“Ye who suffer under the rule of the unworthy,
Ye who starve under the management of the cruel,
Ye who lost loved ones under the orders of the tyrant,
Call my name, for my crows are ever watching, and my duty is eternal.”

-Popular hymn by followers of the Goddess of Retribution Velkarius

 

The winds howled strong on the streets of Glacialis Aeternum, its citizens rushing indoors as a storm was brewing on the horizon.

"The Spirits of Winter have forsaken us! Duke Wulfgrem turned his back on the pact and now we pay the price!" a street beggar was shouting while being dragged by the guard, his act stunning the citizens gathered in one of the many marketplaces around the city.

A senior man followed them, ducking and weaving through the sea of people, his features hidden under a thick scarf and large grey hood, all one could make out were the eyes, eyes full of sorrow.

As the beggar was placed under a noose, he began screaming, “Friede, I beg of you Goddess Friede, avenge my family, myself and all of the north, for we are being massacred and those in power are the culprits!” The guard pulled a lever and the beggar went limp, body left dangling before they burned it, rope along with it.

"Don't waste mana on the ashes." one of the guards said, the wind making him barely audible.

The senior man kept walking, eventually stopping in front of a closed bakery. He pulled out his key ring, opened the door, and moving past the counter and foodstuffs, he descended into a hidden basement, setting up torches as he went down the stairs. Their blue flames were cold, casting an ethereal light across the place.

The ground was filled with inscriptions, and in the middle stood a shrine that held two small urns. The man approached them, inscriptions lighting up with every step, and placing both his hands on the shrine he started chanting in a deep unnatural voice:

"...We call to thee, the Raven of Vengeance..."

"...We call to thee, the Mistress of Retribution..."

"...Deliver us from evil, send us the dagger..."

"...The poison and the flask, free us from evil..."

The man picked up the urns and got out of the bakery. He walked slowly, moving towards the center of the city, where the tall castle made out of enchanted ice and gemstones stood, their shine muted by the overcast weather all the while the man kept chanting.

"...Velkarius Velkarius Velkarius the spear of revenge..."

"...Velkarius Velkarius Velkarius the dagger of scorn..."

"...Send thy three eyed ravens and crows..."

As he chanted, others joined him, from street beggars to shopkeepers, some kids looked to their parents in wonder, others joined in with the adults, already knowing what was about to happen.

"...Our daughters and sons murdered..."

"...Our fathers and mothers defiled..."

"...Our country and cities Corrupted..."

More and more joined in many singing and chanting from inside their homes. A steady stomp of feet had started, but none joined the man further as he kept on walking, they didn’t dare leave their homes

"...Avenge Us! Bring holy retribution towards the evil!..."

"...Smite them, nail them to their ivory walls on golden nails!.."

"...So that their sons and daughters never forget their sins!..."

"...So that their grandsons and granddaughters never forget their sins!..."

"...Avenge Us, the poor, the destitute and the crestfallen!..."

The whole city thumped and sang, the winds carrying their judgment towards those who deserved it. The terrified guards dared not try to stop the citizens. The chant of Velkarius being invoked meant one thing and one thing only.

Death was coming.

"Avenge us..." the man was now in front of the castle gates. The castle guards stared at him with fear in their eyes as he raised both urns, and smashed them to the ground, ash and silvery snow flying out of them.

"Avenge Us!" he screamed, his voice booming across the plaza, echoing throughout the city. He pulled a pitch-black, jagged dagger free of its sheath and slashed his chest five times, as he kneeled, his blood mixed with the ash.

The wind picked up strength, mana flared from below the man, and a magical formation was made manifest in the stone, its shapes writhing with the wind. A few seconds later, it locked into place, as a raven's feather flared up, crimson and black.
The man fell to the ground, with his last ounce of life-force he muttered the words:

"Trista, Malta..." he cried from that pool of ash, blood, and snow, slowly turning into dust.

One of the guards ran screaming, “All-Father’s balls we are doomed, Velkarius comes!”, afraid for his life. The second guard, on the other hand, kept staring at the sky, he could see small dots moving fast towards the plaza. At first, he couldn’t hear it, but as they got closer the cries got louder and louder, a sound akin to scraping rusted nails on wood, or the blood-curdling screams of the damned.

The townsfolk that were in the plaza looked up to the sky and kneeled, some even kowtowing before the mass of black dots fast approaching, their lips moved prayer, and as they chanted more and more the dots became clearer, their corvian form clear to all who could see, their beady eyes promising bloody vengeance. Other civilians ran away to the safety of any open door in the plaza.

