eudora's plan will work." Belle wasn't at all convinced. She shut the carriage window and laid down on her seat, her thoughts likely returning to her friend Eleanor.

"You won't hear me admit it in front of her, but the plan is sound. It may be our best bet. The potion matter we already know. None of us can sense each other," Mira said.

All of us had drunk the potion before leaving. It worked as intended, encasing our signatures and hiding it from detection. Enough of this and a witch could go her entire life without anyone knowing what she really was. On the other hand, rogue witches could easily make use of this to escape the law.

The only things that couldn't hide their magic signatures were our familiars— and by extension, Eudora.

"How funny would it be if we dug a hole to bury Eudora in?" Mira grinned.

"Don't you dare. We have an even worse witch to deal with first," I scolded her.

Eudora had to die. Not that I meant she was dead. Because our host no longer had a living body, and was essentially a walking magical construct meant the potion wouldn't work for her. So she had to quite literally turn herself off. The only way to reactivate her was to push a magic crystal into her mouth to jump start the body.

That woman put a lot of trust in us to revive her. At the end of the day, she knew we had no choice. Being the mightiest of us four, no less than our combined strength would be needed to face Edith.

The carriage came to a stop. I heard Lisette's faint voice speak from outside. Our door was thrown open. A Piety knight in metal armor glared at me through his helmet. Mira and Belle stiffened behind me. The knight then extended a hand to help me down.

I sigh, relieved as my feet made purchase on the ground. Our disguises in simple dresses and potion worked.

Princess Lisette had Eudora on her back. She turned to us with a smile.

"Come along, ladies. Quick, now! Handmaidens are to be prompt and obedient." She beckoned us to follow into a humble estate despite her royal status.

Ferellis was no capital city. It was built for practicality. Roads were wide and paved over with a layer of crushed stone to ensure the greatest ease of travel for vehicles. Many buildings were taverns, servicing overnight passersby making a stop before returning to the road. Restaurants and bars from every corner of the Talmora, from as far as Saquin with their mudbrick and domed architecture and glorious, multicolored tapestries, to the gothic statues and masonry of Grathir and Semiramis existed here.

Like the capital of Juna with guards patrolling every corner of the street, Ferellis was swarming with Piety knights. No doubt in preparation for their Councillor Anora's arrival.

We followed Lisette past the rose garden and into the two-story manor. Columns along the walkway framed our path to the entrance, where a pair of manservants in the vestibule bowed as we entered. The princess led us into a living room that was decorated with taxidermied creatures, a manticore head was mounted above the hearth.

"This is actually Quincella's cozy little home," Lisette said amusedly of her sister.

"Quite the huntswoman." Mira inspected a moose and accidentally plucked off a cluster of fur which she tried to smooth back in.

"I can see why she's a foot fit to lead an insurrection in enemy territory," I remarked.

Lisette laid Eudora down on the couch and curtsied.

"Make yourselves comfortable as you see fit. I've told Jennic and Deacon to see to your needs," she was about to leave until Belle blocked the way out.

"You're leaving?" Belle asked, brow raised and voice dripping with apparent suspicion.

"I must convene with my aides to ensure we are ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. I suspect there is a good chance things will become dangerous in the city," Lisette answered. She took half a step forward and became flustered when Belle wouldn't move. "Is there something the matter? If-If it's my trust you seek, know that I have little to gain in betraying you."

"Belle. She's taken us this far and is putting a lot at risk," I said, putting a hand on my colleague's shoulder.

She sighed and stepped away, allowing Lisette to be on her way.

"Elle is still back home suffering," Belle said.

"We'll string Edith up and make her squeal. Or is your diligence waning?" Mira chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and took Belle aside in the hallway. "Once we get through this, we'll find a way to help Abstinence—"

"Eleanor. She's not just some overseer knight like the others." Belle grabbed her things and went upstairs. 

I felt a headache coming. Eudora did warn us that the one thing holding us back was our inability to get along. She kept us together through a shared goal and seniority. Now that she was incapacitated, we didn't have that glue.

Mira put a hand on my head and smiled. "Would you like to join me for a nap? The carriage put a crick in my neck."

"You're asking me if I want to have sex, aren't you?" I squinted.

"Is that a no?" She fluttered her eyelids, something that did not suit her at all and was clearly to make me laugh.

"Maybe later," I said, pushing her to the stairs. "I'm going to check around the house."

"See you there, darling." Mira waved as she ascended.

"I never would have imagined wishing Eudora was here." I sighed.

Finding a cauldron in the house and turning it into an alchemy cauldron was easy. Plenty of unused furniture and household items were left downstairs in the basement. It looked to have been a wine cellar before being reduced to a glorified storage shed. Cobwebs ruled every corner of the chamber, rats scurried past my feet when I first came down, and a layer of dust caked the floor.

I looked into the shimmering alchemical waters and saw my own reflection. A young woman with bags under her eyes once filled with wonder and endearment of the world around her. 

That face suddenly transforms into the visage of Vessyra.

"Holy shit—!" I staggered back, clutching my heart. Once I'd caught my breath, I made my way back to the cauldron to see that it wasn't an illusion. "Uh. Hello?" 

"Ellori Farrowghast. I sensed your heart wavering," the goddess said.

"That tends to happen when you spook someone… How are you doing this?" I stirred the still waters with a ladle, but Vessyra's face was still there.

"Some of my powers have returned to me while bathing in this mana-rich microworld. As a piece of my essence dwells inside you, I am able to project myself to you and experience all that you feel. I must say, your recent dalliances have been especially enjoyable for me." Vessyra's lips curved into a subtle smile.

"No one in this world, not even the gods, have a sense of privacy." I buried my face into my hands.

Even a god must have something motivating to say. Right? She spent precious magic to reach out to me.

"As it turns out, we're facing Edith a lot sooner than anticipated," I confessed.

"And you are worried about whether or not you are capable of standing against her." Vessyra said exactly what I was on my mind. She fell into thought, then raised a hand as though to try and stroke my cheek, but realized that she could not in this current state. It was adorable to see her giggle at a very human mistake. "I am no advocate of violence. It pains me to see children wage senseless wars against one another. I have no advice to give, but know this— your strength has grown, as has your heart and wisdom."

Gods were as cryptic as time itself. But I somehow felt more inspired than I was a minute ago. At the very least, despair wasn't at the forefront of my mind anymore.

"Thank you, Vessyra. I'll keep your words close." I whispered a silent prayer in thanks, which she appeared to have received.

Huh. I guessed praying was good for something.

"Perhaps we shall speak another time. To reach out so far drains much from me," Vessyra said.

"Before you go, I was curious— do you… really have a penis?" I asked.

Vessyra smiled wide enough to show teeth.

"My dear, if fortune favors us both, I shall like to have you find out yourself in person." She grinned.

The heat rose up to my ears.

"Speaking of meeting in person, does Demos have any advice to give?" I was eager to continue speaking with the gods. Their presence was soothing.

"It has come to my notice that his own abode has been quiet lately. I have not seen my mischievous little brother since you three departed." The suspicion in her face grew, but her image cut out before she could speak another word.

"I wonder… what that was all about?" I asked my reflection which had returned in place of Vessyra.