Day 71
City State of Cynlenor
Zerloth clan hold

“Goddess! What happened in here?” Kiomdra looked around her in her daughter’s room.

This was a scene that she wasn’t prepared to see; it was her clan hold, the safest and more secure one in the city! Being infiltrated by a… sun-elf was an abject humiliation. Kiomdra’s eyes narrowed and she turned to her daughter who had bound tightly her favorite one, Dicinna with a magical rope.

“Who was she?” Kiomdra asked the two young women.

Dicinna kept silent and glared at her hatefully.

Lerrina tilted her head. “Who?”

“The one who tried to free Cinna.” Kiomdra growled.

Lerrina chuckled derisively and then looked at Dicinna. “Dicinna’s lover of course.”

The surprise on Kiomdra’s face was priceless to her daughter, their mother often was akin to an unemotional frost maiden. Now the dark elven matriarch understood why Dicinna seemed to hate her the more she spoke about her upcoming handfasting: she was already involved with someone. She regretted her earlier decision, but it was too late to cancel everything. The invitations were sent and the preparations already complete.

“She will come for me.” Dicinna simply said. “Even if she has to destroy this city, she will.”

Dicinna now understood how low her people could fall for their own agenda and road to power. Suddenly, she didn’t mind that Elissa would have to kill everyone in her path. What was worse? Lerrina believed her, she had tasted the overwhelming power of sun-elf woman and she feared that the next time she might not get away scot-free.

“I don’t think so, Cinna bird. She will find it difficult to enter the hold again.” Kiomdra said as she sampled the mana trace of this sun-elf and registered her into the security ward as persona-non grata.

Dicinna smiled mirthlessly, the rope around her falling away as she let it slide off her. Lerrina stepped back from her, not knowing how she had gotten out of them.

*How!?* Lerrina asked in her heart.

This was another way of Dicinna of cementing her superiority over her elder sister. To show her that whatever her plans were, they’ll fail. 

Cracking her knuckles, Dicinna began to stretch, her armor not making a sound as she moved. Then she looked at her mother and sister. “You should quit while you’re ahead. All those suitors who will be coming to this handfasting are going to die and can you afford the political fall-out?”

Lerrina smiled at her and elegantly answered with, “Since when are you concerned with politics, huh?”

The magical aura around Dicinna whirled around her, mimicking a tornado. Motes of red and white colors surrounding her, making everyone step back from her, even Kiomdra. “You’ll regret ever doing this to me.”

Since Dicinna had come back, her mother barely recognized her; she was wild and uncompromising, always on a hair-trigger. The guards behind Kiomdra now remembered that Dicinna Zerloth was a famous mithril ranked adventurer who could kill everyone in the hold if she wanted. Their grip tightened on their weapons, the tension in the room rose.

Even though Dicinna didn’t have her daggers with her, she was still dangerous as she was a blessed of Nodicea: a super-elf, with the strength of a hundred. She could do damage that the normal members of her species couldn’t walk away from.

Kiomdra saw what was happening. “I am doing this for your…” She tried to say, but Dicinna was having none of it and walked toward the guard and lifted her arms.

“I don’t matter in your eyes, spare me your motherly platitude.” Dicinna said to Kiomdra. Then turning her head toward the guards. “Now get me into a cell or get out of my bedroom.” 

 

---

Steps of the Adventurer’s guild
Morning

Everyone found it weird that it was so windy and cloudy this day, they were underground after all; but the gloomy atmosphere and weird meteorological events could be traced to a young woman who stared at the adventurer’s guild with trepidation. Finally, she decided to enter the building. Everyone avoided her as she had her entire aura cloaked around herself, she went directly to one of the counters with an elven mature woman.

In the guildmaster's office, Arno Isazish stared at the scrying window before him showing him the sun-elf who entered the building. There was so much magic concentrated around her that it distorted space and caused Arno to lower the wards of the building, afraid that they wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Then he saw her address the quaking miss Zonia, someone who is used to speaking to forceful mithril ranked adventurers. Gruffly, the sun-elf spoke to Zonia who told her to wait a moment and she came quickly to his office to say that Lady Dragonfang wished to see him. Arno froze as he heard this name.

“Please lead her in. Don’t upset her in anyway Zonia.” Arno ordered and advised.

“Yes, Guildmaster.” Zonia bowed to him and quickly left his office.

Two minutes later, Zonia came back with the female sun-elf who looked rather imposing. Her steps rang with her heavy armor on, but she didn’t seem impeded by its weight. Lady Dragonfang looked at Arno as if he held the solution to a problem that has been plaguing her forever. The old dark elf raised an eyebrow and said, “Please sit, my Lady.”

She looked at the ironwood chair with the plush red cushion built into it, “I might steal this chair later.” Elissa said as she sat primly.

Frowning, Arno looked at the elven beauty. “Why would someone such as you steal a chair?”

Elissa stared at him and judged him on his leather mage robe and the focus bracelet with a diamond at the center of it. It was made of Mithril and carved with Elven runes that Reinatiel would surely be able to decipher.

“Because I can.” Elissa said, smiling.

Elissa leaned in her chair and crossed her legs, her magical aura steadily retracting. Though the weather outside didn’t change as she wasn’t taking any risks; she was ready at any moment to use call lightning in Cynlenor and destroy the entire city.

Arno bit his lip and looked at the elven young woman with uncertainty. “Is it true that you conquered Thafnoris?”

Elissa smiled, the news had finally reached the biggest city in the Underdark. Thafnoris wasn’t important for other cities in the Underdark, but it was a start, a beachhead. Elissa wanted to conquer this world, however long it would take.

The young woman nodded with a smirk. “Yes, it is now an annexed territory of the Queendom of Aryther.”

“Are you…” Arno rose from his seat, looking shocked that he was in the presence of a Ruler.

*And I bet no one here knows about that.* Arno shook his head.

Elissa chuckled at the reaction of the guild master. “I am Queen, yes.”

Arno sat and spoke more deferentially. “What can I do for you, your Highness?”

“My intended gave me this.” Elissa took the Sapphire with Dicinna’s name written on it and put it on the black ironwood desk and then proceeded to tell her story to the guild master about what had happened last night.

Arno stopped moving, he didn’t extend his arm to touch, just looked at it then at Lady-Queen Dragonfang and said. “Take it back, I know how to help you.”

“How?” She asked, electricity coursing around her gauntlet.

Arno didn’t begrudge the woman before her, her intended was being bartered off. If she just went to Nodicea’s temple it could all be resolved but unfortunately, the high-priestess who could check their bond was absent. “You’ll have to enter the handfasting tournament, with this bonded Sapphire you can participate as the main competitor, you just have to win it.”

Elissa sat straight and put a hand on the desk and took back the Sapphire in her hand. “Enlighten me more.”

Arno began to think, and out loud began to say, “You’ll have to change your name, your Highness. Dragonfang is too high profile now, do you have any other one that could be entered for the name of your house?”

Elissa looked at the ceiling, thinking fast; and as if a lightbulb was switched on, she opened her eyes wide and smiled. She opened her hand and created an ice construct looking like a snowflake. “I do, it’s Snow. For the duration of this handfasting competition, call me Shaera Snow.”

Arno laughed and stood up. “House of Snow. Then forgive me, my Lady; I must enter you in the tournament apace.”

Elissa did the same. “I will go back to my inn, you can find me at the Windy Dragoon.”

“Certainly.” Arno watched as the Lady dimension doored out of his office.

Arcs of lightning escaping the hole in reality as she teleported to wherever she went. Arno smiled, he was getting bored and suddenly something amusing just landed in his lap. He couldn’t wait to see the result of entering a Dragonslayer in a competition of silk pants. The news of the fall of Thafnoris by only using a dwarven Warband and herself should be widespread in the city. Arno couldn’t let her win the tournament just by using her name after all; Lady Dragonfang has become a household name thanks to her exploits.

Arno had an idea of how powerful this young woman was, he hoped she won the tournament because he didn’t think the city would survive it if she didn’t.

 

---

 

Windy Dragoon Inn
5 minutes later

Elissa appeared before the door of the blue-roofed establishment. Everyone gave her a wide berth as they recognized who she was. Walking up to the entrance, Elissa noticed the workers building a new wall and the earth mage warding it at the same time. Shrugging, Elissa let them work. Her mood sank the more she walked, as she opened the door the tavern went silent. Reinatiel was at a table near the stairs leading to the inn floor. 

The demoness waved at Elissa while Astagith was half asleep on the table. Walking up to them, Elissa noticed Reinatiel’s mood slipping the more she approached.

“You failed?” Reinatiel asked, surprised.

Elissa sat at the table and looked at her handmaiden. “Yes, now I know what it’s like to lose.”

Reinatiel placed a teacup and a plate full of food before Elissa waved a hand and a heatwave warmed the food before her.

“What happened?” The demoness asked.

Taking her courage in hand, Elissa began to tell her what happened when she reached Dicinna’s bedroom and how it finished with her having to run while her intended was bound to the place. Reinatiel frowned and then lowered her eyes.

“If I had come with you, she would be free. I know how to break that kind of binding.” Reinatiel lamented.

She just didn’t want to see the reunion between the two lovers and incidentally, it had cost them the objective of her mission. Elissa shook her head and put a hand on Reinatiel’s. “I won’t let you think it’s your fault, but everything isn’t lost yet. The Norns are still with us.”

Then Elissa proceeded to tell Reinatiel about what Dicinna made possible, she will need to participate in the handfasting tournament.

“Ah, then it’s already in the bag.” Reinatiel nodded and began to cut Elissa’s food and feed her.

Opening her mouth and chewing the slices of bacon. Elissa wasn’t so sure that it would be that easy, after all, the world was big.

Raising her head, Astagith stared at Elissa being fed her food like a baby. “Yah, all we have tae do is kick back and enjoy M’Lady killin’ all those dainty elves. Hum, Rei could ye stop treatin' M’Lady like a milk drinker?”

“Oh, Asta you are awake and no, this is my favorite thing to do.” Reinatiel added.

Astagith shook her head in defeat. And ate her food, ignoring the cheeky smile of Reinatiel.

“Tha food is delicious.” The dwarf woman said between bites.

Elissa went to take a shower, and began a mental inventory of her weapons; Gungnir and Gram that she couldn’t use in this tournament as they were too distinctive and would tip-off everyone about her identity. What could be used included Ghostwalker, her striking-gauntlets, her dagger of Lareth and her shield; she might also use the wand she looted from Siodhanth’s lair for precision magic, the one in the form of an asian dragon.

Once she finished bathing, Elissa dried herself, put on her heavy armor and went down to the tavern after securing her room with a locking spell. Reinatiel and Astagith were still at their table and spoke about magic and hunting magical beasts and monsters. She participated and asked for advice until Aeruirn came down the stairs at midday, looking refreshed; the beautiful dark elf glided down the stairs, getting stared at as she moved gracefully in her leather armor. 

When she saw Elissa and the rest of the team she smiled brightly. Elissa heard many sighs of appreciation from around her table. The waitress came with lunch and placed it on the table, bowed and left.

The handmaiden sat at the Sisterhood's table and began to serve the food while Elissa began to read a magical treatise on ritual magic. More particularly Bindings. Bindings are used to trap and compel beings to complete a task for the caster or to seal them and imprison them. Elissa began to test the spells in her mind and saw how she could have helped Dicinna by destroying the magic with a concentrated Anti-Magic Field.

She was preparing to be able to deal with this kind of situation by learning about it. The elven runes were easy to read once you knew how. Elissa was in the last chapter when Arno Isazish arrived at the Windy Dragoon and looked for her. He walked up to her, looked at the gaggle of women around her and smiled at them.

“Greetings, I have great news for you, Lady Snow.” Arno bowed.

Elissa acknowledged him with a slight bow of the head. “Arno, you are finally here.”

The old elf chuckled, straightened his brown leather robe and said, “I did my best to get there on time, are you ready to participate in the handfasting tournament?”

Elissa stood up and her sword belt appeared around her waist with her moonblade in the sheath. Her black and silver-trimmed cloak around her. “Everything is ready yes.”

Arno loved how theatrical this sun-elf was, she would have made an excellent actress on Alfheim; too bad that her talent laid in magic and war.

Arno rubbed his hand, smirked mischievously and said, “Excellent, then come with me; the Ladies can follow.” He added for the rest of Elissa’s troupe.

Aeruirn finished eating and asked, “It’s today?”

Arno nodded as he walked and was already out of the tavern. “Yes, your mistress will have to show her bonded Sapphire to gain entrance. After this, no one will stop her from taking the place of one of the competitors. Lady Snow will have to either kill him or make him desist.”

Elissa laughed at this and then became serious. “I will kill him.”

“Excellent, let’s go.” Arno walked faster.

They cut through the crowd of the main street and through the plaza to reach the Arena; no one tried to stop them as Arno was a fairly known individual. Him being followed by beauties was a different matter, the sun-elf with the cold aura around her turned away anyone wanting to stop the women. As they walked Arno was already counting on how many dead there will be in the next hour.

