Meera stared between the two sorceresses and finally saw the similarities. They had the same eyebrows, and their eyes were tilted up similarly, though their noses were drastically different. It could be easy to miss their identical features.

"That explains the green hair," Meera commented.

Kalrina gasped and backed up from her sister, motioning at Meera to stop it or say something that might worsen things.

"What about the hair?" Arvena said in a controlled manner.

Kalrina waved her hands like a maniac behind her older sister, telling Meera to stop.

She told the truth. "It's garish."

The witch slapped her forehead. Then immediately flowed to her sister's side. "I'm sure she means that in a nice, fun manner, don't you?"

"No, I mean that in a—you are vain and a show-off like your sister—manner."

Kalrina raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"You really need to rethink your statement," Arvena seethed. She walked up to Meera until they were eye-to-eye. "I'm not some village wench that you can talk down to. Get that through your thick head, girlie." She tapped on the side of Meera's head.

That sent Meera over the edge. She drew a deep breath. "Ever since I've started to look for my brother, I've run into people who can put me into the ground with barely any effort. But you…despite your level…are not one of them."

The sorceress began to shimmer. Meera gripped her arm, and all eight of Meera's level 2 chakrams exploded out from her back, surrounding the Sorceress of Mirages. Two on both sides of her neck, one pressed against her forehead, one on her spine, two behind each knee, and two, she sent for Kalrina, in case some sisterly love awoke in the witch, and she did something stupid.

"You finish shimmering, or another one of you shows up, you'll be lying in pieces. That goes the same for you, witch. Move a muscle or any sound escapes your throat, your sister is going to get gutted, followed by you."

Meera returned her attention to Arvena. "Now, when I say your hair color is garish, then fucking garish it is, and as far as I'm concerned, you are a village wench that I can talk down to. Get that through you thick head, girlie?" Meera tapped the side of Arvena's head just like the sorceress had done to her.

"You better sleep with an eye open."

"Threatening someone who can cut you up six different ways before she takes her next breath…" She snorted. "You two really are sisters."

A mirror in the shape of a hand formed above Kalrina's head, which bobbed up and down alarmingly.

"What?" Meera barked.

"I think things have gotten wildly out of hand," Kalrina said. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Meera, this is Arvena, my dearest older sister. Arvena, this is Meera, a warrior of much renown."

Meera's chakrams stayed put, and the green-haired sorceress continued to stare daggers at Meera.

Kalrina sighed. "Did I mention that Meera is the Champion's sister and that Arvena is going to smuggle us into Akhessai?"

"What?" Meera and Arvena cried at the same time.

"You're going to smuggle us in?" Meera asked the sorceress she had just antagonized.

"I'm going to smuggle you in?" Arvena asked her sister, equally confused. Then snapped her head to Meera. "You're Neel's sister."

Meera let go of Arvena and recalled her chakrams while glaring at Kalrina. "You need to stop spilling that secret to everyone we meet."

Kalrina raised her hands. "Hey, it was you who told the Saint."

"You went into the GLADE!" Arvena shouted the last word.

"Now, who's spilling secrets," Kalrina muttered, giving her a sidelong glance, before turning to her sister. "Now, it's a long story. Are you sure we have the time after all those explosions so close to the keep? I'm sure someone's coming to investigate."

"Then make it short."

"Aksha was after us, so we jumped in there to escape."

Arvena crossed her arms and tapped a finger on her arm. "Is that it?"

"Oh, these two Cosmarians Meera is friends with stole my memory and made me forget that I ever met her. I thought the Saint could help me retrieve it."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Did he?"

Kalrina sighed. "No, the man is cracked. He couldn't even bring his own memory back, let alone mine. Oh, and did I mention those Cosmarians also stole the divine chakram that Meera gave me."

"You forced me to give you that chakram in exchange for my life," Meera snapped.

"In other words, you did give it to me." Kalrina grinned.

Arvena's head snapped to Meera's arms, and her eyes widened as she no doubt read her weapon's description. "You have divine weapons given to you by the Lady of Mirrors. You are friends with Cosmarians, and your brother is the Champion from the Great Prophecy." She took a step back. "Just who in Rothedon's name are you, woman?"

"I didn't know they were Cosmarians when I met them. I thought they were just regular hunters back then. It's a long story, too." Meera didn't feel like sharing the story that no doubt would've made her sound pathetic for trusting a pair of random strangers. She had a feeling she would have to do the same now, but not as much as she had done Silas and Cossus. After all, she wasn't the same girl as the one who had stumbled out of the mirror.

"You two have a lot of long stories, it seems." Arvena looked between them, then zeroed in on Meera. "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't hand you over to Aksha when we get to Akhessai?"

Meera scoffed. "I've already dealt with your poison sorceress and her daughters many times."

