Mellissa’s pained face was on my mind. Lana strolled alone far ahead of the group, I was next in line behind her, thinking about what I just did.

“Feodora! I would like you back here so we can discuss the mission.”

Jade shouted at me, waking me up from my self-pity.

“R-Right…”

Reluctantly, I turned around and waited for the group of worshippers to catch up with me. Side by side, we all walked and discussed the upcoming mission.

“The plan is to gather as much information as we can about both groups at Cero Village first, Jade.”

Abigail explained as I raced up to the front. With Abigail in the middle, Jade on the right, and me on the left, we discussed the plan for tomorrow.

 

 

“Cero is a rural town that has been suffering from plagues of sickness. That was the main purpose of our pilgrimage in the first place.”

The “goddess” said as she looked up at that clear sky.

“None of our communications are working… I’m not even sure what we’ll find when we reach Cero, so please be ready for anything.”

Abigail turned to me and smiled.

“I might want you to protect me if things get bad, Feodora.”

That lovely scent flowed around me, but as Jade told me, I channeled my spectrum, canceling out her suggestion.

“We’ll see, Abigail...”

I grinned, earning a giggle from her.

“Oh, Jade had to give you the key to my trick, didn’t she?”

 

 

“I don’t need her acting like a pawn the entire trip. Feodora is a vital piece to this investigation. The last thing she needs is to be your footstool.”

Abigail put her finger to her mouth and tilted her head.

“Oh, you mean like you were before, Jade?”

The knight barked as she glared at the “goddess”.

“That was before I figured out how to combat that sweet smell. Don’t expect me to protect you like your mindless followers.”

I could see a rivalry between the two of them. Jade and Abigail both seemed to be well respected in the Radiant City. Could it be that these two are always in a power struggle with one another?

Lana was still leading the pact when I looked in front of us. Her short stature and vast strides showed her trying to be a good leader. Even Abigail seemed amused as we all followed behind her.

“Lana tried to steal my sword from me when I first met her...”

I turned to the “goddess”, about to interrogate her.

“She said that you would like to have it… what did she mean by that, Abigail?”

The “goddess” snickered.

"That's just a personal project of mine. My little sister likes to make me happy, and when she goes out and finds artifacts, she tends to bring them back to me, useless or not.”

She sighed.

"Lately, she's been trying way harder than usual, though.”

Abigail turned to me.

“I heard of the scrabble you two had in town over that sword of yours. That golem Lana had was actually made by me. She doesn't have the skill level to design something that complicated."

 

 

“You made that?”

She nodded.

"Yep… and you destroyed it. That little girl won't get another one because she's grounded right now, but I owe you an apology for her behavior."

I turned back to the barklight, who appeared to have taken a bit of a lead on us.

“But Feodora, she’s just a little girl who wanted to make me happy. Try to be kind to her.”

Jade crossed her arms.

“She’s often compared to her sister… but all she has is her earth vessel powers. It’s like comparing an anthill to a mountain. It's the very reason why I don't fault her for acting out."

I looked at her small back. Compared to her sister, there’s nothing to compare. Her spectrum is far below average and in a real fight between us… I doubt she’d stand a chance. Lana is a child who seemed to want to do everything to show her worth to her sister… and our fight was one of her attempts, it seemed.

 

 

“Why not go up there and chat with her, Feodora?”

The “goddess” asked with her hand behind her back. There wasn't a sweet smell… her question was genuine, it seemed. But beautiful eyes fell on me, and I could see a bit of sadness as she asked.

“Hm…”

Reluctantly, I walked a little fast, making my way to Lana.

“Hey…”

“Eh?! What are you doing here?!”

The barklight floated and began kicking in the air violently. I had to shield myself from being kicked in the face.

“H-Hey! I-I just wanted to talk, Lana.”

“I don’t want to talk to you! Leave me alone! Get away from me, you creep!”

 

 

I was pushed back as she floated away from me, further from the group.

“Hey! Don’t go off too far!”

She turned back to me, pointed her tongue at me, and scowled my way. Clearly, she wanted nothing to do with me. As she flew further away, she landed around 30 feet in front of us, likely to be alone. 

“She’s not listening...”

Jade complained. Suddenly, the wind changed, and I could feel multiple shadows coming at us.

I looked towards the nearby trees. Strange howls began echoing in the field. The group all prepared for what we believed to be a beast, likely attracted to our spectrum. I looked into the trees of the forest nearby. The further away it was, the darker it would be, but I could see the outlines clearly. Wolves dashed out from the sides of us, clashing with the Barons behind us.