The arena was a huge coliseum with roman architecture - built in the center of Cynlenor with travertine limestone, tuff and brick-faced concrete laced with magic to hold it together - and is the largest amphitheater ever built by the dark elven empire and could hold 50,000 spectators. Elissa could see it crackling with structural integrity enchantments and security wards.

“Enter, my Lady.” Arno encouraged her.

Elissa hid her aura to the maximum, not wanting anyone to divine how strong she really was; it felt like covering herself with a blanket. Walking up to the guards, Arno followed by Elissa asked to be led to the administrator and organizer. It was on the tenth floor that they entered the reception area and Elissa wasn’t surprised to find that the Zerloth family heiress was there with her mother Kiomdra and two other female elves clothed in noble gowns.

“You!” The heiress pointed her finger at Elissa.

The young woman smiled, lifted her chin and said, “Me.”

Lerrina couldn’t believe the temerity of this sun-elf and looked at the guards who brought her in the reception area. “Arrest her! She’s the one who broke into our hold!”

Crossing her arms, Elissa stared defiantly at the incensed heiress; The Storm Queen in her wanted to destroy this entire city and the Lady Dragonfang side of her wanted to quarter Lerrina but the part of her that was Dicinna’s lover held back those two sides of her.

“And I am the one who almost killed you and destroyed Cynlenor in my fury.” Elissa said as thunder rumbled and a flash of lightning shone through the window.

Then everyone felt the magic in the air; this sun-elf held Cynlenor hostage. What was worse? She didn’t seem to need help to hold such a powerful Mythal and Kiomdra asked herself how powerful she was for not needing an external source of mana to hold it. She had no way of knowing that Elissa had opened the storm domain conferred to her by her patron goddess.

Kiomdra put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Lerrina, calm down.”

“I have come to participate in this farce.” Elissa said as she produced the bonded Sapphire.

Kiomdra recognized it, and she also saw the spatial ring with the Zerloth clan insignia on her finger. The Zerloth Matriarch could sense her daughter’s mana coming from the Sapphire and her personal ring was showing that she acknowledged Elissa as her bonded.

Narrowing her eyes, *So this is why Cinna was so confident last night, she has already outplayed us.*

Arno rubbed his hands and said out loud, “I think that the legitimacy of Lady Shaera Snow isn’t in question anymore?”

Kiomdra clicked her tongue and answered, “She still has to take the place of one of the competitors.”

“Of course, of course!” Arno clapped his hands.

“Who should I kill?” Elissa singsonged as she tilted her head.

Kiomdra couldn’t feel how powerful the magic coming from the sun-elf was, all she could see was that she was connected to the weather distortion outside. The Organizer, madam Maeral of clan Kelris approached; she had a list of five people in her hands. Arno intercepted her before she annoyed Elissa, looked at each of them and noticed that they were all the strongest competitors. He looked at Maeral who smirked at him.

“You shouldn’t have done that, she’s going to kill one of them and it will be on your hands.” Arno told her.

The organizer lost her smirk and looked at Elissa whose green and cold eyes were on her, she stepped back as if she had seen a venomous animal. Arno chooses the second strongest who was named Siveril of clan Venfina. He gave the note to Elissa who read it. “When do we start?”

“Now, my Lady.” Arno bowed.

“Lead on.”

 

---

 

Arena
Zerloth VIP Booth

Kiomdra was upset, her daughter was thwarting her yet again. She didn’t know where she found this sun-elf, but the matriarch found her distasteful. This Lady Snow walked as if she owned everything around her, not caring at all for the hostile gazes thrown at her. The sun-elf climbed onto the platform that will serve as the ring, followed by Siveril Venfina, the second most favored competitor for Dicinna’s hand.

The Venfina clan was the royal clan of Vennila, the second biggest city after Cynlenor, which traded wood, glassware, and stones and produced artisans that filtered to the other cities. It was also the headquarters of the elven merchant guild. Kiomdra hoped that the young man would win, but Arno’s reaction earlier told her that victory wouldn’t be easy.

As for Siveril the silent male elf, he was confident and methodical, he assessed the sun-elf before him; she was just like he expected her, haughty, her presence overwhelming and not even putting him in her eyes. Sun-elves were the antithesis of dark elves, their arrogance, and feeling of superiority to most other races made them be at odds with them. 

But they had good traits: most of them were patient and deliberate in most of what they did, they demonstrated an orderly nature uncommon to most elves, preferring to master a skill before applying it rather than learning as they go. To Siveril’s eyes, the posture and movements of this female sun-elf screamed of mastery, even though she was this young.

He couldn’t even guess her age either. The organizer came onto the ring and took a bell with a little hammer and struck it. Kiomdra looked eager at each step Madam Maeral made.

Bong!

Siveril unsheathed his sword and was about to lunge toward the sun-elf, but he didn’t see her anymore; he felt pain in his heart and saw the elven woman’s black blade had pierced his heart.  Looking into her eyes, he didn’t see any traces of emotion.

“I won’t-” Siveril tried to say.

But the sun-elf beheaded him with a wind blade to the neck to stop him from continuing. Everyone in the booths watched as the head of Siveril fell wetly on the ground, some were horrified, while others cheered. Elissa just wiped her blade to dislodge the slick blood with a blast of air on it and sheathed her moonblade. 

Turning to the organizer, she said, “Madam, announce the winner please.”

“W-winner Lady Snow!!!” The woman raised her hand as she panicked.

Kiomdra watched as the sun-elf left the ring, no one had seen her move at all and the second strongest competitor was done-in in seconds by her. As for Lerrina, she slammed her chair to the ground and put it on fire with a flame spell, this behavior alarmed her mother.

“How is she still alive?! Why is she so strong?” The heiress shouted.

“It seems that your sister has good eyes, Lerrina.” Kiomdra said to her daughter and to herself.

Lerrina’s anger boiled even more, it seemed her little sister had found someone as strong and talented as herself. *What does she have that I don’t?*

“Daughter, calm down.” Kiomdra said as she put an arm around Lerrina’s shoulders.

The heiress stopped moving and kept her face down, the dark elven Matriarch found the reactions of her eldest strange. In fact, since Dicinna came back the two sisters looked at each other as if they couldn’t live under the same sky.

“You should get back to the clan hold, Lerrina.” Kiomdra advised her heir.

“No, she has another match today. I want to see it…”

“She’s going to fight Ruvyn of clan Panan.” The matriarch said as she read the pamphlet with the list of the participants.

“The fire and earth mage?” Lerrina frowned, she didn’t think a mage would be able to hold a candle to this monster her sister loves.

Kiomdra knew the Panan clan, they were a family that produced the most powerful mages of Svartalfheim; they were dynastic in their approach to marriage and could trace their family bloodline to the birth of the empire.

The Matriarch smiled, “Yes, he is three hundred years old, we will see if his magic can make him win.”

Lerrina shook her head, if Shaera Snow won the next match she decided to hire the services of the assassins’ guild. The Cynlenor assassins’ guild was a professional organization and school for assassins. It is widely considered by the elite to be the best option for a well-rounded education for third daughters or sons of minor and large clans. 

The heiress looked at the Assassin token in her spatial ring and smiled evilly.

Meanwhile, Elissa was being taken care of by Reinatiel while Fenirael used her notice-me-not aura to avoid being seen. Aeruirn served water to her new mistress and Astagith looked bored. Elissa replayed the fight in her mind and decided that she could have killed that siv guy faster if she had put on more speed. Reinatiel passed a pamphlet to Elissa who opened it and looked at the name of her next exponent.

Narrowing her eyes, Elissa asked, “Aeruirn, what do you know about this next competitor, Panan something?”

Elissa didn’t care about any of the competitors at this point, they were the walking dead in her mind. Aeruirn nodded, combing her hair with a hand and flipping it behind her, she said, “He is a mage, a powerful one from the rumors surrounding him.”

“How powerful?” Mages could be powerful in their own field of expertise; Elissa was an expert at Transmutation, Conjuration, and Evocation for example.

Aeruirn bit her lip, and tilted her head, her lustrous black hair falling on one shoulder. “About the same as Reinatiel?”

Reinatiel snorted at that, “You didn’t see what I am capable of just yet, little girl.”

“It must not be much, demon.” Aeruirn sneered at her.

“Will you two stop?” Elissa said calmly but her voice was cold and was synonymous with punishment.

The two looked at each other and averted their eyes. Elissa smiled at them and said, “More details, Ruirn.”

Aeruirn lowered her eyes, showing submission and continued to speak. “He is a fire and earth mage, and a master in Conjuration and Evocation that uses elementals to do his bidding.”

Elissa frowned at that, this was a weird combination to her, this mage seemed to be a long and mid-range fighter. “So he can’t take a hit?”

“No he can’t, he is a distance fighter.” Aeruirn said as she sat at Elissa’s unoccupied side.

“I will see what I can do with that information.” Elissa was now thinking about how to shorten the distance or at least beat the man at his own game.

Everyone in the Arena was excited about the next fight between Ilbryen of Clan Phimys and Katar of Clan Cailen. The fight was long as it mixed magic and warrior arts, the two men gave everything they had and they came shoulder to shoulder for a while until Cailen made a mistake and lost a limb and was forced out of the Arena with his contingency ring.

“It’s soon gonna be your turn, mistress.” Reinatiel warned.

The match between Intevar of Clan Ilihorn and Durlan of Clan Valfiel was swift. Their clans have been feuding for thirty years over the murder of the second daughter of clan Ilihorn who was married in the Valfiel clan. Travel and commerce between their two cities were heavily taxed, this behavior has sinked into their respective populations who now had become hostile with each other.

The combat started with a brutality that Elissa wished she had seen in her earlier fights on Earth, which had been child’s play at best. Each of the competitors parried, dodged and took advantage of the opportunities that each of their sword styles gives them to penetrate the other’s guard. This fight made her blood boil. Intevar was a flashy swordsman and Durlan seemed to have never fought for his life before.

It didn’t surprise Elissa when Intevar killed Durlan by turning him into shishkebab with his cutting technique; he was a tremendously skillful swordsman, maybe even on par with Damian Snow her ancestor.

It interested Elissa to see him in action, though to her, his movements were slow; she expected to have to fight him later. They will have a true duel to the death later.

“Intevar Ilihorn Wins!” Madam Maeval shouted for all to hear.

The spectators cheered and booed. Intevar shook his head at them as if he didn’t expect anything else from them, he looked at Elissa from her booth and sheathed his sword slowly. As they exchanged gazes they tested each other, Intevar was the first to break and turned his back to her; Elissa’s lips quirked in amusement, she now knew that he would die if he fought her.

“Next match! Shaera Snow against Ruvyn Panan.” The organizer shouted.

This was the last match for today and it was the most-awaited, Ruvyn Panan had a reputation of being a powerful mage who survived multiple missions in the Lower Dark and took on monster nests. Shaera Snow was a late entrant who had threatened her way and was actually the main competitor for Dicinna Zerloth hand; what everybody knew about her was that she was ruthless and haughty, a typical sun-elf.

Though, the moonblade she used in her previous match told them that she must have moon elves ancestors as Moonblades were named in part because of the moonstones found in the pommel of the sword but also for the moon elves that wielded them; each moonblade was tied to the elven bloodline that first claimed the blade and was passed from descendant to descendant until there were no more worthy heirs.

Moon elves, also known as Teu-tel-quessir in the elven language. Like all elves, the Teu-tel-quessir were tall, close to humans in height, but more slender and beautiful. Kiomdra Zerloth could see it in the young woman’s height and physique, as well as her behavior.

Out of all the elven races, moon elves were the most impulsive, with a strong distaste for complacency or isolation. Moon elves longed to be on the road, traveling and exploring the untamed wilderness that lay between cities and nations. This extroverted quality was part of the reason why moon elves got along uncommonly well with other races and had come to the conclusion that the N-Tel-Quess (the-not-people; anyone not an elf) were not necessarily as foolhardy or unworthy as their brethren might think. 

Moon elves, rather than feeling that interaction outside of their race diminished or weakened them, believed that interacting with other races, and humans in particular, was the best way to spread the values of the Tel-quessir races, thereby strengthening their culture.

Elissa walked toward the ring, but this time she didn’t have her sword with her; from the rules of the tournament it was not allowed to change weapon while you there was combat, however, what the sun-elf had in her hand was a wand and it shocked everyone. Not only will she not fight as a warrior but as a mage, was this an insult toward her opponent?

Ruvyn Panan did indeed take it as an insult as he saw her arrive before him with a dragon-shaped wand in her gauntlet. She smiled at him with an irritable smirk that gave him goosebumps. When the bell rang, none of them moved, but to the eyes of an expert defensive and offensive buff and debuff were flying in the ring.

Elissa deflected everything with her magical aura that was going to addle her brain, rot her bones or bleed her, she answered in kind with deadlier curses such inversing the flow of blood in the circulatory system, causing blood clots, turn bones to jelly, soul and energy drain. The more time passed, the blacker the curses became until Ruvyn had enough, his repertoire of hexes and curses was dry and he knew that she would get him at some point. He understood that she was used to magic duels with someone nastier than him, her spells smelled of demonic influence.

