I'm I woke up at my normal time today, but I instantly knew something was wrong. I've spent the last two weeks learning how to recognize Zeon, and how it naturally flows. A person can only absorb so much at once, but there are objects that are not restricted in how they draw it in. There was almost no Zeon in the air.
"If you go to classes today, it will be under armed guard, Tasha." Natalie stated matter of factly.
"Aren't you always armed?" I asked, knowing that she meant the guard today would have to be more obvious. "What has happened? There is almost no Zeon in the air."
"Nothing much, just that a ship of The Technomagic has come to the city. It's why the old man paled when you made your 'air conditioner'. The Imperium wants to know how it was made; which means, they brought their floating fortress here to Karh, to speak with you, a five year old girl. They decided to risk war with Arlan, just to know how it's made."
"Well then, let's get it over with," I said as I finished getting dressed. I decided to put on my solid blue ears and tail today. "How many paladins are coming with us today?" I asked as if it were routine; but knowing it wasn't. Mom wouldn't allow an open armed guard unless she was scared of something.
"No paladins, Tasha. You aren't going to like this, but it's a pride of Sisters who will be guarding you."
"How many are a Pride?"
"I can't answer that without breaking the oaths of the sisterhood. But suffice to say that it's your mother's idea. And that should give you enough information as to how scared she is."
"It does. Having several around me at once is nerve wracking to me." I grabbed my Name Day cloak and put it on, and clasped the five bronze fixtures for the first time since that morning. "Let's go."
Once I stepped outside an unfamiliar sight greeted me. A white steel structure floated above the city, slowly drifting as the wind pushed it. It tugged on massive mooring chains as the winds shifted. It dwarfed the king's home that sat just to the left of my first view of it. The tall spires reminding me of the buildings I once saw in my previous life.
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The walk to school was as uneventful as normal, but when we got a block away, I was immediately surrounded by 12 women, one of which was holding an arrow a few inches from my neck. She had caught it. Someone was testing if I was being protected.
"Thank you Sisters." I said respectfully.
The ones who revealed themselves didn't go back into hiding, and we all entered campus together. Heading int Mr. Simon's class, I noticed two new adult faces. And chose to ignore them both. I looked at Natalie and winked. A sign she knew meant that I would not be speaking today. I needed to keep her in the room today.
The morning went as normal, Natalie and I went outside to have lunch in quiet, and then we were followed to my afternoon class. As we approached the room, I started unclasping my cloak as I wouldn't need it in this room.
Natalie took the cloak from me, as though she was no more than a servant. I crossed the threshold of the room. And my vision went dark.
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"The attempted kidnapping failed. The Oracle told us there would be an attempt today, but Oracles have been wrong before."
"She took a nasty beating, you were told that she has a weak constitution, why did she take so many hits?"
"We weren't able to get to her in time. We let our guards down, mistress."
"No, you let down the goddess Demeter. You let down one of Demeter's temples, you let down a former Sister who trusted you to protect her charge along her side, and you let a five year old girl down, a girl the goddess has said was important, and now may not be able to help with anything for months."
"Demeter's Priestesses are all great healers, there is even rumored to be a Creation Zeonist at the temple."
"Are you daft girl? That little one is their Creation Zeonist. She can't very well heal herself while unconscious."