“We have seven wolves on our backs. Are you guys able to handle them?!"

Jade asked like a military officer. They all cried as they engaged the wolves. The three of us, Abigail, Jade, and I, watched the white orc-like beast coming from the front. They were large and fat as they approached like an earthquake. With each step, they shook the world as they aimed directly at us. Their legs were massive and had brown garments around their waist. Despite how large they were, their speed was incredible.

“Lana, get over here!”

Abigail commanded. The kid turned around, too far away to catch what her sister said. Three orc-like beasts with golden eyes rushed at us. As they rushed closer, they were going to collide with Lana before getting to us. Out of its mouth, a fire spectrum shot at her in a ray, aiming right at her.

“Ah?!”

Taken by surprise, she attempted to bring out a shield, but it was too late. Lana would have to take the brunt of the spectrum aimed at her. She fell to the ground as the fire pushed her way.

“Kids...”

I complained as I danced into the shadows in the distance before it was too late. Appearing out of the shade of the trees, I found my blade cutting the neck of an orc beast. Its spell was canceled just before it hit the barklight as the fire died down right in front of her. The beast was massive, around 3 of me in height, as it held a bright club on the side of a tree.

“Ha!”

I brought the razor-sharp darkness into my blade with the element of surprise. The massive orc brought its weapon back and attempted to crush me under the club. I cut through its club and sliced the beast's head off. Its body turned to dust in front of me. The other two beasts rushed past me and Lana, aiming at Jade and Abigail, along with the Barons still facing off with the wolves. 

Jade brought out her bright red blade. The knight held it behind her, and in an instant, her body shined bright.

 

 

She appeared behind one orc, and fire danced on the ground. She moved as fast as the speed of light and quickly demolished the orc to the right. Its white body charted as it turned to dust, scattering in the air.

“One more!”

Jade yelled as she turned back to Abigail. The fire on the ground died out and her body stopped glowing.  The “goddess” pointed her hand out with a vicious smile. Rainbows danced around her, and a beam of all elements shot from her fingers. It wasn’t large, but the pressure of it made my hair dance. Lana and I could feel the effects as we stood our ground and witnessed her sister’s power. The earth around us shook at the power of her spectrum.

 

Quickly, the orc vanished instantly as massive elements shattered into the sky. 

“Not even good for a warmup.”

Jade complained as she put her weapon away. She turned to the “goddess”, who took off her hat to dust off the dirt.

“Good to know I have you I can rely on in battle, Jade.”

Thankfully it was a simple encounter. Even the wolves were dispatched quickly by the group. Together, Lana and I stood as everything began to calm down. Abigail raised her hand and what appeared below was a healing spell. Water washed on all of us at once. It was a testament to her power as a vessel that can use the 4 main elements at her disposal.

"Looks like everyone's alright."

I added, turning to the short barklight.

"Yeah..."

She looked up at me. I could see a surprised look on her. Abruptly, Lana pushed me and ran towards her sister.

“I didn’t need to be protected by you!”

She screamed and ran into the group of followers. I rubbed the back of my head.

“… I hate kids.”

I admitted under my breath. It was going to be a long trip, and if I planned to work with the sisters properly, I decided I would at least have to solve the problems between her and me. I ran back over to the two leaders, earning a giggle from the “goddess”.

“She’ll come around, Feodora.”

Abigail snickered, likely feeling my defeat.

“You embarrassed her to death that day. Usually, people just let her get away with things, but you fought back, and she was humiliated."

Jade crossed her arms.

“Is everyone alright?!”

The knight asked, earning a thumbs up from the followers. Satisfied, we began walking again. Jade turned to the “goddess” and started questioning.

"I still don't know why you're searching for dark artifacts, but it's a little suspicious knowing the person I'm looking for is a dark vessel, Abigail."

She shrugged as we continued to walk on the trail.

"That's all it is. I have my reason to look for dark artifacts, and they have absolutely nothing to do with your missing people case."

“We’ll see about that.”

In this fashion, we continued to travel.

For a while, we continued to walk. When the sun was at its highest on our journey. So, we finally stopped to break. The Barons made a small fire and began cooking our lunch. The wind was excellent, and it reminded me of the days when I lived in the forest. Abigail had her own tent that her followers made, and there she would eat her lunch and relax until we moved on.

“So, they really believe she's a goddess…."

I asked Jade. We both had a bowl of soup as our meal. It was hearty and good for stamina.