Elissa could see the magic being thrown at her thanks to her enhanced mage sight and saw an occasion to break the opposing mage’s resistance and sent multiple freeze rays at him. Everyone in the benches facing Elissa feared for their lives as a rain of magical missile came toward them, but thankfully Ruvyn Panan contained it within an oblong magical shield that screened the spectators.

However, it seemed that the elven mage didn’t think in three dimensions as the ice on the ring spread underneath him and caught his feet. Ruvyn looked at his legs and poured as much elemental fire that he could to stave the freezing. He saved his lower body by levitating once he was free from the ice.

“You dare?!” He screamed. 

The Fire and Earth mage focused on breaching the veil to the elemental plane and shouted, “Conjure Earth Golem.”

From the stone ring beneath their feet a ten-foot crude humanoid statue formed, it didn’t have any will of its own nor even a core, but Ruvyn wasn’t done yet.

“Conjure Fire Elemental!” A tear in reality opened a portal, the humanoid form of a giant made of lava appeared.

Ruvyn smiled and tried to gauge Elissa’s reaction, though she looked placid and not under pressure at all. She even dared to wave at him and tell him to continue. Ruvyn narrowed his eyes, his robes billowing as he clapped his hand and shouted, “Fusion!”

The elemental of fire form dissolved and slithered through the air in the heart of the golem where the magical core should have been placed. The golem took on a life of its own, fiery eyes, core and arms. It vaguely looked like a magma golem.

Elissa pursed her lips and tilted her head at the elemental construct, smiled and used her cryokinesis to grow and sculpt an ice snake that looked just like the Iron Snake she befriended in her campaign on Thafnoris and conjured Farad.

Ruvyn looked with eyes as wide as saucers at the fairy-like lightning greater elemental hovering over his foe. Elissa said simply, “Fusion.”

The Fire mage commanded the golem to move immediately toward the construct not wanting to let Elissa finish, but it was too late, it seemed that she had better control of the elemental whose essence’s flowed inside the construct that took life, Elissa let as much mana as she could flow to her elemental.

“Shaaa!” The snake woke up, moving as if made of flesh instead of ice and its eyes shining gold.

“Farad, Kill.” Elissa ordered.

The arena was silent as the twenty-foot long ice snake moved with the alacrity of a cobra, the fire golem attempted to punch it but it dodged the blow with lightning speed. Coiling on herself Farad struck the fire golem, biting it and pushing it back toward its conjurer who backpedaled. As the Storm Domain was opened, Elissa conjured a lightning bolt that struck her ice construct and charged Farad’s reserve.

The twenty-meter snake had arcs of lightning coursing through its length, the air was filled with static. Ruvyn cast a flame strike spell at Elissa who sidestepped the pillar of fire and answered it with Auril's flowers. An explosion of sharp ice and small stones burst from the ground, Elissa pushed a third of her mana in the spell creating a pillar of ice where Ruvyn stood.

The elf endured it, but barely as his fire could barely keep the transmutation of the ground at bay. The Elemental combat unfocused him as the ice Snake had ensnared the fire golem with its body, he felt the loss of his fire elemental as it got strangled, the lightning plasma helping the snake dig into the stone. With a Windsphere exploding over his head, Ruvyn got slammed into the ground and was hexed with mana drain curses.

He was about to shout that he yielded but he felt something akin to a power word strike him, “σιωπή (Silence).”

Ruvyn was stricken by fear at this moment when he heard the metallic boots of his foe walk toward him. As the fire mage raised his eyes to her, for the first time he felt her unleash her magical aura and it was vast, he now understood that she had been playing with him the whole time. She focused her mana in her hand changing its elemental composition to lightning.

“You shouldn’t have come to this handfasting.” Elissa said.

Ruvyn knew she was the main competitor, that she was already chosen by the target of this handfasting. All he had wanted was a beautiful and strong bride, now he was going to die for it. Then Ruvyn was no more as Elissa pierced him with her hand, digging out his heart and crushing it until it turned to jelly in her hand. 

“W-winner Shaera Snow!” The madam shouted.

This battle has been showier and less swift than the one the sun-elf had before; no one cheered, because of the gruesome death that she offered the elf. The Snake construct shattered as it didn’t have a use anymore and the lightning elemental came free of it and flew to Elissa, sitting on her head. Secretly Elissa looted the elf and took his spatial ring.

 

---

 

Cynlenor
The same day at night
The Bloody Gorgon Tavern

Lerrina came here directly after the last match of the day from the handfasting tournament, which will resume tomorrow. Entering the den of iniquity the hooded heiress went to the booth specially designed for hiring the assassins’ guild. An almost naked waitress came to her and Lerrina ordered the best wine they had and gave a silver to the poor lass as a tip; the waitress looked really too grateful.

A human male came with the wine, they were such a rare sight on Svartalfheim that Lerrina looked surprised. He looked middle-aged with salt pepper hair and deep-set black eyes, the man wore a simple brown tunic and pants with comfortable boots. The quality of the material suggested that he was well off. 

“You have come to the booth, Heir Zerloth. What kind of service are you seeking?” The man said as he deposited the wine bottle between them and sat.

Lerrina said without preamble, “Assassination.”

The middle-aged human looked meaningfully at the voluptuous dark elven beauty. “You are the third person to come for this service tonight.”

Wine Glasses appeared on the table and the man poured the delicious smelling vintage in each receptacle. The bottle Lerrina ordered was of Alfheim vintage and was rich in mana and good for health if you don't abuse it, it bolstered the immune system.

Lerrina frowned. “Ah?”

The man gave her a tight smile, then sipped on a bit of wine. Tasting the sun in the liquid, his eyes focused on Lerrina’s. “Let me guess, you came for a contract on Lady Snow’s head?”

Astonished by the deduction, Lerrina gaped at him; she wasn’t used to being seen through this way. She was a schemer and a manipulator, being on the receiving end of her own trade didn’t please her at all.

“How did you know?” The young elven woman asked, leaning forward; her revealing neckline enticing the man to answer. But he firmly kept his gaze on her face.

Though he took pity on the Heiress as she was definitely out of her element. “Matriarch Venfina and Panan came here before you and it was easier than you might think, no one expects Lady Snow to lose this handfasting tournament anymore. She has proven to be an unpredictable element. The Guildmaster has properly gauged her mana with magical instruments and told us that we were not allowed to take any contracts on her.”

It was a device bought on Asgard, a tablet computer with a receptor that could measure the potential and magical aura from a deity to a normal person. It was discovered that Lady Shaera Snow was a Demigoddess and the only one present on Svartalfheim was Elissa Dragonfang. After that, it wasn’t difficult to discover that the sun-elf participated under an alias.

Lerrina slapped her hands on the table, making her glass of wine almost fall. “What?! Preposterous.”

The man looked apologetic. “I am afraid that I will have to send you back to your clan hold, my lady.”

The guildmaster wasn’t keen on having his guild being stomped by a vindictive Demigoddess with an unknown backing behind her. The guild did not want to deal with the nascent Lady Dragonfang. Lerrina looked desperate, she wanted to be matriarch now! The power and the knowledge in her family, she was thirsty for it.

“Where will I find someone who can do away with that… that woman?” Lerrina mumbled.

She was heard by the procurer who was eager to sow some chaos and see for himself what would happen.

“Mercenaries.” The man said before leaving with his wine glass.

Lerrina perked up at this and decided to go to the mercenary guild. It wasn’t one hour before she was facing a group of them in their union on the second level of the city; they weren’t important enough to warrant a site on the cavern’s main floor. It was a group led by a dwarf knight from the Doomhammer clan with two rogues and a poison mage. Their mercenary name was the Doomfist group. They were into a warded private reception room in the mercenary guild.

“Are you daft? That sun-elf bitch is too high profile!” The dark elven female rogue called Tiana screeched.

“Tiana dear, ah’m speaking with tha client.” The black armored dwarf soothed.

The armor didn’t look cheap at all, and his ax looked newly made as if it wasn’t blooded yet. It shone with a red and brown glow on the metal, it was clearly earth attuned.

“Rathan! If you accept this hit, we are done! I’m not going to become fodder for a blademage.” Tiana threatened.

After the fight with the Panan clan’s second son, Elissa was now believed to be a blade mage. She had after all dispatched one of the most powerful mages that the Underdark had to offer by mimicking him, a clear sign that she had toyed with him. Tiana didn’t see a way to kill her other than by surprise or deceit.

“Then ye better go, ah intend tae take dis contract.’ The dwarf said firmly. Then with star in the eyes, he said, “One million gold coins, Tiana! One million!”

Lerrina looked at the gullible and greedy dwarf, she had come up with a sob story about this obsessed sun-elf terrorizing her little sister and wanting to marry her. All of them bought it but Tiana who knew how this plot smelled of dishonesty. Everyone had just updated their equipment and their finances were back to almost gone, so they wanted a high profile mission. Then this Lerrina Zerloth girl had appeared and smelled their desperation.

The elven woman shook her head in disgust, Rathan was a young dwarf still dreaming of riches and battlefield. “You cannot enjoy it if you are dead.” She said and then turned her back to them and left the room.

“Is she going to be a problem?” Lerrina asked not at all at ease with someone knowing about her plan.

The black armored dwarf instantly said, “Nah, tha magically enforced rules of her mercenary contract won’t let her breach client confidentiality.”

He didn’t want the client to have to deal with Tiana. Mercenary contracts were especially strict; no one could turn or renege from them.

Lerrina smiled at that, “Excellent.”

Business resumed after a moment, there were snacks and beverages on the low table between the group and the Heiress that one of the elven rogues began to eat with appreciation.

“What do ye know about tha target?” Rathan asked as he began to polish his ax with a specially treated cloth.

It unnerved Lerrina that the man wasn’t paying attention to her. She had put on a gown that especially show off her figure, firmly believing that she could control anything that was male. The hooded poison mage behind Rathan wasn’t.

“She’s powerful, a swordswoman and a mage…” Lerrina began as she used her hands to count about everything she knew about Dicinna’s paramour. “Oh and she has wings, she can fly and I suspect her to be a mage specializing in bonding with elementals.” She finished to say and stared primly at the dwarf; she remembered the lightning and wind elementals she witnessed at the tournament and in her clan hold when Snow infiltrated.

“Aye, ah saw her match, but she has wings? Wasn’t she supposed to be an elf?” Rathan asked an excellent question.

Everyone was making theories about Shaera Snow, that she’s part sun and moon elf and nobility from offworld. They just didn’t know how right they were that she wasn’t from Svartalfheim, but her being an elf was doubtful; the poison mage theorized that she was under some kind of glamour and suspected her to be some kind of half-angel or an elven/Valkyrie as they were the only ones that had wings from the races he knew.

“I think she’s dabbling in demon magic.” The hooded poison mage informed everyone.

Lerrina narrowed her eyes at the strange mage, she could feel dark miasma coming from him. He was wearing a black hooded cloak covering a dark mage robe with a brown belt full of pouches and other ingredients. *A poison mage alright.*

“You are?” The heiress asked smoothing her purple gown.

Walking up two steps, the man’s baritone voice rang, “Venom. I call myself Venom.”

Lerrina instantly snorted in amusement. “How classical. You were saying?”

The rogue and dwarf titered at the grandstanding of their friend who stayed silent and was sulking at their reaction.

Cough, cough. “Yes, Lady Shaera Snow is dabbling with demons. Didn’t you see them attending her in the competitor booth reserved to her? I counted at least two of them.”

Venom thought that the sun-elf was a closet demonologist; a mage obsessed with demons, devils, and fiends. They tended to form pacts with Abyssal beings for a quick shortcut in obtaining power that would eventually be their downfall.

This made Lerrina sit straight. “Are you saying that her strength is… artificial?”

Venom crossed his arms and said, “I am not certain.”

He knew there were two demons, but the Lady’s magic wasn’t tainted by miasma like his. He had entered a pact with a demon dragon and that action had ruined his body. But the boost in his power and the corrosive nature of the magic he now wielded made him confident.

“However, the best strategy to use against such a foe would be the banishment spell to expel her extraplanar help.” Venom was sure.

Snow was a good blademage, but with their number and his personal magic he thought that he could take her if she was busy deflecting threats from his physical combat oriented teammates. Lerrina was taken aback by the theories of the man, that this degree of power that Dicinna’s paramour showed was artificial and that without her elementals and demons she was easy prey.

Staring at the group, she smiled and asked, “Interesting, so do you accept the commission?”

The four mercenaries looked at each other, the two rogues shrugged, Rathan gave a thumbs up and Venom nodded.

“We are taking it.” Rathan said with trepidation.

 

---

 

Day 72, Sunrise
City State of Cynlenor
Adventurer’s guild

Elissa was having a good time since Arno was going to escort them to the Arena. However, there was tension in the guild as everyone stared at her group. Expecting her to do something that her sudden reputation as a killer warranted. But contrary to expectations she was just there cataloging the wealth in the spatial ring of Ruvyn Panan.

