Sybil flashed a smile at the other two. “Good news is that I am in. Bad news, it’s going to take a few minutes longer than I thought it would. I know we’re in a hurry, but I’m not activating anything until I know it’s safe.” She started to go over her father’s notes in the journal and compared them to the runes she found in the console. As long as everything matched up, they should be good to go.
An inhuman hissing sound from the entrance made Shaw whip out his sword. Zaniyah frantically waved her hands about as she hopped in front of him. “Hold on! That’s Edwin! He’s Sybil’s butler! Everything’s okay!”
Sybil raised her voice without turning around. “I told you to stop eating the oatmeal! I don’t have time to fix you now!” The golem strode over to where she was and she took his hand and placed it at the center of the console. “As soon as he has harmonized with the network, I can relay the rest of his commands via my letter. Just another moment before I can give him full control.” Both Shaw and Zaniyah stared at her blankly. “... He’s the queen ant and the golems are his workers.”
The headlamp on Shaw’s head flickered out. He took it off of his head and started to shake it. “How do I turn it back on?”
"Yeah, those don't last very long and I accidentally left the rest in the spider golem," replied Zaniyah. "They're normally just there for emergencies... We normally use glowing crystals for lighting."
“Sorry, Shaw. I’m working as fast as I can but I’m dealing with murder machines here. I can’t exactly rush this.”
Sybil adjusted some dials and the crystals embedded in the ceiling of the warehouse began to light up. She then went back to typing commands into her letter as she began the start-up process for the golems. Lights began to glow within Edwin, harmonizing with shifting colors of the ceiling.
Overhead, the rumbling sounds were only becoming louder. Shaw closed his eyes and put his hand to his ear. He could swear that he could hear shouting. “What is it saying?” He tilted his head to the side.
Zaniyah matched his movements. “I’m not exactly sure, but it sounds like, ‘Bellia?’ Maybe that’s what it is? Oh, that’s the sword that they have in Fogbloom, right? Alton mentioned that before.” Some sort of mystic sword god that fish people worshiped? Yes, please. She wanted it. She needed it.
She would most likely never be allowed near it.
The room rattled around them. Dust fell from the ceiling as another thunderous boom echoed throughout the cavern chambers. This was followed by a loud screeching sound. Shaw was quick to rush over to Sybil and summon his shield above them.
“I believe the would-be has returned to claim your head.”
“That roof isn’t going to hold if we choose to stay here,” muttered Sybil. She slapped the console, and the pods overhead began to shudder. “We have to wait for the golems to warm up and… They’re not going to be able to stop that thing. I have no idea what we’re supposed to do and I can’t have Edwin be damaged. That’ll ruin everything.”
“Are we able to retreat?” Shaw asked and Sybil nodded. Edwin needed to be kept safe. “Let us move into the hallways and hold our ground. Krogastein, are you capable of using your device to summon assistance? If so, how will they be able to get to us?”
Zaniyah shrugged. “I told Alton where we are and he’s done nothing but send me back messages that were full of foul language. His attitude is a little pickled at the moment. I don’t think I’m going to tell him anything else until he calms down.”
Fractures started to appear along the structure’s roof. The hairs on the back of Sybil’s neck stood on end. “Talk later! Run now!” She scampered towards the door and came face to face with a mutated tusked snake in the hallway. “Stop!”
She instinctively pointed at the beast, and her sudden cry somehow made it halt from surprise. It’s multiple whip-like tails swished about, as though it were waiting for something. A shake of its head, and whatever spell it was under was suddenly gone. Sybil was forced to roll out of the way as it attempted to slash at her with its tails. It followed her as she skidded past it and into the hallway.
Rushing in behind them, Zaniyah twisted Whisper about as she slid in between the beast and Sybil. She held it up defensively as she sought to protect her friend. “What do you expect? You had us knock down all the locked doors! It’s not like there was anything left to defend us!”
“Finish it off, Krogastein!” Shaw dashed in and grabbed Sybil’s elbow. He then pulled her away, leaving Zaniyah behind.
Finally. Zaniyah was worried that she was going to somehow end up in the middle of a war zone without seeing any action but things were beginning to go her way. The snake whipped its tails forward again and twisted them about the handle of Zaniyah’s axe. It started to pull her towards it but she planted her feet in and held her ground.