The guard staring at them didn’t move an inch, their cries freezing him on the spot.

CAW CAW CAW

CAW CAW CAW

CAW CAW CAW

The biggest raven he had ever seen in his life landed on the ground. When its three unblinking eyes turned to him, the guard felt the pressure on his very soul. t moved towards the magical sigil embedded into the gate, and with a light tap of its beak, broke it. The cries of the other birds grew boisterous.

"The Spear herself came, gods protect us all."

 

---

 

A week earlier, in the halls of Castle Wulfgrem.

 

Lucrezia Sommer Wulfgrem, the heir apparent to the ancient Wulfgrem line stalked the halls of her family’s castle, her mind as sharp as a dwarven enchanted sword. Today was a big day for her, she thought, she’d spent the last two months preparing for it.

"My Lady, I've received word the servants and workers are in the west wing ballroom with the mithril chandeliers, the south wing one was blocked last week by the duke, he wants to put a fountain of Dwarven steel on it. '' First Maid Saa'ryu spoke.

Always so stiff, Lucrezia thought, it would take time to defrost this woman.

"No need to be so formal Saa, haven't I told you we are buddies? Ease up my dear, today is the day we see the results of our hard work!" She did a twirl, brimming with competitive energy.

"I was told some of the maids have taken to exercising with the castle guards to fit into your newly designed uniforms, My Lady..." Saa'ryu said with the faintest hint of mirth touching her voice, wondering what her mistress's reaction would be to this particular piece of news.

"Thank Uumaries, The goddess herself blessed us on this endeavor, soon all the country will know that the North is the very best when it comes to house staff!" The young woman moved with purpose as she smiled to herself, and opened massive set of double doors to the ballroom.

Her magical training is beginning to pay off, Saa'ryu thought to herself, following a step behind.

Lucrezia looked around the ballroom. Something is odd, she thought, the servants and workers while appearing happy, had uneasiness ooze off of them in their body language, something bothering them even now.

She knew they worked hard these past two months but this level of nervousness was very unusual to see. She moved wordlessly among the two rows, and she could feel it now.

She was missing something

"You! Name and job," Lucrezia pointed to a maid, her azure eyes drilling holes into the poor woman, yet the maid didn't buckle, she immediately stated her name and profession.

One of the people who trained with the castle guards I see, "Perfect form my dear, perfect form, the new uniform fits you like a glove, you are healthy as a Dire Stag and even adopted some of that Guard discipline. Congratulations you passed, talk with the treasurer for a raise." Lucrezia was beaming with pride, to see her work paying off like this was simply sublime.

She moved among the other workers, their eyes following her every step. With a few nervous coughs here and there, and sighs of relief when she didn’t pick someone she was staring at, Lucrezia continued inspecting the workers.

She began asking them various questions, of how their relatives living in the city fared if they had any plans to visit them, mixing in questions about their life and work. From what they told her, she was sure something was happening in the city now.

On the other end of the ballroom, Head Maid Leanu audibly sighed in relief when the inspection ended with high marks all around. When she noticed that Lucrezia took her time talking with the workers instead of just looking over them, Leanu got worried, if the Lady had found out about the riots...

"Gather around my good people, gather around," Lucrezia said. She went up on a stand facing them directly, First Maid Saa'ryu standing beside her, silent as an owl in the night.

"Today marks the end of our struggle of self-improvement. When we started long ago many thought this impossible, many thought we would never beat the royals or House Maygriam, but now! Now we showed them when it comes to getting work done no one in the kingdom can beat the northern spirit! Nay no one in the world!" The small crowd exploded into cheers, these two months' hardships and tribulations flashing through their minds, stress melting away as they got more and more relaxed and rowdy.

"We are now ready to compete in the House staff competition my good people, your hard work was already sent to the judges in the capital, now we enjoy the fruits of our labor!" At her command, the doors were opened once again and a platoon of Guards brought in foods and beverages.

"Enjoy!" Lucrezia left the stage with her skin tinged red, her usual ivory looking like she had spent the last week on the beaches of the Imperium. Despite her appearance no one missed the look of sheer pride in her eyes. Some went over to give her thanks. She even let the guards on detail to join in, and when she found out some were the ones training the maids, she gave a small cheer to them.

"Not bad for a noble's scion, is she?" Leanu walked up to Saa'ryu, the taciturn maid was hidden at a corner table, as she was known to do whenever Lucrezia went on one of her speeches.

