Idrenis felt like she was being pulled without any force being applied. It was a disorienting feeling the way everything just seemed to fade away. Just as it faded out, there was a rushing sensation, and the next thing she knew was standing in front of a large city.
Living in Prelantia, Idrenis had always thought that their city was designed to withstand nearly anything. Looking at how massive and imposing the walls to this city looked, she understood that she was overestimating the ability people have to build cities.
"Priestess!" She started looking around after her impression of the city fell away.
"Idrenis!" Relissa called out to her and rushed to hug her.
A feeling of relief passed through her body, now that she knew that Relissa was here, too. For a brief moment, Idrenis thought that she was separated from Relissa. The sight of Sarah holding the dagger above Relissa was still burned into her mind. "I will never leave your side, Priestess!" She held onto Relissa as if she was going to disappear.
Once the both of them felt better, they separated from each other, both of them blushing from such an open display of emotions.
"Priestess..." Idrenis was about to say before Relissa stopped her.
"We are no longer in Prelantia. You do not have to address me as Priestess." She smiled, looking at her.
"But..." Idrenis tried to argue, but the angry expression on Relissa's face made her pause. "I understand, Relissa," She smiled.
Relissa grinned after getting her way, and the then both looked at the others. Aside from Yi and his group, everyone else was looking around in bewilderment.
Ha-Yoon was the first to break the silence. "Yi, where are we?"
Looking at all of them, Yi answered, "Due to what we saw on the monster continent, I thought it was better for us to arrive at a location where everyone would be safe." He looked a little concerned after saying that. "It appears that our trip to the monster continent was when we went back, instead of when we initially thought it happened. Though this does not explain why those demons were released in our period..."
"What if we did not go back, but went forward?" Selestra suggested.
Yi's eyes opened wide at her suggestion. He placed a hand on his chin and thought about the idea.
"So does this mean that everyone is still safe from the Overflow?" Ha-Yoon asked, sounding relieved.
"For now." Brittany dumped water on Ha-Yoon's joyful expression.
"Brittany, that was a bit harsh was it not?" Selestra rebuked her.
Brittany glanced at Ha-Yoon, shrugging her shoulders and turning away from Ha-Yoon.
Selestra looked at the both of them, trying to understand why Brittany was acting like that. Recognizing that the situation wasn't critical, she only sighed in frustration. She walked over to where Ha-Yoon was standing, and they seemed to talk about something. By the way, Selestra was rubbing Ha-Yoon's shoulder, Idrenis saw that Selestra was trying to cheer her up. Ha-Yoon just dumbly nodded her head at whatever Selestra was telling her.
The others in Yi's group just looked at the two of them with apathetic expressions. It seemed like something was going on between Ha-Yoon and the Yi's servants. Idrenis and Relissa looked at one another and silently agreed to stay out of it.
"Instead of standing under this hot sun, how about we head into the city," Yi suggested to everyone, appearing to disregard the obvious tension in the air.
"Will there be any issues for Relissa and me in entering the city?" Idrenis asked Yi, feeling concerned that they would be alone in this foreign place.
Yi laughed at Idrenis's words and shook his head, "there will be no issues, considering this is my city."
Idrenis and Relissa stood there staring at Yi, as he walked towards the city.
------
Relissa was happy that she and Idrenis were able to escape from that place, though she was saddened when thinking about all those people were left behind to be eaten. She clenched her fist in anger towards the gods, who played everyone's lives. Feeling Idrenis's hand on her shoulder, she looked at her and saw Idrenis smiling. Unclenching her fist, Relissa tried to forget about the past and live in this moment.
She was initially surprised after hearing that Yi was the one who created this city. He didn't appear to be someone who had the resources to build such a place. The walls appeared very sturdy, especially when they approached the walls.
"Welcome to Felicitas!" The guard greeted them very casually, very different from her own experiences. "May I ask the reason for the visit? For those interested in becoming citizens of Felicitas, we have a simple process to those just arriving. Those visiting will need to..." The guard trailed off as he started to notice some of the people in the party. "My Ladies!! Forgive me for not recognizing all of you!!!" He quickly bowed in front of Queen and the others.
Around them, several guards approached and each greeted the women. Brittany, Queen, Anacolis, and Aracia just casually acknowledged the guards. "Let the relevant individuals know that some in our group will be taking up residence inside of the city," Brittany informed one of the guards, indicating towards those behind her.
