Chapter 20

We met up with Zelik and the others, then waited for the crowd to disperse rather than attempt to work our way through the madness. I was ready to get this armor off and lay down on a nice soft bed, but as we approached the guild hall I knew a quiet bedroom was much further away than I would have liked.

The entire street was alive with celebrations, the hall itself standing in the middle of it all, tall and ominous with the excited shouts of drunken warriors echoing through the stone walls.

“Phoenix! Hey! It’s the Phoenix Empress!” Someone shouted, and I didn’t realize that was meant for me until all eyes upon the street turned in my direction and a slow chant built, arms raising in the air and joining in. “Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix! Phoenix!”

“Why is everyone so excited?” I asked Victoria. “Surely I’m not the first guild member to win a duel in the arena.”

“No, you're not,” Her eyes scanned the crowd. “But your victory today was truly spectacular. You displayed a rare power, and you managed to overcome a seemingly unwinnable position. People are always drawn to the extraordinary, and you gave them a show they won't soon forget.”

I sighed, realizing that I wouldn't be getting rest anytime soon. As we approached the guild hall, the chanting grew louder, and the crowd closed in around us. Guild members and spectators alike reached out to pat me on the back or offer their congratulations. I tried my best to smile and thank them, but my thoughts were still consumed by that mysterious memory.

Once we finally made it inside the guild hall, the celebration continued. Guild members raised their glasses in toasts. I was forced at the head of a table, Alura barely managing to stick with me by keeping two fingers pinched on my chainmail sleeve. Chris and the others got swept away in the chaos.

As the night wore on, loud and proud stories were exchanged across the table, guild members excited to share their tales of adventure. Alura and I sat there, taking it all in. I managed to spot Chris at some point, who was engaging in a similar style of storytelling, entertaining a table full of beautiful women, his own reputation bolstered by being in my party, I was sure.

Though Chris could be a lady's man, he at least understood time and place. He always stayed on task when we were adventuring, and was always respectful toward Alura and I. Yet, he never gave up an opportunity to let loose.

“Phoenix! HEY! Phoenix!” Someone at our table grabbed my attention. I looked his way as he asked, “Let’s hear the battle from your point of view!”

I blinked, surprised by the quiet that came over my immediate surroundings, all the hardened warriors lending me their ears. Somehow, I felt a distinct feeling of deja-vu, looking over their expectant eyes. As if I had been in this situation before.

I smirked, tilting my glass slightly as I checked how much alcohol I had left. “Please, just call me Tsarina. Something like Phoenix Empress is far too large to live up to.” There were some chuckles at the tables, others raising their glasses and nodding. “Well, I will say, it was a difficult fight. Though on the surface it seemed like a good match for me based on our classes, I’ve fought alongside Rin before and was well aware she was not to be underestimated.”

The entire table leaned in closer, eager to hear my story. Some who had not managed to find seats filled in over shoulders. I took a deep breath and began recounting the events of the duel. I described Rin's deadly accuracy with her knives, and how she had managed to keep me on the defensive for most of the fight. I could see the admiration and excitement in the eyes of the other wielders as I detailed each move and countermove.

As much as I wanted to escape the noise and excitement, I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with these fellow warriors. I was thrown into this life under unknown circumstances, but as I recounted the story, I felt it in my heart: I was a wielder. Just like everyone at this table, we were all united by our love of battle and the pursuit of strength.

A few drinks later, a female archer caught my attention and said, “Hey, you’re a 3-person party now, right? If you need another, could you consider me?”

“Hey!” a red mage spoke up. “If you’re accepting new party members, I’m free to join!”

“Me too!” an assassin said, standing up.

I slammed back my drink as I stood. “Decisions like that I don’t plan on making after drinks. However, anyone who is interested, please feel free to approach me in the morning. Alura, are you ready?”

Alura stood as well and nodded. “Yes.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Then let's retire for the night.” I placed the empty cup back on the table, putting my arm around Alura’s back as we shuffled away from the table and through the guild hall. It was getting late and a lot of the excitement was dying down, but there was still music playing. I spotted Hope dancing with a girl up front while another table cheered them on. I scanned the room for Chris, but did not see him anywhere. I wondered if he found a woman to spend the night with.