“Yeah, many of them left their families to join the Barons. In a way, they are their family.”

She swirled her bowl and its contents momentarily.

“Many of them are happy… Abigail actually does a good job at keeping their hopes alive and keeping their spirits high.”

“What’s your feelings on Abigail Pasco?”

I asked.

"… I honestly think she's an impressive person. Out of all the years I've lived, she's certainly someone I'm going to remember when she inevitably passes before me. She's… unique, and I do have a level of respect for her."

She ate a bit more of her soup before continuing.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t suspect her of… dealing in shady business. Her dark collecting artifacts fit in a scenario that I've dealt with before."

“Scenario?”

The knight turned to me.

“I’ve watched people for thousands of years, Feodora. That’s the only reason why I can deduce what’s going on before it’s too late.”

She sighed.

“And Abigail sending her followers to look for dark artifacts… is an obvious sign that she might be involved in the darker levels of the world.”

“Dark arts…”

I thought about it. Maxwell told me a darker side to the spectrum, bordering on illegality. That would be things like necromancy or possession. Radiants regularly order executions for those who practice that kind of spectrum as they use bodies of people to test with. Primarily, it would be dark vessels that can do that.

“…Do you think she’s involved in those kinds of things?”

"I hope not, but there's a reason why she's on my radar. If she's a part of the missing people… there is a chance that they are kidnapping people to do practices like possession or necromancy on them. But I won't know until I find a body… that is if they are being killed."

This case was getting deeper by the day. I thought about that symbol and how it led us to a beast being fed spectrum. What would be the point of creating a beast uncontrolled?

"I already know you know how to use possession and necromancy, so you can settled down. You won't be prosecuted for using those abilities as long as I deem you can. I mean, it's already been helpful in the bombing mission beforehand."

I nodded, thinking about what happened in the previous mission. It was good to know that I wasn't going to be deem a threat to the Radiants, as long as I keep them believing that I'll only use it in order of Jade. In a way, it was comforting knowing this. The idea of it brought me back to the past... I closed my eyes and thought back to a day in the forest. I was small and was ordered to kill a boar for dinner. It was one of the first times I ever had to kill something on land to eat.

 

---

 

I was young and still learning how to use my darkness properly. I needed to eat and Maxwell was teaching me... how to hunt.

“Feodora, it’s wounded already.”

Maxwell reminded me. I could see its guts pouring out of its stomach, and the sound of death was coming from it. At that age, I felt horrible being the one who stabbed it. The corner of my eyes began to well up.

"Don't cry. To live, life must be sacrificed."

Maxwell commanded coldly.

I lifted my blade and began hacking at the boar. It took longer than I expected, but eventually, it stopped moving.

“Ahh…”

I bent down and touched its skin. Because of how uncontrolled my emotions were, I began feeding darkness into its body. Briefly, the boar took to its feet. I watched in horror as the mangled corps started to rise in front of me.

“What’s going on, Maxwell?”

I, of course, was horrified, but he stood there. Those cold eyes watched as the boar limped about before falling back to the ground.

“… Did you want it to live so badly?”

My clothing was bloody from the beating I gave the boar. I was young, inexperienced, and scared. In a way, the boar reminded me of myself, trying to live in a cold world.

“Kinda…”

I admitted.

"That power you just used is necromancy. It's illegal, and if you are caught using such a thing, you will be killed for it, Feodora."

I was shocked as I turned to my mentor.

"But if you need to use it to live… I will show you how. I will show you how to use a corpse as your friend, if only for a short time."

I stared at the demon who promised to show me the dark arts.

"When you kill for food, I'll explain to you how to properly use necromancy. But promise me… you will only use it to survive…."

 

---

 

"Thinking about something, Feodora?"

Jade asked.

"Yeah... just thinking about my days... away from society. How I was taught to never use those abilities in fear of being killed. It's strange... how life is."

The knight noddded.

"I see..."

“Are you two ready?”

Lana asked as she came up to us. It seemed everyone was prepared to go. I was done with my soup and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Well, hurry up! We’ll leave you behind if you aren’t ready.”

I could see her blush a bit as she turned away. It was strange how she put her hand on her hips, turned around roughly, and walked away as her tiny wings flapped.

“Hm…”

I turned to Jade, who had a self-satisfying smile on her.

“What?”

“I think she’s embarrassed to say thank you, Feodora.”

The knight chuckled.

“How do you know that?”

I was annoyed as we both stood up.