She already trashed the useless Treatise on Conjuration that the man had possessed; what interested her was the gold, artifacts and the additional Hex grimoire. Panan had used some new ones she wasn’t aware of. There weren’t just treasures in the spatial ring, but also documentation pertaining to the Panan clan dated and sorted by different levels of importance; it seemed that Ruvyn Panan was also an administrator, a pencil pusher.

It didn’t surprise Elissa that he was a distance fighter, the man was raised in a matriarchal society and was a precious seedling of his family. Elissa noticed that Ruvyn Panan had also received the invitation to the handfasting tournament, signed by a Kiomdra Zerloth, Matriarch of clan Zerloth.

*Cinna’s mom?* Elissa didn’t know the name of the woman who was trying to ruin Dicinna’s life.

In her heart, Elissa wanted to loathe that woman, but she was the one who gave birth to the second love of her life. She remembered meeting her in the reception area of the Arena with the Harlot: Kiomdra had looked severe and uncompromising. But she felt that this hard woman had a softcore somewhere, only showing in private.

*I will let her live, as for Lerrina the Harlot?* Elissa chuckled darkly.

Everyone in the Sisterhood team reacted to it with different degree of apprehension; the demoness sisters didn’t like when Elissa emulated Malicia and tried to distract her by doing whatever she wanted, Aeruirn didn’t know better and thought that it was her Queen’s default behavior, Astagith just mumbled into her mug full of mead.

It was after finding a book titled ‘Aura Control’ that the platinum blonde became more introspective. The ability to manipulate aura, the subtle, luminous radiation that surrounds a person or object. A Variation of Energy Manipulation and Life-Force Manipulation. It was the part that she had been having a bottleneck on in the Inshek martial art Battle Aura.

The book was ancient and was black from cover to spine with golden trim; Elissa had almost let it fall when she felt the strength of the preservation spells on it. The blonde gave a winning smile at the book, she will study it later; for now what she has should suffice, after all, she could already break fortresses by herself. Though Damian and Xara had been able to destroy entire armies without help with their Inshek battle aura manipulation.

Instinctively, Elissa created an aura blade with her hand in the form of a double edged sword. It was golden and could channel any of her inborn elemental affinities. She could generate and manipulate it to connect to other beings, objects and places through the use of etheric cords. Thanks to that she could conceal her aura and detect other’s aura.

She wished she could have someone to guide her into the more advanced uses of this ability; this book in her hand could easily be a boon from the fates giving her the tools she needs to grow stronger.

Fenirael took the book out of Elissa’s hand, and she looked at her with outrage until she saw that Arno was already there in a different robe this time, it was blue and silver and his beard and long hair were particularly well groomed.

“Arno you look dashing.” Elissa complimented him.

He really was, in an old wizard way; Arno looked honorable and wise. Elissa would have been fooled if she didn't know the type of elf he was. Arno reminded her of her uncle Nikola. The guildmaster beamed at her and slightly bowed. “You are being too generous, Lady Snow.”

“Are you married?” Elissa asked the question as if it were an afterthought, but it was more a way to get to know the interesting man.

Feigning anguish, Arno said, “Unfortunately. I have five daughters and they are all adventurers or at the mage academy.”

Elissa smiled at that, the last of his sentence was full of pride and affection. Though Arno must be different around his wife, she should be completely different from him; maybe a serious woman who runs a tight ship with her family.

The only way to cope would be to find a way to relax, “You must prank them often.” Elissa added.

Arno was surprised by the insightful remark. “Of course I do! This is what a father should do.”

As he said that, Arno saw pain appear on the sun-elf’s face. *Woops, sore subject.*

Elissa remembered about Heracles and his idea of parenting. He had been aloof at first, ignoring her in the first years of her life. It was with the birth of Cassandra that his heart thawed and now that she understood that he wasn’t her father and that he was able to see farther than his ‘duty’ at the time that he had let her in. This was one of the reasons Elissa loved Cassandra to bits.

The platinum blonde raised her eyes to stare into those of Arno. “I envy them, your daughters, my upbringing was more martial.”

Arno mumbled something unintelligible before saying aloud, “Ah, I see; I was always of the opinion to let children be children as much as possible.”

He took a device from the inside pocket of his robe, it looked like an old pocket watch; it was made in gold and from the mechanism that Elissa could hear with her enhanced senses, perfectly attuned. “Look at the time, I think we must go. Is everyone ready?”

Elissa looked at Fenirael and held out her hand, “My book.”

“Here, but it’s not the time for studying.” The demoness warned as she placed the black book in Elissa’s hand.

Elissa lowered her eyes, she knew that already; now was the time to work on Dicinna’s freedom. *Once I win this stupid tournament, I am leaving for Dragonfall with her and chaining her to my bed.* 

The platinum blonde train of thought stopped at that. *Not that I will have sex with her in it, right?*

Elissa didn’t think she would be able to resist the temptation, but she must. Seven more days and she will get Dawn out of Earth and marry her, because she doubted she could refuse the handfasting at the end of the tournament. *Wait! Why do I have to cherish a promise made to Malicia?*

The Dae had betrayed her, starved her body of what it needed, stopped her rise in power. But was it power that she wanted? No, it was a place to belong. Elissa thrived in hostile environments and the battlefield, she loved alchemy and studying magic; she could leave Earth for good and...

“No, I mustn’t think like this. Death before dishonor.” Elissa mumbled as she shook her head.

She would protect her promise to her adoptive mother, she wouldn’t consummate her relationships yet, she will raise an army to get back Phantasia, go on a genocide on the Fallen, destroy the noble houses responsible for the fall of the empire and after all that, she will rest and have tea with her real mother on a terrasse and look upon the sunset.

Elissa knew that it was a childish dream, but she imagined that Dawn and Dicinna would be there with her. The young woman felt a hand stroking her hair, it was Reinatiel who had a disapproving expression on her face, “This is no time to be brooding. Everyone is ready.”

Elissa equipped her striking gloves, today she wanted to crush things with her own hands and feel bones cracks and blood cover her weapon; and she made it her mission to let everyone keep guessing about what she is, Aeruirn had reported the rumors circulating about her being half moon elf and a blademage.

Chuckling at how very far from the truth they were, Elissa followed Arno who exited the adventurer’s guild. They walked slowly, there wasn’t a lot of people on the street as activities in the city slowly started. The bakeries opened, the blacksmiths warmed their forges, the city gardeners were out in force to take care of the nocturnal and diurnal vegetations decorating Cynlenor. The Civilian engineers were maintaining the lighting network and the waterways.

Elissa felt that this city was as clean as it should be through magic and a dedicated workforce. She was envious, and couldn’t wait to have similar infrastructure and departments for Queen’s Rise and Aryther. It was when they were about to take a shortcut that Elissa felt a shift in the atmosphere and then silence engulf the area. 

Looking around her, Elissa was in the street but there was no one, her friends and Arno had disappeared. This feeling of emptiness and spatial distortion reminded her of when she was a prisoner of Dawn’s special spell that she dubbed “the Cube.” 

"A contained dimension, how quaint. At least there are still buildings, but I guess that they are made of Mana, and that they are destructible."

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Elissa looked behind her, there was a black hooded man covered from head to toe, not a hint of skin showing. “I am impressed, you’ve just been thrown in that temporary battlefield and you already divined what it was.”

“This is a simple trick. It must have taken you all night to cast as your mana core is half empty.” Elissa said as she used her enhanced mage sight.

Venom didn’t know what to answer to that, thinking that he could take her and facing her were two different things if he didn’t have his friends and partners at his side he would escape. She could see how much mana he had left, it indicated that she had some form of enhanced mage sight.

As for Elissa, the dark and corrosive magical aura of the mage before her reminded her of something she had read. Something about pacts but her memories couldn’t focus on the pertinent information.

Unsheathing his ritual dagger and foci, Venom chose to get to the point, “You must be aware of why we are doing this.”

Elissa made an eager smile, considered this interruption of her travel to the Arena as a stretching and warm up. The young woman feigned thinking hard and just answered with, “Someone put a price on my head and you have done some research on my style of fighting. That is why you isolated me in that temporary space. Unfortunately for you, you have made a mistake.”

“Oh pray tell what it is?” Venom said as he raised his hand, and two rogues with daggers drawn were behind Elissa and a stocky jet black armored figure with a tasteful ax appeared at her flank.

“To think that you and your group could ambush and surround me.” Elissa’s golden and white aura flared and expanded around her so fast that it created a backdraft.

Elissa used the opportunity to somersault backward. She landed on the ground near one of the rogues and manifested an aura blade, stabbed one in the heart and bisected him just to be sure that he wouldn’t come back from that; she spun toward the second one and created an aura construct laced with lightning and threw them in the eyes of the second one.

“Aaaah, my eyes!!” The male rogue screamed as he rolled on the ground.

Elissa felt a shock when she was rammed by the armored dwarf, falling on her ass she found herself with her assailant looming over her with his ax ready to strike. As it fell to crush her head, Elissa caught the weapon by the handle and kicked the dwarf with all her strength toward the mage who was punted like a rocket.

“Draken Grad, I summon you!” The black hooded mage chanted.

*What now?* Elissa asked.

A giant leathery and red hand appeared through a hole in reality, the monster it belonged to resembled a dragon, but it was shorter than one and uglier. It oozed demonic miasma and malevolence. As it roared, black drool fell from its mouth, it spread and closed its wings as if to stretch them for being cooped up too much.

“Are you afraid now?” Venom asked.

The monster growled menacingly, barely holding itself back from attacking Elissa and try to tear her to shreds.

Elissa just smirked at it, its level of power was below that of Siodhanth who would have eaten it for breakfast. “Not really, this isn’t the first dragon I saw.”

Venom visibly got ticked off by her quip. He had expected the woman to beg for her life or debase herself. “Huh, you should just give up and accept your fate, Snow. There’s no winning this one.”

Crack. Crack.

“Mistress!” A familiar voice rang behind Elissa.

Reinatiel and Fenirael appeared through a hole in reality, this one more stable than the one this Draken grad monster used. It shut tight behind them.

“Great, the demons familiar are here.” Venom commented.

Elissa’s face brightened at their arrival and she stood up. Without losing time she commanded, “Reinatiel kill the rogue screaming about his eyes, Fenirael takes out the mage, he speaks too much.”

“What about the Demon Dragon, mistress?” Fenirael asked.

“It’s mine.” Elissa walked towards it, and the monster roared breathing poison on her.

Elissa didn’t see the monster as some sort of trial or nuisance, it was simply an obstacle in the way of Dicinna’s freedom. She decided to stop holding back and go wild since the start and went into her Storm magic embodiment form. The Poison breath was dissipated and Elissa called Gram to her hand. Glowing blue, the blade became a two-handed sword like in the fight with Siodhanth.

Channeling her wind and lightning magic, the sword’s aura elongated to ten meters. Elissa jumped into the air and slashed downward. Elissa boxed in the monster with two Wind Spheres on its flanks that shredded its wings while she hit its head with the force of a hurricane.

“Kyaaah!” Elissa shouted.

The aura blade sliced through the scales, skin, and bones of the demon dragon, and after putting even more power in her aura Elissa extended the blade and bisected the dragon. With the powerful lightning coursing through the giant aura blade, the two parts of the body cooked as millions of volts passed through it.

“Do you think it’s over!?” The black mage incanted a poison sphere that caught Fenirael who protected herself with her shield enchanted with Reactive Magical shield and wasn’t affected. 

“Damn it! Rathan do something, the other two are dead!” Said Venom.

The armored dwarf stood up with difficulty, he took off his dented armor only leaving his lower body armored. “That’s the kind of fight I love! Come fight me, demon lass!”

Reinatiel sent a black fire missile at the poison mage who protected himself with a magical shield. Elissa returned to her normal form and landed on the ground silently. She mentally checked her level of magic, she was still in the green as it was more than half full.

Fenirael used her shield to stop the dwarf’s repetitive ax strikes, he tried to kick her in the chin but she sauntered back and shield bashed him with all her strength. Rathan slid back from the blow but didn’t fall. As an Earth Blessed he could take deadlier strikes than this. He was a super dwarf, comparable to the superhuman on Earth. Rathan believed that he was invincible since no one could take him even in Nirnyahr.

He straightened up and ran to Fenirael, jumped and gave her a well-placed hook to the jaw. The demoness caught him by the neck, enduring the strike and began to stab him with his sword repeatedly in the heart, kidneys and abdomen before she let him fall. She wasn’t letting things to chance and channeled her demonic aura and stomped on him until his body was just gory splatter on the ground. Fenirael lamented that her armor was soiled by dwarf blood and brain matter. Just to be sure, she used the only magic she deemed useful, Fireball and burned the body. *Like the meme said: Kill it with fire.*

Meanwhile, Reinatiel battled the poison mage, she had recognized what he was and took care of protecting herself from his miasma and poison by boosting her body’s defenses with mana circulating in her spiritual meridians.

“Die, die, why won’t you die?!” Venom screamed as he threw more poison spheres at her.

Reinatiel was about to fry him with a black fire pillar when Elissa appeared between them, backhanded the poison sphere spell and looked at the hooded man with a sneer.

“Surrender.” She said simply.