In front of them, there were several carriages that rolled up. Yi and his group got into one of the larger ones. The students divided themselves into small groups. Idrenis, Ha-Yoon, the girl that Ha-Yoon brought, and she entered into another carriage. Once they were all set, the carriages began to move forward and enter the entrance into the city.
As they traveled through the opening, Idrenis mentioned, "I have never seen a city design the entry into a city like this. The way we are going diagonally into the wall, I imagine trying to break into the city would be very difficult. All the force of the army would be directed off-center, significantly diminish the power of an army."
"I do not know if any army would be able to invade this place," Ha-Yoon murmured. "The walls would make it even difficult for monsters to scale over."
Relissa was quiet, as she looked around. Soon, the tunnel into the city ended, and they were flooded with the sun. Her eyes were filled with the scene of massive structures, entirely different from those inside of the place she grew up in. If there were a word that could describe the sight of this place it would be how organized everything looked. There wasn't the usual casualness inside of a city, due to the nature of buildings being built as the population grew and businesses flooded in.
"What is that delicious aroma?" Ha-Yoon exclaimed, looking at the small shops selling goods.
"Everyone looks very happy. It makes me feel like I am back at home." Idrenis smiled, enjoying how children were playing with one another and mothers were chatting with each other. There were even fathers who looked to be debating various topics.
"Many fathers seem to be taking care of children in this city. Normally the men would be off working on the farms or other areas, but here they are casually enjoying the day." Ha-Yoon spoke out loud.
Relissa agreed with their assessment of the surroundings. This was very unusual, even in a city that was led by a woman. There also didn't appear to be the slight tension seen on people's faces as they went about the day. The people here seemed to be happy and relaxed, with a level of assurance that was never seen in other places.
"I do not hear any bartering inside the shops!" Ha-Yoon exclaimed after a short while.
Until Ha-Yoon had mentioned this, Relissa didn't take any notice, but after hearing this, she tried to look more closely at the small shops. During the day the stores should be loud with people negotiating prices and shop owners trying to attract customers. This street was primarily filled with the casual conversations of people walking around.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
In front of one of the stores, a group of kids was dressed in some type of uniform and enjoying some kind of treat. They were laughing and appeared to be in high spirits. One of them looked over at the three of them and waved her hand. The other kids looked at who she was waving at and saw the carriages going past. All of them smiled and seemed curious as to who these new people were.
Relissa grinned and waved back at them, happy that the people here were so outgoing and friendly.
Eventually, all the carriages stopped in front of a building with a sign that read, "Welcome Office." A lady was standing outside of the building and looking as if she was expecting them. She bowed to the woman in Yi's group in the first carriage. Queen approached the woman and seemed to give some directions.
Yi was heading towards them. When he approached them, he asked, "What did you think of my city?"
"This place is beautiful!" Ha-Yoon exclaimed. "Everyone looks so happy and friendly."
Yi laughed after hearing her say that. "I am glad that you have such a positive impression of this place. I tried to create it in a way that people would be able to live freely, in an environment that was not tainted by ugliness usually seen in cities." He looked at the girl that was in Ha-Yoon's arms and asked, "Will the two of you like to live with one another?"
Hearing Yi's question, Ha-Yoon's face seemed to cloud over. The cheerfulness was lost and replaced by sorrow like she had remembered something. She shook her head and said, "I will need to return to the Academy. I have duties that I must fulfill, and I have been gone for so long though I am unsure for how long."
Yi appeared to be saddened with hearing that she was planning on not staying in the city. "I may not know what is happening, but I hope you know that you can leave all that behind you. Here, in this city, you can start fresh. There are educational institutes in this city you could join if you do not wish to stop being a teacher." His eyes were filled with a deep emotion, as he tried to convince her.
Though the tears in her eyes indicated her desire, Ha-Yoon shook her head. "I am sorry, Yi. It would be best for you to not worry about me. Please, just stay inside of your city and forget about everything we talked about. I do not want to taint the moments we shared with reality."