“Not that way!” Sybil also planted her feet, if only to stall Shaw. She then began to skitter as she struggled to quickly change directions.
A cloud of miasma flooded the hallway, forming into a hand that attempted to snatch up the pair. The claws scraped against Shaw’s shield for a moment before pulling back again. He shoved Sybil behind him and concentrated on increasing the size of his shield.
But that would only make it more brittle. Sybil felt nothing but concern as she watched the claws of the would-be scrap at his shield. She held up her sword and started to shake it as though that would do something.
How was she supposed to activate it without the scabbard? That’s how it always was before. Pull sword out, weird mist people gave her advice, big magic boost, and then she won the battle.
Though she had started to learn how to use some of those abilities without the sword, now was not the time to experiment. She and Shaw started to back up slowly as his shield began to crack. Shaking the sword about, she attempted to activate it again.
“Work! Activate! Mist powers on!” She swung it from side to side while Shaw glared at her over his shoulder.
Zaniyah tried to yank her axe free, but the snake wasn't giving up. She looked behind her and frowned. This was beyond bad. Letting go of her axe, she snapped her handaxe free and hurled it at the head of the snake. It started to writhe in pain as it embedded itself in its forehead. Turning around, Zaniyah began to skitter towards Sybil and Shaw.
Happy thoughts. Take her happy thoughts and the things that were important to her and force them into her hands… But she found that nothing but worries were to be had. Even though she and her friends were still together, they felt more distant than ever. Zaniyah was still struggling with Sybil's choices but she could understand. In the end, Sybil didn't want either her or Chickadee getting hurt.
They weren’t weak. Zaniyah had come to terms with that. There was plenty that they were capable of doing and yet somehow Sybil had lost faith that they were strong enough to keep her secrets. That wasn’t okay. It didn’t sit well with Zaniyah at all. She thought Sybil was her friend, but she hadn’t been acting that way as of late.
She said her faith was in Veximarl, that she had hope that Veximarl would know what to do. But where was Sybil’s hope in Zaniyah? Was it only okay for her to be here because Shaw was strong enough to protect them both?
Maybe Zaniyah had messed up and hadn’t always been there either but that wasn’t an excuse. She wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of their friendship from now on. Not boys, or work, or even gods. She wasn’t going to let Sybil say that she didn’t want to be a bother to either her or Chickadee again. It didn’t matter how long it took, she was going to remind Sybil exactly how strong their friendship was by beating it into her head.
But she wasn’t going to have the time to do that if Sybil was dead.
She had something important. Zaniyah had her friends. Nothing was more important to her than that. So when she dashed in front of Shaw with her hand outstretched, that’s exactly what she thought of. The memories of her youth where she would be sitting with Chickadee and Sybil. Sharing a bowl of roasted mushrooms while making up stories of their future adventures. Moments like those were worth protecting.
Light spilled out from her fingertips, forming into a shield that was briefly covered in flames. She held it up as Shaw shrunk his shield down to make space for hers. Both of them braced themselves as the would-be’s fingers curled into a fist that pounded against their barriers.
Zaniyah glanced over to Sybil. "Be a dear and please kill that thing I left behind us? I kinda got distracted trying to save your two asses and accidentally left it alive!"
“On it!” Sybil ran over to the tusked snake while mist formed around her feet.
The beast failed to notice her as she approached. Aiming her sword true, she pierced the creature’s neck and dodged out of the way of the spurting blood. She hopped from left to right as she attempted to figure out how to extract Zaniyah’s Whisper and Fling. What was more concerning was the fact that she saw more beasts coming towards them down this end of the hallway.
She turned to shout at the other two. "Knockdown that door! We need to retreat further in!"
Shaw took a few steps back and gave the door a hefty kick. Sybil jumped up and momentarily ran along the wall, grabbing the hand axe from the flailing beast’s head and placing the handle in her teeth as she landed on the floor. She then picked up Whisper and ran into the supply closet. The other two followed her in and used their shields to block off the door.
The room they entered was full of shelves holding random supplies. On the upside, there was only one entrance that they had to worry about. The downside was that they were hopelessly trapped. Sybil winced as a set of blade crickets bashed against the shields. They didn’t have much time.
“Hey, Shaw. Your shield does the thing with the spikes and the fire, right?” Zaniyah looked over to the paladin in a panic. “How do I do that?”