Venom shook his head. “No.”

He sent an overpowered magic missile at her, however, Elissa deflected it too.

Smirking, Elissa liked how difficult he was being. “Defiant to the end, huh?”

Venom voice was hard as he said, “Do you think you have won? I will make sure you don’t walk away from this dimension.” He threatened.

He still thought that he had complete control of the battlefield, Reinatiel dissuaded him of it as she snapped her fingers and the sky became dark. Venom jumped in surprise as he felt his hold on this dimension being ripped from his control. 

Elissa swaggered toward him. “I killed your pacted demon, and your friends are all dead. Now we are going to question you.”

“Never! Die Harlot!” Venom shouted before he cast a poison cloud kill to take everyone with him, but nothing happened.

The laugh of his prey turned hunter startled Venom.

“Anti-Magic Field. Effective, isn’t it?” Elissa said smirking as she showed him the glowing white paved ground.

She walked up to him, Venom stepped back but was quickly caught by her and suddenly encased in ice. Venom didn’t understand how she did everything she did, wind, ice, lightning; was she a three-element mage?

“Now that we have established that there's nothing you can do, tell me who you are.” Elissa asked.

They discovered that the group who attacked were mercenaries, they couldn’t tell Elissa who was the client was since the contract was enforced magically and would kill the poison mage as the last member of the party still alive.

“We are going to do a detour and destroy the Mercenary guild.” Elissa announced.

“No, you can’t!” Venom struggled, trying to undo the ice prison by trying to melt it with his acidic aura.

He had lost and realized that all the bravado he made was just empty words, Snow had crushed them. Even though she had made mistakes in their fight, she was never in danger. Now, he brought trouble to the mercenary guild. He thought about Tiana, the friend who had told them that this was a job that was too dangerous, they should have listened.

As she looked at his anguished and soulful expression, Elissa dismissed the ice and was on him immediately, and held him by his throat, lifting him from the ground. “Are you afraid now?” She used the same words he had told her.

The irony dawned on the man, but he said nothing as he stared at her with hatred, his hood fell back and showed the disfigured face on an elf  who looked like an Urukai from Lord of the Rings. 

“Disgusting, you failed your pact. Incompetent.” Elissa said utterly disgusted.

The elf struggled even more at her words; he tried to cover Elissa in acid, but his magic didn’t respond to him as it should, they were yet again into another anti-magic field. Elissa was wise of his little tricks. “You know, this was always how it was going to finish. With my hands around your neck.”

Venom shrieked and tried to kick her, but Elissa had had enough of him and broke his neck. Crack.

The mutilated elf ceased to move. The demonesses and Elissa began to loot everything they were worth, she even fell in love with the pretty earth attuned dwarven ax. Reinatiel destroyed the bodies with black fire and then it was this temporary dimension’s turn. The demon mage created a hole in reality and as they entered it, the dimension crumbled on itself behind them.

Outside, they were met with Arno who looked worried but he found that the three of them were hale and healthy, though a bit of blood covered them.

“We have a detour in the second level to do.” Elissa said as she hugged the old elf to reassure him.

Frowning, the blue robed elf asked, “Why?”

“I have a mercenary guild to destroy.” Elissa said smirking.

Reinatiel and Elissa disappeared in a flash of golden lightning as they dimension doored.

Arno’s mouth was agape. “Oh.”

 

---

 

1 hour later
Arena

News of the destruction of the Mercenary Guild spread like wildfire amongst the masses. From the account of the witnesses, four funnels of wind as powerful as a hurricane struck the headquarters of the mercenary guild and razed it. The building was in ruins, though strangely the neighboring ones were spared; and this much power and destructive precision scared the magical community.

No one knew who did it, and they didn’t want to in the first place. A magic user able to level fortified buildings like that shouldn’t be antagonized. Of course some people knew what really happened, like Lerrina Zerloth who was terrified of Lady Shaera Snow. Now she understood what Dicinna tried to tell her; there were some battles that you couldn’t win.

Kiomdra had an inkling in who was the culprit, Lady Snow looked lovingly at an ax that she was using by fighting shadowy enemies, literally. Her handmaiden conjured humanoid shadow enemies who attacked with swiftness in group only to be cut down by a well placed strike or spell. It was like showcasing, her warrior fellow competitors emulated her and showed their techniques and moves. The mage stayed in the shade of their booth, staring at them.

Arno looked at the competitors with a critical eye, he didn’t appreciate that someone had tried to remove  Lady Dragonfang from the handfasting competition. This event was a sacred tradition for dark elves, interfering with it was like not letting two intended bonds. Simply horrible, Arno still couldn’t come into contact with High Priestess Dollana and that worried him.

Someone garbed in a roguish attire and black cloak sat beside him and there was a human with him. The two men had swaggered without care into his private booth, he already knew who they were. He didn’t address them yet, preferring to eat an strawberry-flavored candy whose property was to be a universal antidote.

“Really Arno? I don’t have any contract on you.” The man lowered his hood, he looked as old as Arno but where the adventurer’s guild master looked wise, this other man looked roguish and seemed used to charming his way anywhere; his face was fair and he had a neatly trimmed mustache with a goatee, his purple eyes were full of mischief.

Arno chuckled. “My paranoia brought me this far, Corcomo. I see that you brought your shadow, Lirdo was it?”

Lirdo was the same man who treated with Lerrina and advised her to go see the Mercenaries; he looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and he wore the same outfit as last night. He was a mage specializing in general magic, not combat-oriented.

“Guildmaster.” The human bowed his head in respect.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two men looked at the sun-elf showcasing; Lirdo wasn’t missing a single thing, he found her more appealing than the Zerloth heiress. Too bad that he felt than any overture he would make would finish in a bloodbath.

“I heard that you sponsored this Lady… Snow.” Corcoma began as he spoke to Arno.

The old man simply smiled not even looking back at his rival, “Indeed, she’s a lovely Lady that has come to me for help, how could I refuse her?”

“You should have.” Corcomo averted his eyes from the sun-elf and focused on the booth with a muscular elven woman of their age wearing a silver armor and sporting scars on her face.

“It was funny to see the face of Calimawen when she looked at her Headquarters, her mercenaries spent their time trying to reassure her. However, I feel bad for her. This Lady Snow doesn’t play like a sun-elf.” Lirdo had been a procurer for ten years already and he met thousands of people and Lady Snow acted more like a dragon than an elf.

It was laughable to Arno. The mercenary's guild got done in because it had taken a contract it shouldn't have. But as the building with everything inside, even the report was destroyed Calimawen so the guild mistress won't ever know what caused its downfall. But Arno won't cry for his compatriot, she was rich enough to build another ten headquarters.

“I don't care very much about who you think she is, the only thing that matters is that she has power and she isn’t shy about using it in an amusing way.” The old man said.

Corcomo rolled his eyes, this was one of Arno’s failings; when someone interested him he poked fun at them and directed them to interesting places to see what would happen. Fortunately, thanks to a timely show of prescience he had mana measuring instruments and guessed the real identity of the sun-elf or he would be the one without a guild headquarters.

Corcomo looked disapprovingly at his aide. “Lirdo, no one can get between Arno and his fun. Don't do it again.”

“Yes, master.” Lirdo said as he averted his eyes from the cold ones of his guild master.

*One day I will teach you to respect me, old elf.* He thought in his heart.

 

---

 

It was finally time for the competition to start. Kiomdra stared into the booth of her favorite competitor. A man that she wished her daughter would wed. Mirion of Clan Traynore, a chosen of Nodicea of superior power to her daughter. Silver hair, red eyes and a handsome face that made even Kiomdra wish she were younger. The elf wore heavy armor in Oricalchum that made him look like an ancient king looking down at his subjects.

Kiomdra felt honored that he had even considered coming for this handfasting, but at the same time she wasn’t; Dicinna was clearly one of the most powerful elven women of her generation. The Matriarch’s eyes then turned to the sun-elf that has been disturbing the peace of Cynlenor and sighed heavily.

Dicinna’s lover was powerful, but how powerful exactly? She wasn’t certain… but the storm clouds swirling by the ceiling told her that Mirion Traynore will have to fight for his life. Before the sun-elf had surfaced he was the favorite, but now he was second best.

But an alliance with Garlanor sounded nice, so ultimately Kiomdra who didn’t know what Lady Shaera Snow brought to table decided to put her chips on Mirion Traynore.

The first match of the day was between Intevar Ilihorn against Alaion Adlar. Everyone knew Intevar as a swordsman, but Alaion was less known; nevertheless, the two daggers strapped at his thighs and the martial like black Gi were all the explanation that anyone needed. The Brotherhood of Nym was an order of warrior-monks focused on stealth work. They had a secluded monastery in the Underdark, where the Adlar family sent their son for their education, away from the politics of the Matriarch who was cutthroat in this family.

Alaion wasn’t keen on taking a wife, but the machinations of his matriarch brought him here; she had told him that he better not fail or he would be married to the ugliest local clan girl she could find and require him to sire a child quickly. The Monk of Nym, the chaos monk didn’t know what to think about this ultimatum. He could run away and find his fortune as an adventurer, but knowing his matriarch she would bring him back and make him suffer for it.

But when he saw a memory crystal of Dicinna Zerloth, his priority changed. She was beautiful, dangerous and what he liked in an elf. He drooled a bit as he imagined her naked or taking down a shadow panther like the rumor about her said. Shadow Panther were swift killers and almost impossible to kill in the Lower Dark. The fact that such a peerless woman existed excited him.

Intevar stared at his rival and shook his head, this elf was unfocused and dismissed him completely. He was used to it, he has been dismissed all his life by his family, so much so that he had been quietly making himself powerful without his Matriarch getting wise of it. Intevar was a mithril ranked adventurer who went in Lower Dark to hunt for riches and offworld where he discovered that he was a little fish compared to the predators on other planets.

He met Dicinna Zerloth as they formed a temporary party and hunted the fallen druid Eldrin Krisrieth; a man who corrupted the Lightwoods of the Kingdom of Daarsad on Alfheim. The fight has been long and without Dicinna Zerloth he wouldn’t be there trying to win her hand. He did think that he was a better match for her as he respected her and didn’t drool at her body like the idiots facing him.

The bell rang and the fight began.

The oblivious goof that Alaion pretended to be disappeared and was replaced by a bloodthirsty Dervish who lunged at Intevar with a burst of speed. With dagger drawn he targeted for Intevar’s kidney who hastily deflected the dagger to suddenly find himself cut by the other on a cheek instead of his throat. Intevar kicked Alaion in the abdomen, though the monk made him pay for it by planting a dagger in his thigh.

Alaion rolled to absorb the impact and rose to find himself face to face with Intevar who was furious and cut his two arms with his sword in one flowing motion. With another kick Intevar broke one of his foe’s knees, watching the man fall on the ground screaming about his loss of limbs. For the first time in ten years, Intevar shouted in anger, “Know your place, Trash!”

“Winner, Intevar Ilihorn wins!” Announced the Madame who snapped her finger and healer medics teleported to take care of Alaion Adlar.

Intevar stared at Shaera Snow and saw that she wasn’t troubled in any way, He knew that she was the biggest obstacle to obtaining the hand of the woman he loved. Another stare to the other side of the arena in the Traynore’s booth he saw Mirion who smiled genuinely at him. *I am surrounded by monsters on all sides.*

 

---

 

Elissa was bored. The only people who would give her a bad time were Intevar and Mirion who has been licking her body with his eyes. This one elf looked to be the classical young man born with a silver spoon who thought that everyone owed him something or should bend the knee to him; she respected Intevar more, he knew how to fight and when to speak.

His ‘Know your place, Trash!’ made a good impression in her, she decided that she won’t kill him in the next round. Everyone else was fair game. Elissa knew she was growing arrogant, but how couldn’t she when she could see every move those princes did? Predict every breath they took? Yet, Elissa felt that it wouldn’t be that easy with the final obstacle that Mirion Traynor was.

“Mistress, it's your turn, are you ready?” Aeruirn asked.

“Always.” Elissa as she stood up from her bench.

She parted the wine red cloth entrance of her booth and exited it to numerous stares focused on her. Ignoring them, she walked up to the ring. Her striking gloves on display on her arms, lightning arcing from her body as she was full of anticipation. She had three matches left. Three matches and she would get back her woman, by playing nicely with the traditions of the dark elven people.

Just in case, Elissa planted obelisks around the ring that would form a forcefield cage laced in lightning and permit her to use her more destructive magic. She saw this problem in her last match against Ruvyn Panan, the spectators were almost in danger of being frozen by her barrage of magic missiles. It’s not that she cared for them, but she didn’t need to kill the gallery and make things difficult for her. Elissa realized that this statement would have earned her the right to be called a Tsundere by Dawn.

*I miss you, Dawn.* Elissa sighed.

Elissa will definitely get her when she gets back on Earth, in fact, she will take all her friends with her and show them Aryther and maybe ask them to stay or use it as a base of operations for hero work. Danny would surely accept and try to make her own adventurer guild.

*I am not hero material either, I am a ruler and rulers use heroes.* Elissa realized, then she shrugged.

