Kalrina watched the humbled adventurer stride off into the woods. She had hung her mirrors all over the woods in this valley to keep an eye on who walked in the woods. It was mainly to ensure she had ample warning when the Daughters of Aksha arrived. The hunters from Akhessai didn't stop when on a hunt, even if it took them years, and they always caught their prey.

She took a seat and stared at the mythical weapon in her hand. "Now, why did the Lady give such a weapon to an outsider and a dullard…I know she survived the Cave when so many failed all because of you. I will discover your secrets soon enough, but before that, I must deal with some more uninvited guests."

She looked at her bloody dress and shrugged and recast the illusion to make herself look presentable. In the mirror table, she saw two men enter her house. They were handsome in a rugged sort of way. They wore worn leather armor with a longbow and quivers on their backs. They both had dirty blonde hair. One kept it long and the other short. They were definitely brothers, as they had quite similar features.

I wonder who I can seduce first…probably the shorter hair fellow.

He had a lecherous look in his eye, and he was pushing past his brother to get through the door first, but the long-haired man got to it first. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could, Kalrina said. "Come in."

They exchanged glances but said nothing. The door opened, and they filed in one by one. The long-haired one kept his composure, but the other one's eyes popped open when he saw her. Just like Kalrina thought.

She smiled at him. No need for me to use my glamor yet.

"Hello, boys." She deliberately crossed her legs, and the lecherous one's eyes did not miss that.

"H-Hello, when I heard a witch lived here," said the short-haired one. "I was expecting an old crone with a warty, hook nose, but you're…"

"Yes…"

"One of the most beautiful women I've ever seen."

His brother elbowed him. "Close your mouth. Your tongue is wagging."

That broke the spell, and he glared at his brother.

The long-haired fellow stepped forward and took the seat opposite Kalrina. "I'm Silas, and this is Cossus."

"Now, where have I heard your names before?" Kalrina pondered more to herself than them.

"You've heard of us?" Cossus, the short-haired man, said with a grin. "I'm so honored…and lucky."

Silas glared at his brother, which he completely missed.

"Who do you work for?" Kalrina asked. She was sure they worked for some sorceress. Some used these kinds of mercenaries as helpers to do the things they could not do, like she had Edwyn. Poor Edwyn…I could have used him some more.

“Domina,” Silas said.

Kalrina's eyebrows shot up. "My, my…and you would just tell me that."

Now, she Identify'ed them.

[Hunter – Level 83]

[Assassin – Level 92]

Kalrina almost laughed at how pathetic their levels were. They were of no concern to her, for she was over level 300 in both her classes. She could kill them with her eyes closed.

"Of course, we wouldn't want to start our conversation by lying to you," Cossus said.

"And we expect the same of you," Silas added.

"Of course, lads. You will hear no lies from me."

For I have no reason to lie to such pathetic little fools.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Silas said, eyeing the chakram on the table. "See, from what little knowledge we've gathered about you. We know you're on the run from Akhessai because you stole a forbidden book called The Intricacies of Skills and Species by Bareem Tirik, which you obtained by killing Isolde, a fellow sister of your order."

"A powerful and influential sorceress from what we heard," Cossus added.

"Indeed," Silas said. "Then you funded the operations of one, Edwyn Toller, who ran experiments on animals and people for ten years trying to gain the powers of Darthin for you, which we just heard was successful. You've set up shop here because you are worried when the Daughters of Aksha eventually find you, you will have little chance against them unless you have the Crystal of Darthin. But for months, you've been unsuccessful in retrieving it despite sending so many of your golems into the Cave of Wraiths."

"Until now." Cossus leaned against the wall behind his brother.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Until now…when our friend Meera got it for you. Did I get that right?"

Kalrina examined her nails. "You got it right. Though, I wonder how much of that your mistress simply divined for you."

Silas smiled. "There are a few things we wish to ask of you, and then we will be gone."

"Ask away. It's not like I will answer you," Kalrina shot back.

"You will."

"Or what?"

"Or nothing," Silas replied. "You simply will."

Kalrina breathed out heavily. This man was getting on her nerves. "You know what? I don't think I will, and there is nothing a pair of pathetically weak hunters can do to make me."

"Cossus." Silas nodded.

"Right."

Cossus stepped around his brother and pointed at the broken pieces of mirror on the table. "Reverse." One by one, the pieces stitched themselves back together until the pair that the uppity brat had destroyed was whole again.

Kalrina couldn't hide her astonishment. She focused on the mirrors.

[Mirrors of Dorheia]

She gasped. "How did you…"

"You don't have to worry about that," Silas said. "Now, these will keep you honest. So, let's play." He cut his finger and smeared blood on the mirror facing him. The mirror absorbed the blood, and the game was on.

"What did you and Neel converse about?" Silas asked.

"I think I've just about had it with you two." She activated her Glamor skill. It let her take control of anyone who found her beautiful or lusted after her. Her target was Cossus, as he would be brought under her control easily. Cossus immediately stared ahead with a smile. "Now, Cossus, kill your brother."