Shaw spared her a glance of disgust. “Shouldn’t you concentrate on your own shield’s abilities rather than copy mine?”
"I have no idea how any of this works," argued Zaniyah. "This is the first time I've ever summoned it right. I mean, I've tried before, you know? But it always goes poof!" She flicked her fingers of her free hand and little pink sparks came out of her fingertips.
This was hardly the time to give a magic lesson, but Shaw needed her to maintain that shield. “Specific bloodlines have different quirks. I would think it impossible for an eastern mutt like yourself to have any prestigious abilities, let alone the same as my own. Different acolytes have different shields with varying abilities, and as a paladin, mine is simply stronger than yours will ever be.”
Which was annoying. He could indeed force heat from his shield. A strong enough fire would drive the beasts back but shatter Zaniyah's shield in the process. She claimed to be inexperienced, thus it was difficult to say if she would be able to summon it again once her spell broke. It was better to have two shields rather than count on one for the sole defense.
Zaniyah squinted his way and both of them braced themselves again as a larger creature threw its body at them. “Yeah, okay, I get it. Awesome. How about you stop being a massive jerk for about a second and take a good look at my shield before you rant about me not being a special big ol’ dumb paladin like you.”
Eyes darting to her shield, Shaw instantly recognized the design. It was the crest of the Arbutus family. “How..?” He gave a shake of his head. “Now is hardly the time to teach you. There is apparently much we need to discuss and I would like to survive until we can get to that point. Concentrate on maintaining your shield for the time being.”
“Okay, there goes the fire shield plan then, I guess. Hey, Sybil!” Zaniyah looked over her shoulder. “You know how to use that sword to kill the would-be, right? I saw you go crazy on beasties before... Just do that! I would really like it if you could do that for me. No need to rush, sweetie, but seriously, there’s a rush.”
Sybil set down Zaniyah’s axes and frowned at her sword. “There is a nearby room where they maintenance the transport golems. I would have enough space to fight the would-be there, but I don’t know if I can. The sword is supposed to be asleep and Iath said it was only letting me use a fraction of its power. Maybe I can wake it up? Maybe some sort of incantation?”
"Do either of you bother to learn how to do anything before your lives are in mortal peril?!" The effort that Shaw had put into his training lessons with Sybil were a complete waste. Either that or he had hit her too many times in the head and had permanently knocked the common sense out of it.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Zaniyah shrugged. “We just do things differently in the core. You outlanders wouldn’t understand.” She rolled her eyes and laughed off his ignorance. “Why are all my brothers so stupid?”
“Shaw’s your brother?” Sybil looked up from the sword.
“Yeah! My brother from another mother! But like, not in the best friend sort of way, because we still have the same dad.”
"Well, okay?" Sybil muttered.
Shaw snarled at the pair. “I am not her brother.”
“Well, whatever, bro. You don’t get to decide that,” replied Zaniyah.
“Silence your idiocies and concentrate on your shield! Sybil! Activate your sword already!” Shaw was at his limit. Any longer and he was going to turn his sword on them.
In the distance, Sybil could hear the pods snapping open as the golems emerged. It might be wise for her to strike when the beasts were distracted by the machines. She had her timing and location. All she needed was a weapon.
“Okay, heart.” Sybil cradled the falchion. “I really need you to help me kill this would-be. If you could do me a huge favor and wake up, that would be great. We don’t need to have a permanent partnership or anything if you don’t want that. I swear this can be a one time deal.”
Shaw turned slightly so he could give her a judgemental stare. These two were insane. Their mental instability was going to lead to his death. His heart nearly stopped when he turned back around, and he braced his footing all the more. The hallway was filled with a badger’s head, and its eye was staring directly at him and Zaniyah. Its gums pulled back as he growled at them.
“Hand over that Prophet of Bellia and I will let you live. You will be rewarded with the birth of a new god. I will grant you powers not yet seen in this world. Powers strong enough to conquer the world.” The would-be snarled again as its eye focused on Sybil.
“Hey, heart?” Sybil shook the sword harder this time. “It’s Sybil... Sybil Twist? You know me, right? I pulled you out of the Volo Refuge and we even took on that necromancer. Wasn’t that horri- I mean fun? We’re good, right? We’re friends? Sorry about that time you were stolen! I am really, really sorry about that. You’ll show me that you forgive me and help me out of this mess like you always did before, right? Please? Pretty please?”