"Yes...not many high nobles like her..." Saa'ryu ate pieces of Boratir wings, a favorite among the staff.

"No news from the duke and duchess? They have been awfully quiet these past two months." Leanu knew as Head Maid something was different about the First Maid, the master never talked about it in full but from small hints here and there she managed to piece together that the lady beside her was not from the Shogunate or Vermilion.

"All I heard was that something big was happening in the private wing, the Court Mage was moving all day from his tower to there, but nothing else." She gulped down some Dire Bee mead and resumed, "Lu... Lady Lucrezia is worried, the Duke sent me a letter last week to not let her go out alone, only allowing her outside if we have a security detail, I haven’t told her this yet, fearing it would sour the whole party.”

"You can't go with her? And By the All-Father you haven’t told her? If she hears of this..." Leanu spoke,

"They want a security detail, at least five soldiers, and an acolyte mage in case anything happens."

"By the snow! What is happening to the town if they want to send her with that escort?!" Now Leanu was worried, the capital knew thugs and pickpockets but those were always persecuted by the guard or militia, if the Lady needed such an escort, something went bad in the city.

"There are talks of food riots and mass killings by the guard, do not let the lady know." She placed her hand on Leanu's, enough for the head maid to get the point.

As Saa’ryu finished talking, Lucrezia appeared from behind the two, a shimmer of frost rolling in her fingertips. The young lady looked angry, betrayed even, as she slowly made her way to the table the two maids were at and sat down. Saa’ryu could see her Lady’s fury, she was seething in anger.

“Is that true?” she asked, steel in her voice.

Leanu moved to speak, but Saa’ryu stopped her, placing her hand on the head maid’s arm.

“Yes My Lady, the staff and castle guards are under a gag order, to avoid any…”

“Any troubles with me at the helm...Damn those two, food riots?! What in all gods' names are they doing in that wing that gives them the gall to avoid their duties to the people!” she slammed the table, a layer of frost surging where the hand met the wood. She then looked to Saa’ryu and said, “I will ignore the fact you tried to get the head maid to not speak about this for now Saa, but mark my words there will be punishment for this, for now, you and I are going to the city.”

The First Maid bowed her head without saying a word, Lucrezia turned to the Head maid,

“I want the names of all workers with family in the city, we have the space to shelter them if needed, and not a word to the guards or my parents you hear? Otherwise, there will be punishment for you as well the Head Maid.” she raised her hand and pointed a finger at Leanu, the frost on her fingers snaking up the woman’s arm, to her neck and dissipating over her head, the Head maid went pale as snow.

“Meet me at my room once the party is over Saa, we will go over the plan there.” Lucrezia left the two women, Saa’ryu could her lady muttering “To think she would keep that information from me”

She went back to mingling with the party guests, this time she focused on the castle guards, the results Lucrezia found were the same as the workers, they did their best but the subtle changes in their body language told her enough.

A whirlpool of emotions beset Lucrezia while she mingled, the party was on its dying legs by now and she was drinking heavily from the mead made out of exorbitantly expensive honey, harvested from huge bees in the Imperium, but Its sweet taste started feeling like poison to her.

How many of my subjects are dying in the streets without food? she thought.

Shaking the morbid thoughts out of her head, Lucrezia got up and did a closing speech for the party, the workers and guards filing out fast.

She was halfway to her suite in the north wing when Saa’ryu met her wordlessly. As they entered the room, the maid produced a map from her clothes, the castle blueprints.

“My lady, the west gate walls are unmanned tomorrow after the afternoon bell, I have a spell that will let us scale the walls without a noise, I’ve also procured proper attire so we blend in with the commoners, for you in particular,” she pulled a long dark scarf, “use this together with the long cloaks I’ve stashed outside of the walls.”

“Understood. We are going to see Mr. Reiner.”

“The baker? Why him?” Asked Saa’ryu

“He’s connected with both the poor and the well to be, he will have the info we need to take to mother and father.” Lucrezia answered in a matter-of-fact tone, Saa’ryu bowed her head and left the room, it was getting late and both needed to get as many hours of sleep as possible.

As the door closed, Lucrezia looked at the skies from her windows, in the distance the snowstorm was getting larger and larger. Winter's end this early in the year bode ill, she remembered, but she wouldn’t let that stop her.

"As if you could stop me from seeing my subjects while stuck in that wing of yours Mother...,Father..."