John, I spotted at a table that was removed from the more excited areas, sharing drinks with a couple of fellow knights, the big men laughing and clinking their glasses together. Zelik and Leah were nowhere to be seen, which was unfortunate as I wanted to apologize for our reunion being cut short. I figured we would all have to find another time to catch up.

As we navigated towards the back and proceeded through the corridor that would lead to our room, a figure detached itself from the shadows against the wall. My pulse quickened as I recognized Leon striding towards us, his confident smirk evident even in the muted light.

“Didn’t get a chance to congratulate you,” he said, then revealed the coin bag in his hands. “This is yours. A bet’s a bet, after all.”

“Where’s Rin?” I asked.

He shrugged as if it were no concern to him. “Licking her wounds, I’d guess.”

“And you're not with her?” My tone hardened. “I'm sure she's taking her loss hard.”

He shook his head, amused, and held the coin bag out. “She’s a fighter. She’ll bounce back.”

I held his gaze, not reaching for the bag. My concern for Rin outweighed the prize. “What exactly does she mean to you?” I asked.

“What’s with the personal questions?”

“Rin was part of my team once,” I stated, crossing my arms. “Just because we parted ways doesn't mean I don't care about her well-being. I don't want to see her hurt.”

“And you think I’ll hurt her?”

“From what I can tell, you probably already have.”

His eyes hardened, jaw setting in a tight line. “That girl’s tough, alright? Maybe you don’t like the way I do things, but she can handle being pushed to her limits. She lost this one, but she’ll be back. Mark my words on that.”

I stepped closer to him, not wavering. Perhaps the alcohol was helping, but I was feeling particularly confrontational. “Maybe you're too dense to realize this, but Rin believes there's more to your bond than just battling monsters. If you don’t see it that way, then I recommend you stop toying with her and let her go her own way.”

“Watch it, you’re going to piss me off again.”

I snatched the coin bag from his hand, meeting him eye to eye. “Good, because I’m tired of that shitty grin that’s always on your face.”

Leon looked past me, perhaps assessing the room and considering what he could get away with. It seemed he decided the best option was to let it go for now.

Feeling satisfied, I stepped away, making sure Alura was with me, and we continued down the corridor.

“See you around,” Leon said to our backs. “Phoenix Empress.” I spared a glance back to see he had already disappeared.

We made our way down the dimly lit corridor, the noise from the celebrations fading behind us. Alura, with concern etched on her face, asked, “Tsarina, are you alright?”

I sighed, running a hand across the side of my face, moving loose hair behind my ear. “I'm fine, Alura. I’m just worried about Rin. She's tough, but that doesn't mean she's invulnerable, and I don’t trust Leon.”

Alura nodded, her eyes softening. “I understand. She was one of us… but… she’s the one who left us, even if we were the ones who walked away. I don’t think you should be so hard on yourself. You can’t be responsible for everyone.”

I thought about this for a moment, then nodded. “You're probably right. We do have our own journeys ahead of us.”

We finally reached our quarters, and as soon as the door closed behind us, the weight of the day's events seemed to crash down on me. I began to remove my armor, feeling the fatigue right down to my bones.

Alura helped me remove the more difficult pieces of armor, then she slid her mage robe easily off and over her head. Then, we settled into bed together. The soft sheets and Alura’s quiet company were a welcome relief after the long day. She put an arm over my stomach and rested her head on my shoulder.

I closed my eyes, feeling grateful to have her by my side. As we lay there together, I couldn't help but think about the events that had transpired during the day – the battle with Rin, the power that had awakened within me, and the memory that had surfaced during the fight.

“Tsarina,” Alura whispered, as if sensing my thoughts, “I know you have a lot on your mind, but if you ever need to open up about anything, I’m here for you.”

The words surprised me. I was keeping the memory to myself, as I didn’t know how to get my head around it, but it seemed she was able to tell I had more on my mind than just Rin. “Thank you, Alura… and same to you. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

The steady rhythm of Alura's breathing slowly lulled me into a state of relaxation. As sleep began to claim me, that scene from another world, the screaming, my own mutilated body, the gunfire and explosions, faded from my mind.