“Stand down, monstrosity!” Shaw’s shield started to heat up as spikes protruded from it. “You will abandon these lands!”
Zaniyah bobbled her head. “Yeah! What he said!” Her shield didn’t do anything cool. She was scared that it would poof if she were to try anything.
The head dissipated into mist and a hand appeared. Its claws dug into their shields and began to press forward. As it did so, the two started to have trouble keeping their feet planted. They slowly slid backward as cracks appeared in their shields.
Zaniyah looked over her shoulder. "I know I'm acting strong here, Sybil, but I truly am going to start crying here if you don't do something!"
Sybil began to shake the sword violently. "Please do something. Please! Wake up and do anything! Wake up you stupid, useless sword!" A bright light emanated from the center of the blade and Sybil let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the core. I think I got it!"
Not daring to turn around and risk losing concentration, Zaniyah called back. “You think you got it?! As in think?! Not know?! I could use a positive statement of you knowing something here!”
"I've got nothing but a prayer! I'm going on ahead! Don't die on me!" Her body shifted into a mist that shot through the space between the shields.
Zaniyah immediately dropped her shield and grabbed her weapons so she could run after her. Following her was Shaw, who pressed himself against the wall at the sight of a passing golem. It was a cross between a spider and cricket and around the same size as a sheep.
The front legs had circular saws attached, and it was burying them into a tainted beast’s body. When that appeared to have little effect, a scorpion tail unfurled from the back, and it started to pierce its long, sword-like needle into the monster over and over again. Shaw’s mouth drew into a thin line as he watched it “work,” and he decided it was better to continue on rather than gawk.
Skirting around the golem, he kept close to the wall as a dozen more scurried past him. They appeared to be attempting to take out any beasts they came across while making their way out of the factory. He continued down the hall and into the warehouse, where he stood next to Zaniyah. That’s when he froze in place. The sight unfolding before him was a marvel to behold. He felt paralyzed by the sight of it.
Pawing at his shoulder, Zaniyah didn’t even turn to greet him. “What am I even looking at?”
A tornado of mist appeared to be doing battle with a smaller whirlwind. Occasionally the ghastly image of Sybil would form floating in the air, only to quickly fade from view again. Here a hand, there the visage of the badger’s mouth biting down, but it was all shadows and dust in the dim light of the room.
The only indicator that they had that Sybil was doing well was the fact that the fight kept going. Growls and curses echoed against the walls. A blast of air sent golem pieces flying about. A figure could be seen falling through the air, and Shaw ran over to catch it.
Leaping forward, he caught the woman and shifted beneath her so he would hit the ground first. He then quickly rolled away, recoiling at the sight that was before him. It wasn’t Sybil, but someone completely different. A pale, mangled corpse, covered in scars and a tattered, black dress. A foul odor, much worse than the miasma, was emanating from her. As Shaw moved to a stand, the worst possible thing happened.
She stirred.
Shaw wrenched his blade free and pulled his arm back, aiming to thrust it forward in an instant. "Begone, unholy demon!"
“Hold on! Wait!” A trail of mist floated down from above and formed into Sybil. She floated there, ready to deflect Shaw’s attack with her blade. “I cut her out of the would-be! She’s probably just a casualty in all of this!”
As Sybil flailed about in an attempt to land, Semira’s figure was slowly stirred. She groaned painfully and made no efforts to stand. Staying in a prone position was what felt best.
Running up to see what was happening, Zaniyah also recoiled from the sight of the moving rotten corpse. “By the core, what is that?!”
Sybil tsked her tongue. “Don’t be rude, Zani... Can we heal her Shaw?”
“I don’t believe that to be wise,” he muttered back.
Semira looked up at the trio with clouded eyes. "Salutations..."
Despite Semira's appearance, Sybil recognized her. "You were there... When I died, you said you were going to unseal my magic."
“And I pray that one day you will forgive me for my sin,” muttered Semira. She struggled to push herself up, but the flesh of her palms sloshed away from her bones, making her fall down again. This was far more painful than she had expected it to be.
Sybil knelt by her. "Please get rest… We'll find a way to help you, but don't strain yourself in the meantime."