Yi gave a deep sigh and seemed to accept Ha-Yoon's words. Though it seemed to give him great pain, he appeared to respect her wishes of wanting to return to her home. Trying to regain his composure, Yi looked at the Relissa and Idrenis. "If the two of you would like to room together, just let the staff in the building know. They will be able to accommodate your wishes." He was about to turn and walk away when Idrenis asked, "Yi. Would it be okay if we take care of the girl that Ha-Yoon rescued? Seeing that she is from the place we came from, I do not think it would be right to leave her alone."
Yi looked back at them and smiled, nodding his head. He motioned for the staff who was talking with Queen to approach him. Talking to the woman, he looked back at them and indicated towards Idrenis, the girl, and her. The woman nodded her head and proceeded to motion everyone to follow her inside.
Relissa looked at Ha-Yoon, who was watching Yi walk away from them. There was a single tear that rolled down her cheek. Not wanting to intervene in something she had no business in, she followed Idrenis and the girl.
---------
Brittany watched as her Master walked away from the group of carriages, as those who were from the Academic City and Prelantia. He had approached the woman who was his teacher and seemed to have a conversation which caused him great pain. Though he prided himself in keeping himself walled off from his emotions, she knew that he cared deeply for others. Though she was created by him, her Master had never tried to force her into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with.
Staring at that woman as she entered the building, she felt herself wanting to slice the woman in half. The woman obviously had things hidden from her Master, but Brittany was well aware of her secret rendezvous with the Prince of Lunar Empire.
To make sure that her Master was protected, Brittany had several of the maids infiltrate Academic City. With the maids' ability to teleport and superior abilities, like all of her Master's creations, they were able to act as the perfect spies. They would all report to her and inform Brittany of Ha-Yoon's movements, especially when she met with the Prince.
At first, Brittany was confused as to why Ha-Yoon would meet with someone the Prince, but as time went on, she understood what was happening. This was something expected of humans to do and was nothing for Brittany to concern herself with. It wasn't until Brittany started to recognize her Master's behavior that she understood that the bond between Ha-Yoon and her Master was not one she could support. Though she was against such a relationship from developing, Brittany felt that it wasn't in her place to tell her Master what he could or couldn't do. It created a deep sense of conflict inside of her. The reason she didn't tell her Master about what she knew about Ha-Yoon and the Prince was that she felt Ha-Yoon, herself, didn't want anything to develop.
"If she even dares to try and manipulate my beloved Master, I will make sure that she suffers beyond anything she could even imagine." Brittany ground her teeth, causing some of her bloodlust to leak out.
"Brittany, you must control yourself!" Queen urged, after seeing what was happening.
Hearing Queen's concerned voice, Brittany forced herself to calm down. "Thank you, Queen. I just kept thinking about that woman manipulating Master, who seems to care a great deal for her."
"I understand your feelings. I, too, have had my servants watch that woman. The way she acted the day I saw her, I had a feeling that she would her fate would be intertwined with his." Queen confessed.
"You did not tell me of this?!" Brittany growled at Queen.
Hearing the tone in Brittany's voice, Queen hissed, "I am not required to report my actions to you. Though you may be Master's attendant, do not mistake the limit of your authority!"
Brittany pouted at Queen's chastising, peeved at being talked to in such a manner but willing to admit that she was in the wrong.
Seeing that Brittany understood her error, Queen tried to soothe her. "Though you may think that this woman is a negative influence, I have observed that this may not be the case. My minions have kept me informed, and with their ability to sense the darkness within others, they tell me that she has begun to change. I sense that there is something other than what is obviously happening, between her and the Prince." Queen tilted her head, trying to understand the puzzle in front of her.
"Why should I care if something is going on between her and that Prince?" Brittany sneered at the comment. "My interest is only with making sure that my Master is happy."
Queen stared flatly at Brittany. "Just because I am trying to learn more about this woman does not mean that I do not care for our Master. This woman is obviously someone that Master enjoys being around." She sighed in frustration. "You are not like this with Selestra. I do not understand your animosity for this woman."
"Selestra is different! I can tell that she is someone who will dedicate herself to my Master. Her attention to his needs closely resembles our own, which makes her one of us." Brittany tried to deflect Queen's question.
Queen looked deeply into Brittany's eyes and seemed to be searching for something. "So that is the reason."
"What do you mean?" Brittany appeared defensive, unsure what Queen was implying.
"You are unhappy that this woman has been with another man. A man that is not our Master, and now may have interests in being with him." Queen grinned after finding the root of the issues.
