Galen Vesa

“Will you stop doing that!”

The big bad wolf roared at me and almost swatted my hand away. Altina stopped herself a bit before slapping my palm. Instead, she grabbed a defenseless pillow then proceeded to slap my head with it.

“You dim witted, senseless, insubordinate tree-humper!”

She swung the pillow so hard that her claws ripped it apart and a flurry of feathers cascaded over my head.

“Do you have any idea what I went through when Imperial guards marched me out of my first banquet in the capital?! May Shamuu have mercy on my poor heart. I thought they came to execute me! Can you fathom what this will do to my reputation?! We are finished! Finished before we even started. Just imagine what people will say. With gossips like that our guild is done for.”

Deflated, she flopped into a chair beside me.

“We don’t have time for this. I have orders to move the both of you into protective custody. Get up, we’re leaving. If you can’t get up, we’ll arrange stretchers for you. Either way we need to get going. Now.”

Fenella’s ‘now’ had the familiar ‘move or I’ll kick your ass’ undertone.

“Protective custody?”

Altina’s ears went up.

“Why?”

“Orders. Lodge a complaint with imperial magistrate if you want. We leave, now.”

She gave a nod to the knights that came with her. A woman and two men, one holding a folded stretcher. Huh? They were not knights of house Vermilion. Their uniforms were simpler, more utilitarian in their design and yet, at the same time, more expensive. When they came closer, a familiar tingle of magic rubbed against my senses. Enchanted equipment? I don’t know whether it was the armor hidden underneath their robes or the weapons they carried or maybe both but the air around them hummed with spinning mana.

“Your grace, if you allow me.”

Your grace a? That’s a new one. The female knight came closer and offered me her help while the other two began unfolding the stretchers. I could sense no venom in her voice nor did my eyes noticed any sign of the familiar tint of anger and disgust people had while talking with me. She had an elf before herself and she did not care.

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“Thank you but it won’t be needed. I can walk by myself.”

Looking into her grey eyes I sent her one of my almost not fake smiles and slid my legs off my bed. Much to their surprise, I got up without any trouble. I don’t know what they expected but aside from the magic burns on my arms my body was fine. I think. I can’t feel a damn thing. Well, I can feel mana but that’s about it. Rooth once said it had something to do with my broken body. My mana sensitivity compensating for the other missing senses.

“Bring us a cape, she can’t go out looking like this.”

Yeah, we can’t have a blood thirsty elven assassin strolling around, scaring good citizens of the empire. That or Fenella didn’t want me prancing in my night gown. Regardless of the reason, they got me a cape and after pulling its hood over my face they ushered us outside.

I had no time to marvel at the lush interior of the duchess’s estate nor did the hood allowed me any sightseeing. I could make out the legs of the knight walking before me and about as much on my sides. To my right I had the wolf effortlessly keeping my pace. Behind me I could sense about ten more people draped in enchanted equipment. With the six knights walking ahead of us and the judge magister herself, the force attached for my so-called protection appeared outright excessive.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Followed by a contingent of armed knights, the grand duchess blocked our path as we were descending a spiraling stairway. I hoped to get a peek of this engineering marvel but the most I saw was the railing carved out of black stone.

“I have shown you my hospitality yet you dare barge in with swords into my house and threaten my servants?!”

I risked peeking over the shoulder of a knight standing before me. He had his hand gripped around the hilt of his sword even before they stopped us. Were they expecting some trouble? Inside a noble’s house? Altina’s eyes met mine. Her thoughts seemed to be running along similar tracks since her body took on a defensive posture and a could feel her mana spread out throughout her limbs.

“Emperor’s orders.”

Fenella came forward, brandishing a piece of parchment.

“Your guest is to be moved into the palace as there are concerns regarding her safety. As for you madam, I advise you to move as well. Our presence here puts everyone in danger.”

Whatever information that scroll contained, Vivian paled when blood drained from her face.

“Thomas, lock down the estate. We’re leaving. Make sure everyone’s accounted for.”

And just like that, they left. Almost running away, the grand duchess left without gracing us with another look.

“Move. We must get to the palace before the nightfall.”

Unbothered by anyone else, the knights led us out of the estate and ushered into one of the four armored wagons parked there. Pulled by eight beasts I had never seen before, the boxy shape I got into had more in common with an armored van than a carriage. The design hid even the driver’s seat behind a steel plates mounted on a wooden frame, leaving nothing but thin slits to watch the road.

To my surprise, the moment the heavy, windowless doors clang behind me as their bots went into place, the wagon jerked into motion by a force not dissimilar to a sprinting car.

“Merciful Shamuu...”

The wolf yelped as the sudden start tossed her into my lap. We were moving at a steady twenty miles an hour if the trees zooming by the tiny slits in the carriage sides were any indication.