An elf came onto the ring, garbed in a black tunic and sarouel pants, a cloth belt and bracers. No weapon, but he had greaves and metal-tipped boots. Elissa’s smile became blinding, causing some to become infatuated and others to ask themselves if she knew the elf before her.

“An unarmed fighter? What is that kind of timing?” Elissa asked out loud.

The Madame raised an eyebrow at that, the contestant named Falenas of Clan Varen thought she was addressing him and said, “We use aura techniques and we don’t need weapons.”

“We will see if they are up to my own, then?” Elissa smiled.

Frowning Falenas mumbled, “Your own?”

The bell rang and Elissa used super-speed to come before him. Falenas had already cocked a green aura charged fist, he could follow her thanks to her golden battle aura. The young woman focused her aura inward reducing it to a thin layer above her skin to dodge the opponent's attacks at the last possible second; avoiding his punch by a centimeter. Elissa’s fist did an uppercut towards the elf’s head who evaded it too, turning on himself to give her a back kick. 

Elissa smiled and caught his leg while he was taking to the air; Falenas beat on the sun-elf to try to get free only wanting to put some distance between him and that maniacal elf. But the vice-like iron clamped around his ankle, before he knew it he was one hundred meters in the air with the devilish sun-elf. *Fuck, fuck, fuck!*

The vice pulled, and Falenas fell out of the air, not before feeling the bones in his leg snap under the pressure of the grip. He fell so forcefully that it felt like the Goddess herself had suddenly slapped him across the back. His impact shattered the stone ring and left a hole ten feet across. With a combination of a feather fall enchantment ring and his own battle aura, Falenas cushioned his fall, barely. Blood oozed down his mouth, he couldn’t even move as everything hurt.

As he looked at his opponent in the sky he saw her golden aura congregate in her palm; everyone in the arena heard Inshek Etherium Palm Wave and then a blast of golden mana shot from her hand. Falenas saw gold, felt his body turn into bloody mist and he was no more.

Elissa landed lightly on what was left of the ring and waited for the madame to announce the result. Madame Maeral came but not to announce what everyone knew.

“The ring! How are we going to get a new one?!” Madame Maeral held her head in her hand with a worried expression. Her long black hairdo getting ruined.

“Ah, sorry. But I can help.” Elissa whispered to the madame.

Maeral stared at her and said in a low tone, “Help? It better be not about destroying the rest!”

Elissa averted her eyes from the reproachful expression of the organizer. “Hum, yeah it’s a bit like that. I can raise a new ring if you want.”

It took ten seconds for madame Maeral to decide to give the Lady a chance. “Hmm, ok do it, but the next time you destroy it, I will charge you!”

“Understood, madame.” Elissa took off her striking-glove and went to work.

Using a combination of Transmutation and ice construct everyone watched as Lady Snow made a new ring in five minutes. It wasn’t stone like before but compact granite of a dark form. Madame Maeral gave a grunt of approval.

Elissa slapped the ring and said, “I enchanted it to be unbreakable, I hope you like it.”

Eyes glazing over the ebony like granite ring, Madame Maeral answered with a, “Yes, yes. You and I, we could be partners, you know?”

It was a question and an offer rolled into one.

“I plan to open an Arena in my Queendom after I win let’s keep in contact.” Elissa was already seeing how such a thing would be received in her realm when it was officially opened.

Maeral’s thought process froze, Lady Snow was a royal? “Q-Queendom?”

Elissa stayed blissfully silent after this, not volunteering any other information and turned herself toward the spectators who cheered, standing up or screaming at the top of their lungs. The young woman looked into the Zerloth booth particularly, watching the ill face of Lerrina and the worried one of Kiomdra.

“Right, Winner Lady Snow!” The organizer announced.

 

---

 

Mirion didn’t know what to feel, another worthy woman presented herself before him; this Lady Snow was the most powerful female warrior and mage that he had ever seen. She adapted and was versatile, she had speed, strength, and stamina that could translate in a lot of… things. Then you had Dicinna Zerloth, a world walker, rogue, warrior and what he considered the ultimate elven form of beauty: a taciturn woman.

The blessed of Nodicea couldn’t choose, he wanted to have his elf roll and to eat it too. But the fact that she participated in the handfasting told him that the Zerloth girl and her were involved. Maybe, just maybe there was a way to have the two in a nice package. Mirion listened as Lady Snow proposed to the organizer to fix the ring, his keen ears taking in all the sounds at the center of the arena.

“A Queendom, huh.” A mirthful smile appeared on Mirion’s face and he decided he had to have a tête-à-tête with the young Queen.

When he stood up, everyone stared; this was the downside of fame, everyone knew him and wanted to know what he did at all times. None of the spectators saw him move, but he was already on the new ring, facing Lady Snow.

“You move fast.” She said simply, her face not having changed in the least; as if she had seen him move.

He tested it again by passing behind her, looking at her face all the while; what surprised him was seeing her frozen like a statue, but to suddenly see her eyes follow his movement and her body followed. They faced each other again.

“Interesting, it seems I underestimated you.” Mirion said, he already guessed that he will have to be wary of her, but that much? He had the idea that she was holding back, that this entire handfasting was a game to her.

Elissa narrowed her eyes at him.“You are the strongest elven man.”

Her enhanced mage sight told her that this man was dangerous, his spiritual meridians were well used and showed that he had a strong affinity with the Earth element. The mana concentration in his core and body reminded her of Heracles. If Heracles was a sun, this elf was a planetoid. Still stronger than her without her battle aura boosting her.

“I claim to be.” Mirion chuckled, he noticed her eyes shining gold stripping him of his secrets. “Do you like what you see?”

Elissa stopped looking at his spiritual-self and simply said with a smile. “You will entertain me.”

To everyone this exchange was like two predators circling each other and some believed that they were evenly matched. However, to people like Arno and Corcomo who have a thousand years of experience, they knew where the wind blew. Lerrina was smiling believing that finally there was someone who could match the monster! Kiomdra’s hands tightened as she saw interest on Mirion’s face, she knew this sun-elf was too disruptive!

Back into the ring, Mirion said, “I have a plan.”

“Oh, what might it be?” Elissa asked intrigued, she crossed her arms and stared attentively at him.

Mirion was happy that she was this receptive already. “Right, this is a simple situation; you want to win Dicinna Zerloth’s hand?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to.” Elissa said gruffly.

Innocently, Mirion said as if he spoke of the weather. “We are in an impasse then since I want her hand too.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“The three of us together, we could while away the quiet hours, as lovers and confidants... if you would accept me.” Mirion held his hand to her, in a rare moment of open weakness.

Thunder rumbled, golden and blue arcs of lightning flashed in the sky, the storm clouds swirling faster than before. The spectators worried and the organizer activated the function of the Arena that she believed she would never have to, a transparent dome was deployed and protected everyone from the elements. The rain trickled down slowly and fell heavily.

Elissa’s eyes became white and cloudy, flickers of black lightning came out of the side of her eyes while the storm raged from above. Then she laughed, a twinkling laughter reminiscent of a dirge. This caused Mirion to flinch and step back from the sun-elf, something told him that he made a mistake; for the first time in his life he was afraid. 

For the first time he had shown weakness, but as his teacher taught him, behind every flinch is a fear or an anxiety - sometimes rational, sometimes not. Without the fear, there is no flinch. But wiping out the fear isn't what's important - facing it is.

Mirion chuckled nervously. “Oh... My. Have I said too much?” The chosen said.

She was fury, she was wrath, she was vengeance.

“Congratulations fool, you've just immolated any remaining sliver of mercy I might have granted you. Your death shall not be an easy one.” Elissa teleported through her dimension door spell creating a clap of lightning, and then she was in her booth.

Reinatiel and Fenirael tried to calm her down but Elissa lost control of her storm magic embodiment. Farad and Mystral sat on her shoulders, River on her head helping her control her elemental urge. Cynlenor almost got destroyed in her wake. Astagith glared balefully at the wannabe golden prince, Aeruirn was one of the rare girls who saw behind the elf’s facade. He was a monster, an uncaring beast that cared nothing for his fellow people, only wanting people to bow before his greatness and be in awe of his presence.

The shockwave created by the dimension door spread, but Mirion took it in stride as if she had slammed a door in his face. He shrugged and returned to his booth, the people not even realizing that their city might have been destroyed seconds ago. Arno and the two other guild masters did and they were not happy.

“When they fight, I want the Arena to be evacuated.” Corcomo said.

The door of their booth slammed open, a scarred lady elf appeared at the entrance, “Please tell me that you aren’t letting them fight?”

She looked imposing in her armor, her red hair tipped with white showed that she was still younger than them at nine hundred years old, her silver armor reflected the flashes of lightning and making her appear as a ghost.

“They will fight, the enmity created just now is impossible to let go. You heard Lady Snow.” Arno said with resignation.

He hadn’t anticipated that big mistake on the part of Mirion who doesn’t know what he will face at the final.

“She’s the one isn’t it, the one who destroyed my headquarters?” Calimawen guessed.

*When it rains… it pours.* Arno thought as he watched the tempest showing its might.

The cold voice of their female compatriot lowered another octave. “Your silence tells me that she is.”

“Give her the bill, she’s rich enough to build another one.” Arno said, dismissing her.

Another chair appeared at Arno’s side, and Calimawen sat heavily. “The more, the merrier.”

 

---

 

Reinatiel forcefully entered in a circle with Elissa and prayed to Hekate for help, she was instantly granted the balance domain. The Balance domain was a deity domain that granted spellcasters such as clerics with spells and powers related to the concept of balance. They could, once a day, use their wisdom to aid their defense. A golden dome spread around the booth, startling the spectators and matriarchs.

The demoness cast the spell calm emotions on her mistress. Calm emotions was an enchantment spell that attempted to negate strong emotion, but Elissa was too powerful for that, she had to combine it with the abjuration spell to give her clarity of mind. It worked.

Elissa was now meditating, her body levitated from her bench; the dragontooth of Lareth in her lap as she sported a lotus position. She had cast guidance on herself, entrusting her body to her friends, and let her mind drift in the Dreamscape where Hekate sheltered her in her embrace on her throne cloud.

“He will die, for that.” Elissa watched on as the grey cloud spread in the night sky.

Hekate looked on as her realm darkened, the girl was going on a dark path. “Mhm.” She acquiesced.

“I’ll tear that armor from him and barbecue him.” Elissa chuckled darkly.

Hekate stopped her hand mid-stroking on her head. “With Lareth?”

“Yes.” Elissa nodded.

Hekate shook her head, she couldn’t let her champion devolve into an unthinking berserker. “You almost destroyed the city, you must calm down. Daphne come help me.”

Elissa perked up at the familiar name. “What?”

In a pillar of white light, Daphne appeared in all her splendor on the cloud; her white and silver armor glowing, dispersing the gloomy atmosphere in the dreamscape around Elissa. “Ah for once we catch each other in the dreamscape.”

“Mom!” Elissa became a platinum haired missile, blurring to Daphne who caught her easily.

Daphne looked at Elissa from head to toe, smiled and said, “My little girl, you have grown even stronger.”

Hekate wanted to roll her eyes at that but it wasn’t a godly thing to do. “Make her calm down, she’s going to destroy a dark elven city if she doesn’t.”

The goddess threw a meaningful glance at Daphne who noticed the darkness surrounding Elissa. Her daughter was in her arms and looked so much like Ersha that she was startled by it, the white and silver armor and the cloak; though Daphne realized that Elissa was trying to emulate her. She felt flattered and also worried.

“Oh, are you being an Ersha?” Daphne mussed her daughter’s hair.

Elissa didn’t like being compared to that arrogant tyrant. “I am not like her!”

With bell like laughter, Daphne kissed the young woman’s cheek, and whispered in her ear, “If it sounds like a Behemoth, tramples like a Behemoth, then…”

Elissa slapped Daphne’s arm. “You are so mean.”

“I love you too.” The Empress engulfed her into a hug, and that killed the gloominess in the realm.

Elissa was happy, so happy that she blurted, “I love you more.”

That right there made Daphne tear up. Hekate smiled as her plan came together and the dreamscape gradually became normal, the pink sky and white clouds, the leaves of the trees became greener.

“Now tell me what’s your problem.” Daphne said.

Elissa spilled everything, how she met her soul mates, what the family of Dicinna was doing and the male elf that threatened and blackmailed her. Telling her that as long as he existed he would bar her path to Dicinna.

A blizzard swirled in the sky, the three women were not being affected by it though. “Kill him. But take everything from him. How is your Siren Voice’s?”

“I am abysmal at it, I am afraid to use it.” Elissa confessed, lowering her eyes as she saw Daphne’s surprise.

The Empress stroked her daughter’s face and whispered with temptation in her ears, “Don’t be, it’s an excellent tool of control.”

“But what if…” Elissa’s body shook, afraid of ever using this ability. She had used it sparingly before with great effect.

Daphne said imperiously, “Silence, take my memory of the skill for control. You should have done it before.”