“No, no one will stop me, be it the storm, or you two or anyone else.”

"No one."

 

---

 

Come morning, Lucrezia began preparing for her master plan.
She went through the motions. Bath, breakfast, a light jog around the castle gardens, and training her magical powers, where she finally managed her first breakthrough, Ice infused magic missiles!

"Thank You, Lady Fae’Zhurar, for blessing this one with your wondrous gifts." She dedicated a small prayer to the Lady of Magic. “Never hurts to pay respect,” was something her dad used to say when she was a small girl.

Her Magnetism on the other hand remained locked behind mysteries that eluded her, all she could do was wield metal weapons twice her size and weight like they were hollow, or open the heavy doors in the castle.

"A rare Affinity wasted on physical power, what rotten luck..." she knew it would take a good year or two to fully grasp it, but alas Lucrezia was impatient.
She had two years to go to attend the Grand Academy of Seresval, where every noble in the kingdom studied so they could learn how to rule their lands.

She couldn't wait to meet her friends Neptune and Kassandra, Sepphire as well, they have been together for years in various tourneys, competitions, and parties, while the three lived in the south and attended their own schools, they all were headed for the Grand Academy.

"Just two more years...Two more years and I'll live the best life a noble can live in this kingdom." Lucrezia was smirking, which caused Saa to call her out.

"Is everything okay, Lu?" she asked, giving her lady a towel, Lucrezia took it and wiped the sweat from her face, then she conjured a mana fan, each swing releasing a refreshing burst of ice.

"Yes, oh lords this is pure heaven, I must thank the court mage for this spell later. Anyway, is everything clear on your end Saa? Are we ready?"

"Yes, My lady."

"Good, good, now come, the clothes should be by the west gate." They both moved fast, the fewer workers and guards that saw them, the better. Soon they arrived at the west gate of the castle, and with a small incantation, Saa'ryu and Lucrezia scaled up the walls and dropped into the trenches that surrounded the place.
Picking up a pack of clothes that contained heavy cloaks, Lucrezia used the scarf as an impromptu mask the way Saa’ryu told her to, to better blend in.

"Finally, now to meet Sir Reiner." Lucrezia was anxious, if the talk of food riots was real, then the baker would probably be in dire straits, she was about to say more when Saa'ryu clamped on her arm hard.

"My lady, until we reach the bakery, allow me to do the talking." She was dead serious, Lucrezia thought. She knew that look, it was one she gave her yesterday, she knew the woman had a hidden past and story behind her hiring but to this day she couldn't crack it from her.

Lucrezia nodded, putting on her cloak and scarf, and changing from the fancy boots to heavy set ones made out of common leather and linen.

Their disguises ready, Lucrezia and Saa'ryu moved quickly through the streets of Glacialis Aeternum. When they broke free from the central plaza in front of the castle, Lucrezia saw what months of lack of upkeep and bad rulership did to its people. What was once the jewel of the north now laid in shambles.

She was angry, so angry that her magic was starting to manifest, which earned her another arm clamp. Breathe, she thought, as she went by rows of homeless vagabonds begging for food, soldiers beating said vagabonds, and from the south, seeing a large smoke cloud rising into the overcast sky.

Even with Winter's end fast approaching, the storm is here almost a month early! she thought in alarm.

"This is a disaster..." she whispered, which earned a glare from her maid. What in the godsdamn were her parents doing? Something was far too wrong here and by the All-Father himself she would get to the bottom of it.

After what felt like hours walking through the once glorious capital of the north, they arrived at Mr. Reiner's bakery, which had a huge line outside complete with soldiers guarding the entrance. They had no choice but to get in the line.

As they waited, they saw that people were coming out of the bakery with a hot meal and enough bread to feed at least four people. The guards were looking bored, no one daring to cut in line. Lucrezia picked up small talk coming from behind.

"Another part of the south district was set alight by a Fireball, did ye hear?”? They ran outta grain an’ dried meat there, and tried to loot the guard's barracks, they are burning the bodies as we speak." said an older gentleman, tone somber.

"Friede will hear our pleas, her phantoms will bleed these corrupt daemons dry" the younger woman beside him spoke with fervor.

When Lucrezia heard the name Friede she felt like death itself was beside her. The Goddess was not that popular in Vermilion but was a household name in the Imperium.

While Velkarius and Friede shared the same Sphere as Goddesses of Retribution, Friede had a very scorched earth policy when it came to removing nobles who abused their power, many a tale from the Imperium were told to noble scions the world over, all of them telling of the Juggernaut of the poor, who would salt the earth and bring down the skies to avenge those without power to defend themselves in the imperial lands.