Feeling like she was being backed out into a corner, Brittany lashed out, "Why should I accept some woman like her!"
Hearing the arguing between Brittany and Queen, Anacolis and Aracia headed towards them. "What is the matter with you two?" Anacolis asked them. "You two are making a scene behaving like children where everyone can see."
"She is the one that picked a fight with me!" Brittany pointed her finger accusingly at Queen.
Anacolis and Aracia looked at Queen, signaling that they were curious as to what had happened.
"Brittany is worried that woman, Ha-Yoon, has interests in our Master, and feels that someone who has been with other men does not deserve to be with him," Queen explained to the two of them.
"Pah! She is already causing trouble without even capturing our Master's heart." Anacolis hissed.
"Sister, should I handle this matter?" Aracia asked.
"No!! You will not 'handle this matter'!" Queen snapped her head towards Aracia. "I know what you have been doing to those who you think may gain our Master's favor! This woman is someone who is dear to our Master!"
"Queen, you are behaving irrationally. She is just some human woman, who has yet to ensnare our Master. We should deal with this problem before it becomes something serious. I sense that her loyalties will always be conflicted between our Master and another, and we can not allow such a thing to happen." Anacolis looked menacingly at Queen. "Would you be willing to gamble our Master's fragile heart?"
"I will not be maneuvered into such a loaded question. I feel that we should allow things to develop further before we leap towards a conclusion." Queen looked at each one of them to nail in her point.
Brittany felt that Queen was wrong about this matter, but decided to hold off on fighting with her. She secretly glanced at the Jungle Sisters and saw that they were also looking back at her. They seemed to be in agreement with Brittany, which made her feel better. Though there would be no actions taken towards this woman, Brittany felt that it was better that she make sure that others felt the same way as her.
"You guys seem to be intensely discussing something." Her Master's voice could be heard behind the sisters. The sisters jumped and moved aside for their Master. They had been talking so heatedly that they didn't even notice that he was close to them.
"Master, we are all just talking about how you seem depressed." Anacolis soothingly said. She smoothly moved her body, so it was behind his and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "We are just concerned that Master has been dealing with things without letting us know." She lowered her voice and talked into his ear, "Master knows that I would do anything to help you relieve yourself."
Their Master smiled sadly and stroked Anacolis's arm. "I appreciate your concern. I have just been thinking about some things and did not mean to worry all of you." He sounded slightly guilty, which made Brittany want to rush over to him and embrace him until all the hurt left his body.
"Is there anything we could do that help?" Aracia asked.
Their Master appeared to debate about whether he should let them know about his thought, before saying, "I know that something is happening with Ha-Yoon, but I do not want to invade her privacy." He sighed. "Even though I see her as a friend, a part of me feels a desire to make things better for her." Chuckling as if he said something funny, he said, "these thoughts of mine seem so childish. I think I will head back to the Stronghold and just rest my head."
"Master, you are not childish. You just have a large heart, and I am sure that Ha-Yoon would appreciate your thoughts about wanting to help her. I think a little nap would be perfect for you, and afterward, you can have something to eat." Anacolis agreed with him. "Let me accompany my precious Master." She picked him up and carried him towards the stronghold.
"Anacolis, there is no need to carry me to my bed. I have the ability to do that myself." Her Master tried to protest.
"Of course you do, Master. I just want to feel Master in my arms as long as possible, so please allow me this." She cooed, as she slithered towards the Stronghold.
Brittany watched as he was taken away by Anacolis.
----
Brittany was panting hard, as she continued to slice monsters appearing in front of her. They were coming in waves never ending. The amount of power that each of them held was hundreds of times stronger than the ones she fought against on the monster continent.
In front of her, a colossal monster appeared and stomped towards her. The ground beneath her trembled in response to the monster's footsteps. "Just try and do anything!" She yelled at the beast, which roared in defiance.
In her hands, Brittany felt a heavy weight appear, feeling the satisfying weight of a sword. The armor around her body felt snug and encapsulating as if she was being wrapped in the love and warmth of her Master. "I will not let you get near him!!" She screamed in anger, waves of force were generated around her. The nearby monsters were flung back.
Running towards her new opponent, Brittany slammed her left foot on the ground, causing cracks to appear from the energy generated. She leaped towards the beast and spun the sword and plunged the point of the blade into its chest. Brittany was bathed in the warm blood of the monster.