She snorted. "The one you fought was not the real Aksha. The real Aksha never leaves the dragon keep." She glanced sideways at her sister. "You didn't tell the girl?"

Meera's anger rose immediately. "No, she did not. She told me we were fighting the real one?"

Kalrina smiled sheepishly. "I figured I would tell you when the time was right."

"But that last one even acted like she was the real deal," Meera said.

"A lot of them do," Arvena replied. "They all think they are the real one, but the real Aksha hasn't left Akhessai for over a century. What caused Aksha to leave Akhessai, sweet sister?"

Kalrina looked away and didn't answer.

"Once, some of Ignis Sunbreath's children had come seeking revenge for their grandmother. She beat them into submission single-handedly. And you think you can handle someone who can take on five dragons above level 500 on her own." Arvena laughed. "Actually, please try. I would love to see her peel away your skin slowly."

Meera gulped, trying her best not to show any signs of fear. "What is the real one's level?"

"Her daughters are a little more than half her level." Arvena smirked.

Meera quickly did the math, and her eyes popped open. "She's over level 800?"

"812," Kalrina peeped.

"You have people that strong at your dragon keep?" Meera asked, clearly understanding how out of her depths she was about to be.

"Don't worry," Kalrina said. "There's only three people over level 700. Most of us are around level 400, so not much to worry about."

"Yes, clearly not," Meera replied, voice thick with sarcasm.

Arvena flourished a hand. "This way, girlie. Let's go meet your doom."

Meera kept her expression under control. "If you think your leaders will kill me for attacking a bunch of duplicates, then you're as dim-witted as I think you are. Would they kill someone as important as the Champion's sister? Though, if you hand me in, I'll tell them you have a hand in smuggling your sister back in." She smiled at the scowling green-haired woman.

Kalrina stepped in between them. "Now that we've made the mutual destruction clear, let's go see the corpse of an archdragon."

Arvena huffed, glared at Meera one last time, and took the lead. Kalrina smiled at Meera and fell in beside her sister. Meera brought up the rear to ensure she reacted first in case the sisters tried anything, especially after their last exchange.

Meera originally had no intention of antagonizing the sorceress, but them trying to play Meera for fools just rubbed her wrong. In the end, she figured things turned out for the best, as now they knew that Meera could see through their deceptions and kill them if they tried anything funny.

For once, it felt good not to be the one who had to bow to higher-level people. But it wouldn't last long as she was headed to a place with people over level 800. She wondered what sort of power and skills the real Aksha had.

Wait, she would have the same skills as her daughters. So, nothing new, but I have a new skill that should help me against these sorceresses. Speaking of skills…

She pulled up her lone notification, which held the skills she had stolen from the witch's sisters when she gave her the little cut. She hoped it was something good.

*ding!*

[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Illusionary Camouflage. Illusionary Camouflage – Type: Active. You can conceal yourself and your allies within illusionary coverings or veils, making them appear invisible or blending seamlessly into the environment. Would you like to acquire this skill?

*ding!*

[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Volatility. The radius of explosive skills will be expanded greatly at no additional Mana cost, allowing them to affect a larger area and inflict greater damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]

Meera raised an eyebrow at the second skill. She had a couple of explosive skills if she was seeing this right—Mirror Blast and Shadowflame Devastation. They would both be strengthened greatly by this skill and become her trump card moves.

She had a thought. Although Heaven's Wrath, too, was an explosive skill, in a way.

Illusionary Camouflage was also a good skill, but she had her armor's ability to hide herself in plain light. Volatility was a general skill that she could add without giving anything up.

*ding!*

[You have acquired the skill Volatility – Level 1]

They trekked through the trees until they arrived at the base of the mountain. The treeline ended, and a great mountain began. The sorceresses stopped and sighed simultaneously.

Arvena looked to Kalrina. "Ready to return home, sister?"

"This place was never home. Not for me, anyway."

"And yet, we've lived here longer than any other place. The way I see it, it makes it home."

Kalrina didn't reply to her sister and turned to Meera. "Just know, love, we're going to have to be very careful. We have no friends in this place."

Meera frowned. "What place? The mountain?"

The sisters shared a glance and chuckled.

"You are as dumb as you look. Follow along, pup." Arven motioned with her hand and walked directly into the mountain.

Then Kalrina did the same, leaving a bewildered Meera behind. Meera took a tentative step forward with a hand toward the mountain. She gave it a ginger tap and felt nothing but a cool sensation.

Then it hit her. Oh, it's an illusion.

Meera drew a deep breath, stepped through the illusion, and her jaw dropped. Her head kept going up and up and up.

"Damn, you were right, witch," Meera said. "We really are cockroaches to them."

"Uh, I told you so…"