"The spear is fast and deadly,"

"But the pitchfork is rusted and painful" Lucrezia couldn't help but mutter the oldest tale she knew. The younger lady looked at her,

"You two from the south district as well? Poor things, probably had your homes burned by these bastards," she spat in the guard's direction, which earned a laugh from them.

"Yeah, you laugh you bastards, Friede comes for you..." she turned to Lucrezia once again, "So where were you two there when the riots broke out?"

Saa'ryu spoke in a harsh tone: "Yes, my daughter and I ran towards the Plaza, I have a cousin who lives there." All Lucrezia did was a nod.

"Lucky you, we had to shack up in the slums like the rest of this miserable lot, I swear ever since the Knight Captain Erwin and his knights were exiled, this city has gone to the shitter, our duke and his wife have been gone for two months, and last I heard, poor Lucrezia who did so much for the duchy was killed by a maid!" The young lady paused, looked around, and spoke in a hushed tone.

"At least she won't have to see all her work destroyed by these scum of the earth soldiers and their commander Eustace Weller." The young lady stopped talking and went back to near the older gentleman.

Lucrezia was appalled, Dead?! The populace thought she was godsdammed dead! Saa held her, she could feel the anger rising, but she reigned herself in by cycling Ice-infused mana inside her mana channels.

After a solid hour waiting in line, they heard the bell that heralded nighttime, and they finally managed to get into the store. Without removing their disguises Lucrezia went to find Mr. Reiner.

She noticed that the people working in the store were newly hired, Trista and Malta nowhere in sight. She found the baker sitting in a dark corner of the shop, staring at nothing in particular. His gray hair was a mess, his eyes looked dull, and his whole body looked like a newly minted necromancer tried to reanimate their first zombie. She walked up to him.

"Mr. Reiner, it's me, Lucrezia." She whispered and lowered her hood together with the scarf, the man looked at her, it took a second for him to register someone was speaking with him, he then cracked a sad smile and finally spoke.

"Young Lady, the city isn't safe for you to come here, you must go back to the castle..." it was like he was speaking with a ghost, Lucrezia sat beside him and grabbed his hand, his fingers were skin and bone, the man was at the end of his rope, she felt.

"By the All-Father what happened here my good man? Where's your daughter and wife? Please talk with me Mr.Reiner, I just heard there are rumors of my death!" She raised her voice, which earned a nasty look from Saa from the other side of the room. The maid kept the worker's lips shut tight with five gold coins, a veritable fortune these days.

"Nobody knows My Lady, things have been going horrible for the city ever since you stopped visiting us two months ago... as for my wife and daughter they… they died in the first fires in the south district." he was shaking, she could feel his sorrow welling up, Lucrezia hugged the man fiercely.

She was devastated. Many a time she came to this bakery, even helped Trista and Malta bake pastries and cakes for her parents, she knew the other regulars by name even, and Mr. Reiner was the kindest man she knew after her father, always helping the community even when that hurt his bottom line. Lucrezia felt his tears on her shoulder but kept hugging the man nonetheless.

"...Thank...Thank you, My lady, forgive me for showing you such a miserable sight but... but times are hard on everyone here as I'm sure you must've seen when coming to my shop..." the older man sat down again, he was visibly better, Lucrezia thought, so she decided to ask him something that was bugging her for a while now.

"How are you supplying food for the needy? Winter's End is fast approaching and there are food shortages all across the city—"

He spoke a bit too fast "I've gotten a blessing, it lets me summon food as long as there are people in need..." Lucrezia gasped, Food magic was banned all over the world, many commerce and agricultural gods formed the biggest alliance seen to ban it. To get a blessing this powerful, the situation of the duchy was beyond bad, it was a full-blown apocalypse.

"All-Father's balls, what the fuck is going on..." Lucrezia said sounding defeated, the situation had escalated to something she couldn't fix it alone, even if she got her parent's help—that is, if they would even help, Lords know they don't get out of that blasted private wing.

She hadn't even noticed Mr. Reiner getting up and going inside the bakery when he returned with a slice of blood orange cake with honey and sugar frosting, Lucrezia's favorite. She did a double-take, the man placed the plate in front of her, tears in his eyes.