The Empress put her hand around the head of Elissa. The skills and experiences of her blood mother flowed in her mind, Sound manipulation, was the true name of this power but Elissa didn’t have the time to delve too much on it, tests will be prepared later, Siren Song was an ability with the power to emit irresistible sound that lures anyone who hears it towards the user.

Daphne in her memories is able of emitting an astonishingly beautiful and enchanting singing voice that is capable of luring anyone who hears it to come towards the singer. This power has been called a lot of things before through Phantasian history; Hypnotic Call, Siren Call… nowadays you could only find the ability in the Snow’s bloodline.

The most notable ability of this power was Death Song and Mind Control and Paralysis inducement. However, it could be so much more than that!

Elissa looked down in shame. “I am an idiot.”

Daphne didn’t want to let her wallow in pity, she understood that Elissa had no one to show her the beauty of Siren Song. The Empress kissed her daughter’s brow. “Yes, but you are my idiot. This is your power and you control it, not the other way around, ok?”

Daphne’s voice was thick with regret as she said disentangled from Elissa. Her faraway face was all it took for the young woman to guess what was happening.

“You must leave already?” Elissa said sadly.

Daphne nodded. “Yes, they are attacking me yet again.”

“I will write to you, and take this with you.” Elissa took everything she felt for Daphne and turned it into a ball of light which she plunged  into Daphne’s astral form.

Her love, her doubts and reason to live.

“When I go to Phantasia, I will kill all the Fallen… and the nobles.” Elissa added as Daphne faded.

Daphne’s eyes widened. “Elissa…”

“Go in peace, I will write to you, I will find you. I love you.”

When Elissa opened her eyes, she was in the material world, she was in control and in balance. Her elementals took on their human forms and placed themselves around her. A beautiful smile spread across her face and the tempest abruptly stopped.

“Mirion Traynor Wins!” Madame Maeral announced.

The body of Intevar laid broken on the ring, his beautiful sword stabbed into the dark granite. Before Maeral could snap her fingers to summon help, Elissa was on the fallen competitor, not even looking at Mirion one time. Intevar wasn’t dead, but there was no way he was moving on his own power. It was a very near thing.

Mirion had played with him, she was a hypocrite but wasn’t cruel to play with her food this much, she at least killed them on the spot. She transmitted his armor into dust, looked at him through her healing vision, multiple hemorrhages, perforated kidneys, muscle lacerations, cut tendons in his arms. 

With a trickle of healing power passing through the man, Elissa asked a question. “Do you want to live? I don’t think your healers can do anything for you, but I can.”

“Ar wan…”

“Ah yes, he pulled your tongue out too.” Elissa said looking at Mirion for the first time.

The creep smirked at her, her anger was still there but she had decided to channel it with purpose. She clamped down on her temper, letting the ice cool her mind, she was partially about to turn into her ice magic embodiment form.

“Reinatiel.”

“Yes, mistress.” Reinatiel appeared from her mistress’ shadow.

“Take him into the Stasis sphere, Sir Intevar wants to live. I will make sure he does when I rehabilitate him.” Elissa said.

The demoness took out the ball-sized green sphere. In a flash of green light, Intevar was inside the stasis sphere and not suffering at all. Elissa looked at his sword and made it come to her, with the two pieces in hand she reforged it through transmutation. Mithril and steel, the poor man couldn’t buy something more solid.

Elissa transmuted the metal into Oricalchum under the eyes of everyone. Multiple persons rose in interest at this, Kiomdra looked shocked, Lerrina’s mood changed from terrified to greedy. Mirion had his eyes opened wide, he couldn’t stop himself  to say, “I want you more and more.”

The sword mana conduction was sorely tested as lightning went through it as Elissa almost lost control. Arno simply smiled, Corcomo looked at Arno and Calimawen now understood why her old friend told her that this girl was rich enough.

“She’s going to be persecuted and hounded. She’s such a strong alchemist.” The kind that was never seen since the time of the empire.

“I will offer her my service.” Calimawen said, grinning.

Elissa took out Gram, basically announcing who she was to the informed masses, the blade glowing blue in her right hand and Intevar’s sword in the left. Reinatiel returned to the booth, and Elissa followed. Mirion eyes never left her backside one moment.

 

---

 

This was the final, and Dicinna was allowed in the arena under severe guard led by her sister, she had chosen the best warrior that the Zerloth clan had to offer. It wasn’t enough to contain her normally of course, however, Lerrina had fucked with her one more time by placing a control collar while she slept around her neck. She had compelled her to not warn Ocima or anyone else.

*I should have slept in the dungeon.* Dicinna lamented.

She has been doing more and more mistakes since she had come back to the Underdark, believing in her family, still handing out chances to change as if they were Nodicea’s Eve candy. Lerrina kept betraying her and do her machinations, Ocima continued to follow their mother’s orders not realizing that if she did this to Dicinna that she would be the next on the list.

Kiomdra forced her into a black and white gown with a jeweled neckline, lace appliques and beadings. Her jewelry consisted of mithril bangles and pendant set with a sapphire. Ocima had told her that she was beautiful, but that she didn’t understand the ugly collar she wore on her neck. Dicinna had told her with venom, “How stupid are you?”

And they stopped speaking to each other since then. Now that they were all in the empty reception hall, there was no one in sight. They took to a corridor linked to the VIP booths and normal benches for the plebs. Through the access door to the bench Dicinna saw from afar the ring. She had known that this competition was widely followed, but she didn’t expect to see half the city in the Arena. This little procession of hers didn’t go unnoticed. Someone called out, warning everyone and saw them being stared at by thousands of eyes.

One particular set of green emerald ones focused on her, she was on the ring looking resplendent in her white and silver armor. Ocima took her by the arm and pulled her back in the corridor.

“That’s not where we're going!” Ocima said as she placed her sister behind her.

“You must be having fun, pulling me around like this.” Dicinna mumbled.

Dicinna’s twin stiffened at that, she couldn’t believe that her intentions could be misconstrued like this. *Why is my sister always seeing the worst in me?*

Ocima put her hands on Dicinna’s naked shoulders, looking right in her eyes. “No, I don’t. You are my sister, I must protect you.” 

Dicinna laughed at that, “You are failing then, why would I let you pull me up like this? Think.”

And Ocima listened, for once; she thought about her sister’s get up and the ugly as Hel collar breaking the coordination of the outfit. With her mage sight she analyzed it, she was startled by the curse on it. “Is… is this collar controlling you?”

Dicinna nodded as she couldn’t voice what was happening to her. Ocima’s hand tightened on her sister’s shoulders who barely felt her hold.

Ocima’s eyes narrowed. “Lerrina?” She asked, this had the smell of something she would cook up.

Another nod. Dicinna was happy that her sister finally used her head, but it was too far too late for it to count right now.

Ocima seethed in rage. “I will kill her.” She turned her back and almost left.

Dicinna caught her right arm and stopped her from walking in the booth and make a mistake. “Don’t, she will lose anyway. My intended is already fighting for my freedom.”

“Intended?” Ocima frowned, then it dawned on her what her sister meant. Her soulmate, she had found her.

Dicinna smiled brightly. “She’s on the Ring already.”

“It’s the first time I saw you smile since we were little.” Ocima blurted.

She was jealous by the fact that someone else could make her taciturn twin show such an expression. The guards behind them followed their conversation with outrage in their heart, but kept silent, though they began to speak through sign language, discussing about the bad situation in which their spare heir found herself. Dicinna and Ocima entered the Zerloth VIP booth, the youngest twin’s eyes zeroing in on her treacherous sister.

Dicinna held on to her sister, not letting her lunge at the dumb Harlot who styled herself as the power behind the throne of the Zerloth clan.

“You are so beautiful, daughter.” Kiomdra said, smiling at the radiant beauty of her second born.

Dicinna harrumphed, snubbing her own mother. “Of course I am, I spent four hours being poked and prodded by your maid. The result couldn’t be any different. Don’t get used to it, I will be in my armor soon and kill the snake at your side.”

“Dicinna!” Kiomdra became outraged.

Her daughter was talking about fratricide, something taboo in their house. Kiomdra asked herself what was wrong with her family lately. She wasn’t that naive to think that all of them got along well. But at some point all of them ceased to be family in their sixty and forty years of age.

Dicinna’s face returned to neutral. “You have no idea about what she’s doing? You’ll see, right sister?”

The oldest twin looked at her older sister, Lerrina squirmed a bit but showed a beautiful smile. “I have no idea what you are talking about, we are doing this for your own good Cinna. Too long have we let you roam alone, maybe with a new husband…”

Dicinna was on her, with a finger under her chin. “Finish this sentence and I will let Ocima finish you.”

Ocima looked on eagerly, impressed by the speed of her sister. “I really want to.”

Kiomdra separated Dicinna and Lerrina by placing herself between them. “Girls, what’s happening to you? This isn’t you…”

Kiomdra’s red and gold-trimmed gown swished in the breeze as the silence stretched; Ocima went to sit first. 

“You’ll see your mistake at the resolution of all this, mother. But after that, I am done.” Dicinna shook her head and went to sit at the side of her less-of-an-idiot twin.

Kiomdra’s blood chilled at this announcement, her little girl would leave her? Never, she wouldn’t let her go. Her blue eyes focused on her daughter, and she touched her arm, holding it tightly. “Done? What do you mean…”

Dicinna rolled her eyes. “Stop playing the fool mother, you are the most intelligent dark elf that I know. Now let’s spectate, this will be our last family interaction after all.”

Kiomdra looked on sadly at her daughter who still thought that her chosen would win after this, the matriarch had put all her chips on Mirion. Though she didn’t like how sadistic he showed himself to be with his last foe, the elf behaved himself more like a child who has been denied something.

“This Lady Snow… you do really love her.”

“She’s my intended.” Dicinna said, not saying more.

Kiomdra understood now why her daughter was put out with her. She had already found that special someone and because she listened to Lerrina… now the matriarch wondered at the timing of Lerrina's request to propose to hitch the middle daughter.

*Am I the unwilling participant of a conspiracy?* She asked herself.

Lerrina began to sweat a bit with the raptor gaze of Kiomdra trained on her, she looked at the ring feigning not feeling the looks of her family. Mirion finally entered the ring after the break. He strode eagerly to the middle of the ring.

Dicinna narrowed her eyes at the easy smile and the lusty gaze the man seemed to throw at her intended. She then looked at Kiomdra, “Please tell me you didn’t want to match me with this… thing?”

“I assure you, Lord Mirion is a really sought after mate.” Kiomdra smiled at her daughter.

The Traynor family honored them by participating and thinking their daughter worthy to join their family.

Sightlessly Dicinna said, “This… brute?”

Her mother nodded eagerly as if she was trying really hard to convince her. Dicinna shook her head in disgust, then chuckled at the idiotic situation she found herself in. If Kiomdra was a smidgen less gullible when her daughters are concerned, it wouldn’t have happened.

Leaning into her seat and crossing her legs, Dicinna added, “Watch as Elissa destroys him.”

“Who?” Kiomdra looked lost as she stared at her daughter.

Wasn’t this sun-elf called Shaera? Was it an alias? If so she understood, each of the abilities she had shown couldn’t be from a random family. Kiomdra wouldn’t be surprised if this Lady Snow was from a powerful family offworld.

Dicinna tilted her head and addressed Ocima. “Oh, what name did she use to enter the competition?”

Ocima opened her pamphlet and looked at the names magically write themselves. “This is Lady Shaera Snow.”

Dicinna snorted. “Right.” 

Meanwhile, Elissa was reigning her aura in. The elf who had been troubling her was finally ready to face execution. A slow one. The bell rang and Madame Maeral jumped out of the ring, she had felt the sparks fly between those two and she doubted it was love, more like an abyss like hate that she had the impression to drown in.

The crowd cheered, some encouraged Mirion and a minority Elissa; it was clear against who the odds were. Elissa crinkled her neck, looked at Mirion who didn’t bother moving at all.

“Come, I will not leave one single hair of your head in this world.” The platinum blonde said as she pointed Gram at him.

Mirion smiled, his future bride beckoned him, that finally, someone proved herself a worthy prey for the hunt. He laughed and said, “Those words will be the last thing you will ever utter in defiance.”

To him, she was already his, he would just have to beat her down to make her see this fact. The tall elf strode toward Elissa who did the same, his two handed sword that was as tall as him appeared in his right hand.

“What you want will not matter.” No one has ever refused him, and this woman did two times.

Elissa snapped her fingers, ice pillars raised from the far side of the pit in the arena, an energy screen formed a force field protecting the spectators. Lightning coursing through the pillars and the screen.

“Interesting, are you saying that you’ll be serious now?” Mirion taunted.

“Come and find out?” Elissa answered simply.

“Insolent, you are going to submit to my goddess-given body.”

“Wow, you really need to do something about that swollen head of yours.” She couldn’t believe what this guy was saying.

Fortunately, she wouldn’t let him goad her anymore, her anger had cooled and used to bring him down without involving anyone else. If they go at it full power they could destroy this arena.

“Are you speaking about my pen-”

Mirion felt something coming for him and jumped back, not before feeling his face being cut. Blood splattered on his armor and the ground. In her hand, Elissa held Intevar’s sword. The armored elf held on the wound on his face, it began to stitch back together as his healing factor kicked in.