“You really don’t understand kids, do you? Clearly, she wants to get to know you better. I mean… it was really cool how fast you took out that orc beast, and she came out unharmed because of you.”

I felt the blood rushing to my head.

“It was in the shadows, and I had to, or else Lana would have been hurt.”

“Are you shy to say that you might have wanted to do it… to get on her good side, Feodora?”

I couldn't tell, but I think this was the natural side of Jade. The times I spoke with her, she was always in business mode. But being around her during these down periods showed me that she was an ordinary woman when she wasn't working. She smiled, joked, and enjoyed people-watching.

Jade… was something else for sure.

We continued our journey for a while longer, and eventually, the sun was going down. Around the crackle of the fire, we relaxed after the long day. The first day of the journey to Creo was done, and I was staying watch for the first half of the night.

I closed my eyes to relax and think over the day and what is likely going to happen in the future. But instantly I was caught off guard by… her face. The pained look on Mellissa made my stomach twist in pain.

“Nnngg…”

“Thinking about Mellissa?”

Jade asked as she nibbled at her rice meal. I looked at the tomato soup and sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry, Jade. It’s… more complicated than being afraid of her. I promise you… it’s not that petty.”

The knight shrugged.

“No, I get it. Believe me, I wouldn’t ask you to place yourself in danger so that girl can smile. That would be unreasonable.”

Jade set her food to the side and stood up.

“Would you mind taking a walk with me, Feodora?”

“Oh, sure.”

For a good bit, we walked away from the group into the darkness of the forest. Jade was silent the entire time as we journeyed deeper into the belly of the wilderness. Once the light of the fire faded Jade faced me.

“Tell me… what’s on your mind?”

I curled my bangs with my finger and looked away.

“You already know, Jade.”

The knight sighed deeply.

“Mellissa Ann Cafree is special. That’s why I do my best to protect her… despite her demonic side wanting to kill me.”

I looked up at the stars too.

“Jade… someone I loved gave up their life so I can live.”

I searched in the stars as if Maxwell was staring down at me. The crackle of the fire burned those feelings of that day back in me.

“I have a creed to follow… Stay alone, stay in the shadows. We are not accepted by this world because we aren’t a part of this world.”

I gazed into the knight’s golden irises.

“They gave their life up for me, so I don’t want to be reckless and waste it by accident.”

Deeply, Jade sighed.

“What a stupid creed. But I understand living for someone who died for you.”

Jade brushed her hair.

“But… the human side of Mellissa talked about you all day yesterday. It hurt… when I slowly realized that you might not accept her the same way.”

Jade glared at me.

“I think you’re a coward… and don’t want to let people in. There’s more to her, a lot more than that demonic side she’s forced to live with!”

 

 

“A coward?”

Jade shook her head.

“I think you’re brave when it comes to battle… but socially inept and a coward when opening up to others. I don’t think you’re afraid of Mellissa, you’re afraid of getting close to her.”

“Don’t you think I know that?!”

I stood up and faced her.

“I lived my entire life being rejected by the world around me! For the first time… someone wanted to know me… That’s…”

Jade cut in.

“Scary?”

I stopped, resulting in the knight scoffing at me.

“And you stepped on her feelings. I’m just saying, think about it. Mellissa likes you more than others, Feodora. That’s special for someone like her.”

I closed my eyes.

“Polechenote… also said that I might be causing her pain.”

Jade searched me up and down as if trying to read me like a book. Her gaze lowered then she spoke up.

“Why would Polechenote want you to stay away from Mellissa?”

Jade asked. I didn’t have the answer to that either. My guess was what she told me at face value. That I was causing Mellissa to go through the rituals more because I arrived at the city.

“Polechenote said that Mellissa has been doing her… ritual more often. She thinks I might be the problem. So… it’s best I just stay away from her.”

Jade tapped her blade and put a finger to her lip.

“Polechenote said this?”

I nodded.

“That’s strange… because Mellissa’s rituals became more frequent weeks before you arrived. It had nothing to do with you, Feodora.”

“What?”

“Why would she lie to you? What makes you… so special that Polechenote lied to you?”

Without answering her own question, Jade walked away, leaving me alone in the forest.

“Polechenote lied to me?”

My creed aside, I knew I wanted to get to know Mellissa more. The cries during the ritual… made me angry. But I knew even if Polechenote did lie to keep me away… staying away would be what Maxwell would have wanted. Something was wrong with all of this. The conflicts between my creed and future wants were tangling together.

“I don’t know what to do.”