"Mr. Reiner, there's no need! I couldn't impose on you like this," she moved to refuse the slice of cake but he spoke in a soft voice,

"Please Lady Lucrezia, this was the last of the cake Trista and Malta baked, and they wanted you to have a slice, I've preserved it with the Blessing, so please, eat." he held back the tears as Lucrezia reluctantly picked up her fork, she ate the slice, enjoying the flavors.

Once done she felt...lighter, like a weight was removed from her chest. Mr. Reiner looked conflicted, he moved to speak but caught himself multiple times. In the end, he hugged Lucrezia and spoke in her ear,

"I'm Sorry."

She patted him in the back and left the bakery together with Saa.

They reached the west gate fast, ditching the disguises in a secluded part of the castle walls.

"Lu, It's best you try talking with your parents, this is beyond any of us now, they must call for help from the king's army." Saa was trying to take her lady's mind out of the things she had seen today, it wasn't working, she felt.

"I will Saa dear, I will...What a shameful display this is, My Duchy left to rot!" She threw a magic missile at the castle wall, smashing a good chunk of it to smithereens, reigning herself in, Lucrezia said "They will hear from me, or help me All-Father I'm going to lob one of these on the both of them!"

"Let's go Saa, we need to plan for an evacuation of the workers here should the rioters try to break into the castle, it's best that we also stop talking with the guards if what the woman said it's true and our knights have been replaced by these "soldiers"."

"That young lady was slightly mistaken Lu, Eustace was the second-in-command of our knights, these soldiers of his were squires in training. Why they behave as shameful as we have seen I do not know."

"I see... I must talk with mom and dad, at any rate, let's head to our rooms, Saa, I'm dead tired."

As Lucrezia walked alone to her room in the gloomy halls of the castle, she stared at a window facing the north. Winter's End was way earlier than what the divinations had told them, the snowstorm was going to be the final nail in the coffin should her parents take no action.

After another long bath and a quick snack, the young woman laid in her Canopy bed staring at the beautiful dragon silk on top of her. So much effort and so much coin was lost to keep the city running, not to say losing the Knight Order, it was with these heavy thoughts that she went to sleep.

---

Lucrezia had a strange dream that night. She was flying upwards, like an air mage, she kept ascending further and further until when she looked below, she saw the whole of Glacialis Aeternum. She kept going up, she now could see the mountain range that separated her duchy from the northern wastes, and most of the kingdom of Vermilion.

Lucrezia kept going up, she was now looking down at the whole world of Yrithuan.

The view shocked her to the core, the three massive continents, the oceans, it all seemed so small to her, and she felt smaller.

"The views from the Gods themselves..." she looked up, to the sun burning in the blackness of space, the moons orbiting the planet. It was all very beautiful in a philosophical “we are so small compared to the planet and the gods” way, she felt, of how her teachers would explain the physical world and its intricacies.

Deep in introspection, Lucrezia felt an unnatural cold befall her, like the prelude to a bad snowstorm. She could feel the cold in a way that terrified her, it spoke of death, sorrow, and retribution, of wasted life and the unfairness of it all.

It also spoke of great change, of revolution in all fields of life, of how everyone alive had the potential to become true masters of their own fate.

Then something startled her to the core. The cold grew stronger, and below all those feelings she found an unimaginable desire for more, pure distilled greed that demanded more and more and more until everything belonged to it, as if its very life depended on it. It was primal, raw, and strong.

Her soul rejected it, power flooded her and she pushed that greed away, every part of her soul, body, and mind rejected the mist with strength so endless, Lucrezia felt like the Gods themselves were aiding her in this battle.

The mist quieted down, its feelings themselves pushed the unnatural greed down, after a few minutes all Lucrezia felt from it was a deep sense of loneliness.

It was as if the mist was something akin to a ghost or wraith, she felt, it had lashed out at her at the start but now it had finally calmed down.

Before she could do anything to help move the mist on to the Afterlife, she felt herself falling.t was scary at first, but she quickly got used to it.

When she fell back into the city, she woke up.

---

"Sun hasn't come up yet...By Uumaries was any of that real? Did I have an accidental astral ejection? But that's not supposed to happen before the first Blessings next month..." she patted herself down, Yep everything is normal, she thought.

"Whatever's happening has to be tied to that early Winter's End and my parents. Tomorrow I must confront them." she spoke with determination.

Lucrezia watched the sunless skies slowly light up over her city, the smokestacks growing in size so much they could now be seen clearly over the castle walls, she vowed to herself in that quiet moment

She would find whoever was responsible for ruining her lands and her people and make them pay.