"I am Tria," stated Semira. Her claim of being the god of death made Shaw raised his sword again. "What you see now is the product of the would-be attempting to absorb my being within its body... I thank you for being my champion."
“I do not believe you,” said Shaw sternly. “You are nothing more than a necromancer who has been using that creature to do your bidding.”
Sybil gave Shaw a harsh look. “Calm down. Seriously. It’s okay.” Semira did what she could to save Sybil’s life. That alone was enough for her to be willing to give this woman a chance.
“These past few days have been especially taxing on me. I apologize… I have failed the people of this city by letting that monster run rampant.” Semira outstretched one of her arms and hovered her hand just above the floor. “I do not have the strength to grant any of you a boon… As proof of my identity, give this to Walter.”
The skin began to peel off of her arm and roll towards her fingertips. It twisted together and binding itself into the form of a book. After her task was complete, Semira’s body slowly started to burn away. Chunks of ash flaked off to the ground, where it was slowly dissolving into the stone.
“Hey! Don’t touch that!” Zaniyah was shocked when Sybil didn’t hesitate to kneel down and examine the book. An even louder surprised cry came out of her as Semira’s hand snapped forward to grab Sybil’s wrist.
"Again… I pray that you forgive me for what I have done to you," hissed the god in a strained whisper. "For your own safety, you must keep your true self hidden." The others didn't seem to hear her warning as they approached, and all Sybil could do was give a brief nod of acknowledgment.
“I will.”
Semira let out a harsh sounding laugh, then a cough. “Lydia was right… It’s always a tragedy between us. Please… Don’t let yourself be caught up in it.”
She then smiled to herself. Her body finished shedding itself into ash. Sybil blinked a few times. Shaw put away his sword and put his hand on Sybil’s shoulder, easing her away from where the body had disappeared.
Sybil stood up on her own and began to examine the book. “I don’t see anything about necromancy… These are lost blood iron forging techniques! There’s even several chapters on blacksmithing!”
“Dibs!” Zaniyah’s head snapped in Shaw’s direction. “Our side calls dibs!” He was confused by her statement. “You’re not allowed to claim that it’s important for the nation and take the book for yourself. She said to give it to Chi, so it’s ours!”
He couldn’t bring himself to care. “My only concern is leaving this place and never returning.”
“I’ll call in another transport spider.” Sybil struggled to hold the book, the sword, and her letter all at once. “The defense golems should be enough to protect us while we move upward. Once they’ve finished their job, I’ll order Edwin to move to father’s clock shop. That way we don’t have to worry about anyone else activating the golems.”
They left the factory behind and entered another spider. There, they slumped against the benches, already weary of their adventure. Sybil oddly felt fine. The sword let her use her latent abilities without becoming tired out... It was nice. Now that she figured out how the damn thing worked, she could get used to this.
Shaw leaned forward and placed his head against a hand. He was mentally exhausted. Physically, not so much. It was nice to see all of that training he had been forced through since childhood finally pay off, but dealing with these two had pushed him to his limits. Straightening up, he felt like he had to say something.
"I will need to make a full report on everything that has occurred. You two should know that I do not approve of anything that has happened. Your actions, though well-intentioned, were completely reckless. The only reason you succeeded at all was pure, unexplainable luck and nothing more."
“But at least we won!” Zaniyah grinned victoriously while Sybil nodded. “Yay for flukes and swords raining from the sky, am I right?”
“Do you think that matters?!” Shaw shouted back at them. “All three of us should be dead! If you had explained your plan properly, you would have received the support you needed, and we would not have had to take the risks that we did. I will see to it that no one recognizes or acknowledges your actions today! You will receive no glory!”
Sybil shrugged. "We didn't do it for glory, we did it because it was the right thing to do. Neither of us cares if people know what we did. All that matters to us is that no one else has to needlessly die today."
Tightening his jaw, Shaw was still feeling frustrated. “We are going to locate one of the knights and report our status. There is no doubt that you will receive further orders from there. The day is not finished until every single one of our foes is defeated.”
The spider golem breached the surface. Zaniyah had sent the message through that the golems were coming and the human combatants fought alongside machine. Continuing to ride within the golem, the spider gracefully stepped its way through the battle and stopped next to one of the buildings.