Cossus looked at Silas, then back to Kalrina. "Yes, mistress," he said in a monotone voice. He moved for his brother.

Kalrina sat back with a smug grin.

Silas stared back at her and slapped his brother's hand away when he came to strangle him. "Knock it off."

Cossus laughed. "Honestly, lady, you think a pathetic skill like that could overpower me."

Kalrina's smile vanished, and looked between the brothers. Her Glamor skill had never failed her before. Never. She would be lying if she said it didn't unnerve her. "But you even said…"

He waved a dismissive hand. "You're far too young for my taste."

"Young?" Kalrina forgot about being nervous. "I am over a hundred years old."

"Exactly."

"Who are you two?" She asked.

"Seeing as how I fixed your mirrors, you have to answer our questions, not the other way around," Cossus said.

"That's not how the mirrors work," Kalrina said. "It's an even trade."

"They'll make an exception for us," Silas replied.

Now, Kalrina was a little more than nervous. She wanted to get up and slowly back out of the room. Any magician worth their salt had heard of Domina, perhaps the greatest oracle alive. One of the few who survived the Blood of Seers. So, it was only natural that she would attract talented folk to herself, but just who were these two that could repair enchanted mirrors and shirk her Glamor skill like it was nothing?

The only thing that gave her comfort was that she was three times their level. Even combined, she could rip through them as if they were made of paper.

"Now, your answer to my question," Silas said. "If you wait longer, the mirror might take that as refusal."

Kalrina gritted her teeth. She wasn't used to being on the backfoot like this. That too by a bunch of errand boys. "I could just kill you two right where you stand."

Silas' expression remained unchanged. "I wish this doesn't devolve into violence. We only wish to ask you a couple of questions. That is all?"

Kalrina stared at the overconfident man a while longer to drive the point home of how much she didn't like them. "Fine. The Champion came to me as I was the closest sister of Akhessai—"

"Not for long." Cossus chuckled.

"Cossus." Silas scolded. "Please continue."

Kalrina glared at him. "He wanted to know about the Reflectora and where to find it. Please tell me you know what a Reflectora is."

"We do."

"I told him about the ancient artifact, but I don't know where it is. I told him he would have better luck with my sisters in Akhessai. There were also rumors that the Shadowsteel Warlord had recently come in possession of a powerful artifact. It might be a Reflectora or might not, who can tell."

"So, you basically sent him into the lion's den and the dragon's jaw," Cossus said.

Kalrina shrugged. "I told him what he wanted to know."

"Is that before or after you tried to sleep with the boy?" Cossus asked.

She scoffed and imitated him in saying. "He was far too young for my taste."

"What do you plan on doing with the information about Meera?" Silas asked, drawing attention back to him.

Kalrina was stuck in a situation where she couldn't lie. Not without getting seriously hurt or smashing her mirrors again. I don't have to fear these two—no matter the powers they may have.

"I plan to sell it to the highest bidder, then hunt the girl down and bring her back alive to the dragon keep as an apology to my sisters for being naughty."

"And you only let her go now because you saw us lurking about," Silas deduced.

"Right, you are. Now, I must finish you first."

"Before that, one final question. Where is the Crystal of Darthin?"

Kalrina sighed and pulled out the crystal from the folds of her dress. "Here. Have your last look."

"Your man did it," Cossus said. "Can't believe that stingy bastard even let something like that come into existence."

"Who?"

"Darthin, of course."

Silas snapped his fingers. "Break."

The Crystal of Darthin burst into a million pieces.

Kalrina's eyes bulged as a scream escaped her throat. "NO! What have you done?"

Cossus gave his brother a flat stare. "Seriously, we could have taken—"

"Are we going to sacrifice innocent souls for power again?" Silas shot back.

"You two won't be sacrificing anything—"

Silas snapped his fingers again. "Stop."

Kalrina froze. She couldn't move her limbs, let alone speak. Nothing moved, not even her eyes. She tried to call her Mana and teleport out of the room, but even that wouldn't work. She had never seen, or much less felt, a paralysis skill so strong. Even Aksha herself wasn't this powerful.

Just who are these two?

Silas picked up Meera's chakram. "A gift for when we see her again."

Cossus scoffed. "I think we forgot to teach her the lesson of not giving her things to murderous sorceresses. Speaking of murderous sorceresses, we must make her disappear completely, or the Daughters will come looking for us."

"No, let's keep them off us and focused on her."

Silas moved to stand before Kalrina. She did everything in her power to move, but she couldn't break this assassin's spell. Her heart thrummed as she began sweating all over. She would be trembling if she could. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so afraid and helpless.

Silas snapped his fingers. "Forget. When I snap my fingers again, you will forget that we or Meera were ever here this morning. You freed the men of this valley as you found out the Daughters have discovered your location and are coming for you this instant. So, you will pack up and run."

Kalrina breath became ragged. No, no, no, no…What sort of skills does this man have? I want it. I will find you one day and take your skills, you—

Silas snapped his fingers again and walked out the door.

No! How did Aksha find out about me? Waiting for that girl to return was a waste of time. I must get out of here. Quickly.