"YES!! How does that feel!?" She laughed as she ripped the sword out of the monster's chest, the sucking noise causing her great pleasure. Once the sword was out of the monster's chest, Brittany immediately plunged it back into the gaping wound. "I am going to rip out everything that is inside of you!!" Brittany's laughter would have caused a normal man to feel chilled, especially if they watched her repeatedly stab into the monster. It roared in pain and appeared to try and get her off of its chest, but was failing due to her agility.
Tossing aside the sword, she willed her gloves to transform. Instead of looking like traditional gauntlets, they now appeared like a dragon's claw. With no regard to her safety, Brittany dug into the monster's chest. Flesh was flying all over the place as she slashed the wound open. Her action made it look as if she was burrowing into the monster.
"You think you have the ability to get near my Master??!! I will show you how wrong you are and make you pay for your audacity!!" She howled in anger. In a matter of moments, she saw the rest of the landscape after clawing her way through the beast. "Do not think that any of you will be able to escape from me!!" She screamed at the endless number of creatures in front of her.
[Mistress, I have a new development in the Elven Kingdom to report!] A voice interrupted Brittany's unfiltered rage.
"ARRRGGHH!!!!" She screamed and slashed at the scenery in front of her, causing claw marks to slash the earth below her. [What is it?! I am busy!!] Brittany snarled at the voice, angry at being interrupted.
[I have learned that there is a massive demon army that is heading towards the Capital of the Elven Kingdom. At the rate they are coming, the army should arrive in a day.] The voice squeaked in fear from Brittany's voice.
[Those damn demons! They dared to attack my Master back in that dungeon. You did a good job at informing me.] Brittany congratulated her agent.
[Thank you, Mistress!] The voice thanked her.
Brittany looked around at the carnage and said, "stop the simulation." The horde of monsters shimmered and disappeared, leaving a large empty room. Brittany landed on the floor with a loud thud, causing cracks to appear.
Dripping in blood, Brittany walked towards the resting area. This area was filled with various comforts, especially the large bathing area. There were several large rooms, where one could wash themselves of the physical activities of the training area.
Each of the rooms had a maid that patiently waited to serve anyone. Brittany waved her arm at the maid, indicating the maid to turn on the water. From the ceiling, there was a sprinkling of water to mimic rainfall. Feeling the water wash away the blood was a great feeling. Cleaning herself off, she enjoyed the brief feeling of soreness in her muscles. Brittany had set the simulation to be difficult but thought that it could have been harder.
-----
Walking down a corridor after cleaning herself and adorning a dress that accentuated her figure, she felt happy as she headed towards where her Master was sleeping. Though she didn't want to interrupt his rest, Brittany thought that the news that the Elven Kingdom was in peril would be appreciated and thought about her Master complimenting her for this information.
At the end of the corridor, she entered into the throne room. The sight always took her breath away, showcasing how powerful her creator was. "How could this world even think it could stand in the way of my Master." She shook her head and chuckled at the thought.
Going down the hallway next to the throne, she reached the door of her Master's bedchamber. Opening the door, Brittany entered the central chamber. She could hear soft words being spoken.
"My beautiful and caring Master. This world does not deserve your attention. Your sleeping face is something I could watch for eternity, as I hold you in my arms. Seeing the sorrow filled face hurts me greatly, so please allow me to do anything to erase such thoughts from your mind. I only hope to bring you a world that is filled with happiness and joy."
Brittany walked towards where the bedroom was located and saw Anacolis cuddling with her Master, with one of her hands stroking his head and she said soothing words into his ear. He looked so content and at peace that Brittany wished that she could switch places with Anacolis.
[If you are thinking about disturbing our Master's slumber, then I suggest you turn around and leave this place. He has had enough activities for today and needs to rest. I will not let you interrupt our time together.] Anacolis threw her thoughts at Brittany.
[You are only here because you acted before any of us could, so do not try and make it sound as if you were chosen.] She threw her thoughts back at Anacolis. [I have come to inform our Master that those despicable demons have invaded the Elven Kingdom. I thought that this would be a great time to repay them for what they did to our Master.] Brittany grinned at the thought.
"Master, I will be able to show my love for you, and tear those impertinent vermin asunder." Anacolis cooed and tightened her embrace. She giggled and continued stroking his head.