“Huhuhu, you vixen, you’ve used that defeated dog’s sword.”

Elissa nodded, “I wanted at least one of Intevar’s sword strikes to damage your body.”

The slender sword disappeared in her spatial toe ring, her left fist closing, making her knuckles crack. Mirion stared at her, taking her seriously this time.

“But, this is the one that will bring you down.” Elissa showed him Gram.

She charged mana inside her sword, making it glow brightly, from the cloud in the sky a black lightning bolt struck the pillar, reinforcing the shielding enchantments.

Mirion’s body shook, his laugh rang loud and clear, “Fool! Stop with the posturing and accept your fate.”

The tall elf lunged toward her, Elissa charged at him with super speed, jumped in mid-air and kicked. Mirion simply endured it, stopping the powerful impact that created a shockwave. The young woman continued to strike him with two kicks executed in succession that caused Mirion to slide back two meters.

“Hmm.” Elissa was surprised that he could take it.

But yet again she tested herself against him, there was no battle aura to multiply her strength and speed. Mirion looked at her chuckling, “Even if you draw blood from this body, you cannot stop me.”

Pointing Gram at him, Elissa charged a lightning blast, an arc of electricity coursed through the blade and she released a two-meter wide beam that reached the elf. Elissa couldn’t believe what she saw, the man bathed in the plasma beam and continued to advance toward her. He tried to catch her in his arms but she stabbed him with Gram in the lunge, an Oricalchum armor was barely protection against a godly artifact after all.

“Huhuhuhuhu, it won’t work.” Mirion smiled at her.

The shock in Elissa’s eyes was visible and all the more laughable to Mirion who contracted his muscles. When she tried to take her sword, she couldn’t take it out of the Mirion’s body. Mirion tightened his fist and with his full strength punched her in the abdomen. Elissa felt as if a freight train had impacted her and flew far to crash into the forcefield thirty meters away from them.

Elissa slid to the guard from where she impacted the shield, blood oozed from her temple and mouth. Everyone looked on the scene with their hearts beating in anticipation. In the Zerloth VIP booth, Lerrina stood and cheered eliciting a dirty look from Dicinna and Ocima. Kiomdra didn’t know if she needed to cheer for the dark elf male or Shaera.

“Hahaha.” Mirion raised his fist and looked at the spectators cheering him on and those went wild.

But then they stopped as they saw Lady Shaera Snow getting back on her feet, Mirion turned to where Elissa had crashed, his eyes going wide. “Huh.”

The young woman spat blood on the ground that she promptly dissolved with a spell, her passive regeneration already taking care of the damage she had taken. She glared at Mirion, held her hand out before her and recalled her sword that flew back to her. Mirion grunted in pain as the blade slid free from his pectoral.

“Taking this back.” Gram slid back into her right hand, she twirled it and wiped the blood off the blade.

The tall elf loosened his stance. “What? Shouldn’t you be…”

“I’ve been hit harder, compared to old Siodhanth you are nothing to brag about.” Elissa looked at the sky and droplets of water fell little by little until it poured heavily on them.

“Dragon? Wait, are you El-” Mirion didn’t finish speaking as a bubble of freezing water engulfed him.

Elissa tried to crush him inside with the water pressure but it didn’t work, so she released him. She didn’t think she could drown him inside anyway. Mirion was spat out on the ring, the water converting from a bubbly to a flattened disc, it revolved on itself. The tall elf not being an idiot dodged it when it came for him and wasn’t surprised to see it lodge itself in the supposed unbreakable ring.

Smiling Elissa created more of them, and Mirion began to dance on the ring avoiding the water saws gracefully. Conjuring ice constructs in the form of sharpened arrow she threw them at him overwhelming his field view. Mirion entered into a guarding stance and crossed his arms before his face. Elissa stepped, the ground cracked and suddenly she was at his side while he stopped moving and touched his armor and transmuted it to mithril. From the golden color of orichalcum to the silver of mithril, Mirion felt the difference as his armor lost weight.

Elissa’s battle aura exploded as she generated it, the punch that came for Mirion was a bit stronger than the one he gave Elissa. At the speed of sound, the tall elf found himself crashing into the eastern forcefield, it sported thin lines that showed that it was almost about to break. With another flash of black lightning, it regenerated.

Mirion’s armor cracked and fell down his body, showing his impressive muscles. He fell to the ground, kneeling. “What?”

Fear took his heart as he gazed at the elven woman, golden aura surrounding her in a maelstrom. He crouched, spit a bit of blood, Elissa sheathed her sword and told him, “Stand, the time has come for you to return to Nodicea’s embrace.”

Mirion looked at the woman with hatred, his piercing blood-red eyes trying to kill her. Elissa felt that if people could be killed this way, she wouldn’t be there now. Her lips raised into a mocking rictus. Mirion stood up, walking briskly toward Elissa.

“Little Vixen, no matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to-”

The storm of blades coming for him interrupted him, he knew how sharp and tough her sword was. He was avoiding each one of those strikes coming for his vital points. She thrust low, trying to strike his head. As he retreated, she took his right hand. That shocked him but he didn’t have the time to stay surprised and struck her with a roundhouse kick that Elissa parried with a hand absorbing the hit, the ring didn’t crack but the wind and water flew right from where he hit thanks to the strength deployed.

Now that he broke her combo, with his remaining hand punched repeatedly, it was Elissa’s turn to slide back from the strength, with a telegraphed punch he was about to finish her but she suddenly disappeared before his eyes. He felt a hand touching his back, Mirion put a knee on the ground as a prickling pain and cold invaded his body. 

With speed turned back to try to punch the vixen, however, she disappeared again. “She’s too fast!”

“You aren’t regenerating anymore.” Elissa smiled at that. “My little curse seems to work.”

“You…” Mirion rose up.

“Mirion, I’m killing you. Your goddess is waiting in the underworld.” Elissa stated.

The tall elf saw red and stood up, it dissipated when he saw his legs trembling. “Impossible... W-what is this trembling?!”

Elissa chuckled, twirling Gram. “That’s fear, Mimi.”

Mirion glared at her, teeth out, “My name is Mirion. And me, afraid?” He closed his remaining hand in a tight fist. “I won’t accept it!”

He stepped on the ground, a crack spread; his eyes filled with hatred, “There’s no retreat for me! There’s only victory!”

“You fool.” Elissa said, amplified her voice and shouted, “Stop moving.”

And despite him, Mirion listened. “I had enough of you. Die you barbarian.”

Elissa took a breath, let the hatred flow through her and every negative emotion she had had for this man broke the dam of her patience. And she screamed loudly like a banshee, the sound emitted destroyed everything in its path, Mirion found himself exploding into bloody chunks of meat by the hypersonic scream. The spectators behind him were spared death by the forcefield.

Stopping, the young woman looked at her work, smiled and then nodded. She raised her sword to the sky, black lightning struck Gram’s blade; Elissa pointed it to the remains of Mirion’s body and a lightning beam took care of burning them to a crisp for thirty seconds.

“I always keep my word, not even a hair was left.”

The entire arena was rendered silent, Elissa didn’t care at all and waited for the organizer to announce her victory. Snapping her fingers the force field protecting the spectators disappeared and the pillars cracked and fell on the ground, melting.

“Shaera Snow Wins!” Madam Maeral screamed.

“Told you, I would win.” Elissa said as she passed the organizer.

Her wings appeared and she unfurled them and flew to the VIP booth of the Zerloth clan. She used her gaseous form to enter it, becoming immaterial and found herself before the most beautiful dark elf in a black and white gown. As she solidified, Elissa found herself full of Dicinna who kissed her on the spot. They licked their tonsils for a while before being interrupted by someone feigning having a cough.

Dicinna ignored them and continued, Elissa shrugged and did the same. Before long, the platinum blonde felt something at her woman’s neck that chilled her. It was shocking enough that it made her stop kissing, “Who the Hel put this on you?”

Dicinna’s eyes fell on Lerrina, Elissa unsheathed her sword at the same time and channeled Gram’s given ability and reduced the cursed collar to ash. Kiomdra put herself between her daughter and the sun-elf. “The collar was a necessary evil.”

“Mother, you knew?!” Elissa heard from behind Dicinna.

With wide eyes, she saw a clone of her intended, “What the…?” She closed her eyes, then reopened them. “I’m not seeing double. Though your fashion sense is eerily similar, Cinna.”

“This is Ocima, my twin sister.” Dicinna introduced her sister.

With her enhanced mage sight, Elissa scanned Dicinna’s twin sister. Her spiritual meridians were seeing intense use, Elissa put a hand on Ocima’s face. Her healing vision replacing her mage sight, seeing all the difference between sisters. Dicinna had awakened, and Ocima didn’t as she wasn’t taking sufficient radiation from the sun.

“She’s not awakened, but she has the potential to be. Want me to trigger her?” Elissa felt that she could trigger the awakening by channeling cosmic energy in Ocima’s body.

Dicinna shook her head, she didn’t want to deal with her sister triggering right now. “Let’s do that later.”

“What do you mean?” Ocima asked, blinking with her big eyes.

Why was this sun-elf so kind with her when she touched her face. Dicinna narrowed her eyes and took Elissa’s hand back from her sister's face. The young elven woman was reassured by the kind green eyes that told her that they will speak later.

“Later, Ocima. Elissa, we must get married.” Dicinna took her woman by the arm and opened a portal to the Temple of Nodicea.

Ocima nodded, “Yes…”

“I told you that I would put my wedding braid on you.” Dicinna said with a mysterious smile on her face.

Elissa turned to Lerrina, and passed a finger on her neck and disappeared into the portal with Dicinna, Ocima following them.

“I am doomed.” Lerrina fled the booth.

 

---

 

The wedding was a quiet affair, Dicinna had time to collect the sisterhood and Arno who was followed by the other guild masters. The temple priestess didn’t feel qualified to marry them, but she had already operated soulmate bonds before and it went without a hitch. The temple grew another statue when the two exchanged their kiss, and Elissa wasn’t surprised to see a chapel dedicated to Hekate opening at the side of the primary temple.

“I don’t think this is over.” Elissa commented as they exited the temple.

The three guild masters trailed behind them. Dicinna was already counting the minutes until she could take her spouse to be. “No, we are going to…”

Elissa understood what she was going to say, and with a desolate expression said, “Sorry, I must marry Dawn before we consummate our relationship.”

Dicinna’s smile froze. “What, but-”

Through their bond Elissa felt jealousy flare, she took her wife’s face between her hands and looked into her eyes. “She’s our soulmate too. My Goddess told me.”

Dicinna’s eyes softened, she understood; through their bond, she saw the girl in question and the feeling she elicited in her spouse. As she saw her face, her heart skipped a bit. “Oh, then the pieces must be assembled for us to be complete.”

The temple garden service offered to take memory crystal of event and they accepted, surrounded by Ocima and the guild masters, the couple took multiple memory crystals in different poses and different backgrounds. Elissa’s armor began to become heavy, proving she was tired. When they were done, Dicinna asked herself if the tavern would be a good place to celebrate.

“Do you like being a princess consort?” Elissa suddenly asked as she placed Dicinna’s space ring on her finger.

Elissa sported a new braid with a blue sapphire set in an accessory. There was the same accessory with an emerald on Dicinna’s braid, it showed to the world that they belonged together, it wasn’t possible to cut it anymore.

Dicinna tilted her head, her gown making her feel embarrassed, she wasn’t used to fancy dresses. “I never wanted to be a princess before.”

“Yet here you are.” Elissa said as she drank her in and kissed her. 

They lost themselves into each other before being rudely interrupted by her twin. “Urgh, get a room.”

“We intend to.” Elissa said, looking at Ocima cheekily.

Before they were out of the temple, Kiomdra appeared through a portal, red dress flaring and billowing in the breeze. The storm cloud that had darkened Cynlenor had dissipated and the sun crystals dried the streets.

“Mother.” Dicinna said between her teeth.

Kiomdra’s head slightly bowed to them, “Would you please follow me to the clan hold to celebrate?”

“No.” Dicinna said before trying to pull her spouse’s arm.

Elissa looked at the sad expression of the matriarch and said, “Let’s go Cinna.”

Narrowing her eyes, Dicinna wasn’t ready for Elissa to take the side of her mother. “Why? I hate-”

Chuckling Elissa mussed Dicinna’s hairdo. “No you don’t, you just hate how useless she is. Look at her, she looks so pitiable.”

Dicinna looked at Kiomdra who made sad puppy eyes at her. “Fine.”

Kiomdra felt her credibility fall by the minutes. “I don’t really know how to take this little exchange... but follow me.”

The Guild Masters and the sisterhood began to laugh at her, Elissa and the rest of her group followed them in the red portal, not knowing that they were saving the Zerloth matriarch’s life.

---

A/N: Heya! This is the promised chapter 42! As you guessed, Chapter 43 is ready to be published on my Patreon.

Oh yeah, I wanted to add that Chapter 44 + the next intermission will be the last of this year for this series. I will come back to SHP mid January.