"Do you know how old your brother was?" Vell asked.

"Maybe a few years older than me," Sonder answered. Her cheeks gained the slightest red color, but even though she cried, no tears came, as she couldn't produce any.

"How about your parents?"

"I don't know."

"Don't know or don't remember?" Vell asked for clarification.

"Both, I think."

"You don't need to worry much about your brother. There were no corpses of teenagers in the wreckage of your village."

Sonder didn't know if she should think about whether that was good or bad.

They wandered over a small hill, and from there they could see something like a ruin of a fortress below.

Small figures of people wandered around and seemed to live in the ruins.

Without much deliberation, Vell continued.

As they got closer, Sonder saw that there were makeshift repairs all over the ruined fortress.

But as they got close to the gate, an arrow landed next to their feet.

Sonder felt as though she should cringe away from the danger, but she didn't, and neither did Vell, but she didn't know if he even noticed it before it landed close to them.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Who goes there," A man with a crossbow said from up the crumbling wall by the gate.

Before he spoke, Vell said, "Wui," and his staff lit up for a second.

"I am Accismus," his voice different from what Sonder had heard previously, it was far older, "the great mercenary mage. You must have heard of me. I have come a long way and want to offer my services to the Garrions. I have brought this girl as proof of my wizardship."

The guard was baffled by what he heard and scratched his head.

"Uh..." he said, "Oy, come here."

"What?" The man who was called said.

"Whatcha make of this?" the other asked.

"Wha-?" He looked down the wall and asked, "The bloody hell are you?"

"I am Accismus. I am here to offer my service to the Garrions." Vell said.

"How'd I know that you're him?" The man asked.

"The real Accismus is a great wizard, and I have proof of my wizardry right here. Come down and look for yourselves."

"How do I know that you won't attack me when I get down there?"

"If I am an evil wizard, then what would I do directly in front of your door instead of flying over it or teleporting in? And if I'm not a wizard at all, then I'm just a guy with a stick and a small girl. Not a very threatening combination, is it?" Vell assured.

"Aye."

After a moment, the gates opened, and the first guard, with two men on his side with spears, came down.

"No funny business,"

"Don't worry."

"So, what so-called 'proof of wizardry' have you got here?" The man asked.

"Well, I have made this girl immortal. See the sword in her stomach."

"Mh, what if it is an illusion?" The man raised a concern.

"Pull on it," Vell dared him.

And so he did, but as Sonder hadn't achieved before, the sword was stuck.

"Does it hurt?" the guard asked Sonder.

"Not really," she answered.

He looked at his two guards and said, "seems legit, but I don't know, should we poke her with a spear?"

One man shook his head, and the other said, "I'm not going to stab a little girl, even though she is immortal, that seems kinda wrong."

"Alright, let them through."