They exited and found that Lady Flay was waiting for them along with the rest of Grimstone Squad. Alton and Chickadee rushed forward. One flung himself around Zaniyah's waist while the other gave Sybil a tight embrace. Refusing to let her go, Alton weakly whispered in Sybil's ear.
“I get it. You did good, but please… Never leave me behind again. Promise me that you’ll take me with you the next time you choose to do something like this.” His grip on her became all the tighter as he buried his head in her shoulder.
“I guess I got caught up in the rush of it all.” Sybil returned his embrace. “Next time, I’ll find you first. I promise. I... I think I need you just as much as you need me.”
They started to give each other needy kisses while Zaniyah awkwardly patted Chickadee on the head. “I’m alright, Chi, jeez. Stop tearing up already. We’re supposed to be squires here, not crybabies.” She said that in a joking manner, but the sparkle in the corner of her eyes showed that she was also on the verge of breaking down.
"If you could all please stop that," interrupted Veximarl. It had taken him a moment to get over the shock that Sybil had found the sword that he had so carelessly dropped before, but he needed to wait until later to count his blessings. "We can save our greetings for a different time. Currently, there are orders that we-" His eyes widened as Lady Flay approached where Alton and Sybil were standing.
She grabbed them each by an ear and yanked them apart forcefully. Each let out a hiss through their teeth as she let them go. “Arbutus. Give me a report on your condition.”
“I am well and fully capable of continuing the fight, Lady Flay. Krogastein is also fit for battle.” He bowed and kept his head lowered as he spoke.
“And I am indeed still in need of soldiers. All of you pay attention. Grimstone, you will divide yourselves to assist the other squads. We will be pressing forward and not leaving until the core is once again sealed. Arbutus and Krogastein, meet up with my squad and assist them. Tuton and Cully, locate Pegasus. Toval, report to Goldheel.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The group said in near unison, with Zaniyah saying her usual, ‘Aye, sir!’
Veximarl handed over the falchion’s scabbard, and Sybil slipped the blade away. She was ready to join the others on the battlefield when Flay grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Not you. You're staying put and giving me your report. Then you will take over for Toval as my liaison."
“With all due respect, ma’am, a report can wait until-” She inhaled sharply as Flay firmly slapped her across the face. Alton gritted his teeth at the sound and put his hand on his hilt.
“Take a moment to look at the state you are in before you speak another word.”
Sybil looked more like a victim rather than a soldier. Her elegant dress was torn and covered in blood. Without shoes, her socks had been torn by ice and stone. Whizzing about had undone her hair, which had taken on a wild appearance.
Though how she looked didn’t matter if she chose to use the heart to fight. Then again, Tria had asked her to stay hidden. As much as she wanted to help her city, she knew that the others could handle it. It was also important to protect herself.
“... I will stay behind and give you my report.”
The others left and she told Lady Flay most of what happened. She happened to leave out any mention of a person claiming to be Tria or the fact that she had gotten a book from the goddess. Other than that, she was entirely truthful in her report.
Flay wrote down everything in her journal. “Toval was sending messages to Hewitt. She is currently in contact with Duke Rubire.” She ripped a page out of her journal and held it out for Sybil to take. “Relay this information to her. After the battle, you will be taken to the hospital in order to ensure that you are uninjured, and then we arrange for you to be returned to the Toval estate.”
Sybil pouted. Maybe it wasn’t about her appearance. She was technically a member of Duxton’s entourage. The fact that Flay was taking care to keep her out of battle and sending her to the hospital afterward hinted that Sybil was being treated more like a useless noble instead of a knight, and that didn’t sit well with her.
Flay shook her head. “Do not pout at me, Twist. Knights do not pout. When we return to Braytons, I am going to have a lengthy conversation with both Lady Till and Stonetoe about your idiotic behavior today. Your mentors should have trained you to be better than this.”
After a few more minutes of scolding was to be had before Flay was distracted by other duties. Sybil sat down in a nearby chair and drew her legs into her chest, waiting for her next orders. Her adventure was brief, but it was the kind of adventure that made her feel like she was doing something good in this world.
And the moment it was over, she was immediately thrust into the mask that she hated to wear. Kept away and hidden, waiting to be cleaned up again so she could be the doll. Her eyes were staring at her letter, but she wasn’t able to concentrate on it. This isn’t why she chose to become a squire, but she felt helpless in figuring out how she could escape this fate.