True to his word, Yuther had fully revitalized much of Rakashi since his arrival four months ago. His soldiers protected caravans and villages from roving monsters. Water was pulled from the deepest underground reservoirs thanks to his earth mages. Food was once again flowing from the coast to the remote inland communities, and precious minerals were bought in exchange. In spite of its appearance, Rakashi was not a poor land.

Abundant gold mines traced the entire bed of the extinct great river, and salt deposits were abundant near the coast. The problem had been the invasion. The Blue Knight had shattered the trade infrastructure practically overnight, and only now was it recovering. More than recovering, it was becoming more prosperous than ever. It was all thanks to one man, and his amazing general.

Trasana was the most important tool in Yuther’s vast arsenal. Like all of her peers, she had been swept up by The Golden Crusbilis Knight’s incredible charisma and righteous presence. She revered the man, and looked up to him in every way. Unlike the other Crusibilis Knights, Yuther was not subordinate to the kingdom of Gault. He cooperated with them with the intent of minimizing casualties on both sides. Yuther could not be dominated by any of the paltry powers of this continent.

He and his forces came from a place where power was life, and only the strongest were entitled to their next breath. This land across the Sea of Pisces, many weeks by ship, lay The Radiant Empire. There was the home of the demigods and other great spiritual beings.

Yuther’s exodus from that place liberated many from the suffering mere mortals endured there. In the Radiant Empire, they were weak. Even great warriors like Yuther, and a mighty high priestess like Trasana were viewed as barely above trash. They were bugs useful for fetching wine or providing entertainment via bloodsports or sexual distraction. Here though, even the weakest among them was worth a thousand native fighters.

It was thanks to Yuther’s vision that they found the courage to escape, by stealing an entire fleet of warships in a desperate yet brilliantly executed plot by the very slaves building the ships. It may have been Yuther that sparked the exodus, but it was Trasana that ensured its success. They all would have died ten times over in that grueling and endless voyage, if not for her healing miracles.

Yes, miracles they called them. They were indeed a form of divine intervention, but they were not freely bestowed. They were paid for with blood. Minor healing could be performed at the cost of a slaughtered animal. Insects and vermin would anger the goddess. What sacrifice is there in such things after all? No, she demanded useful beasts. The major miracles, Healing Rain and Raise Dead, required something much more precious. The skills called for sacrifices both sentient and innocent. It was a less gruesome way of saying ‘innocent child’.

Trasana’s strong shoulders could bear the weight of that guilt when weighed against the countless lives she had saved, besides there was kindness even in that dark side of her powers. Yuther had a special unit that scouted out sickly children not long for this world. They were treated like royalty all the way to the end, and put into a deep sleep for the ritual itself.

On the eastern coast of Rakashi, there existed a small peninsula somehow spared from the cataclysm that made the rest of the country a barren waste. Here was a trading port known as Tarishan, Jewel of Rakashi. This was the base of Yuther’s operations, and where Trasana now spent most of her time.

There she was, watching a young wolf-kin boy marvel at a lavish feast of fruit and sweets, treats he could only ever dream about as an orphan afflicted by such a terrible illness. White Cough was an incurable malady which started as a dry cough, and over the course of a few months led to the afflicted drowning in their own blood as their lungs withered and cracked.

Even from across the room, she could hear the crackling and popping in his chest. No known healing spells could banish the illness, and he had perhaps a week left to live.

So focused was she on the child that she barely noticed the shift in the atmosphere of the inn. Lively conversation dropped to a whisper, and a tense hush fell over the room.

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She snapped out of her near trance and gritted her teeth as a unique musky odor made her nose twitch.

“Time’s up.” Came the grating, nasally monotone. “Time to put another golden egg in our hen’s arse.” He spoke in the language of the Radiant Empire, meaning only Trasana and the few other soldiers in the room could understand him.

How she detested this man. She would never understand how such an uncouth pig could be the sibling of Yuther himself. He was a talented mage, certainly. Many crises had been resolved by his spells, but he was also ill mannered with a violent temper. With a sigh she made no effort to conceal, Trasana turned to regard him with open disdain.

He was tall like all the other empire refugees, but his posture was so hunched that he barely topped six feet. His limbs were long and knobby like a troll’s, and his face did little to dispel that comparison. His complexion was sickly, his nose was long, and his eyes were beady and wide set.

“Captain Gilles. As you can see, this boy has yet to finish his indulgences.” Trasana’s voice was sharp. “I’ll deliver him personally when the time comes.” She set her feet firmly and squared her shoulders. She had long since had enough of Gilles pressing her buttons.

“You’ll surrender him now. I care not that you’re my brother’s little tart. You’re nothing but a tool to us.” His sneer more than matched hers.

The tension mounted, and Gilles’ fingers began to twitch at his sides. Trasana began a silent prayer to Un’Hana for forgiveness. She was about to commit violence on an ally. The tension shattered then, replaced by confusion as a shadow passed between them.

“You don’t sound so good little guy.” A man’s voice spoke gently in the common tongue. “It might not taste as good as those treats, but this should clear up that cough you’ve got.”

Trasana’s face scrunched in confusion as she balked at the man that had so suddenly appeared and was now on one knee talking to her next sacrifice. He held out a pale blue crystal vial, and it thrummed with blessed power. The color drained from Trasana’s face as the boy shrugged and drank the whole thing.

“It’s gone!” The boy squealed in disbelief. “I can really breathe! Mom, Dad... I-I get to grow up?!” That last question struck the boy hard and suddenly he was bawling. He leaped into the strangers arms and cried hysterically.

“You!” Gilles barked at the man’s back. “Unhand the property of The Golden Legion!”

Trasana’s arm hair was standing on end. Something was tugging at her memories. A strange grey suit, potions that surpassed miracles...

“Usurper...” Trasana breathed, and a mixture of dread and confusion washed over her.

Gilles caught the word, and a second later pulled a silver rod engraved with runes from his sash. The oddly dressed man seemed wholly oblivious, and kept his attention on the child. Sparks of golden electricity began to build at the the base of the rod, and Trasana slowly reached for the hilt of her massive blade. A soft, raspy voice sounded from behind them.

“I wouldn’t.” The warning was simple but sincere. It was a Tengu woman flanked by a party of cat folk. “But then I prefer my body whole, and not scattered across miles of sand.”

“Property.” The man finally spoke. His voice was smooth but edged with irritation. “That’s a fun word, isn’t it?” He stood and turned. “Call something yours, and it becomes yours until someone else opposes the claim.”

Trasana’s heart lurched. The man was stunning to look at. His features were razor sharp, and his steel colored eyes flecked with glittering red bore straight through them. He was suppressing his aura. She could feel barely a trace of any power from him, yet somehow she knew her life was in his hands at that moment.

“That’s right!” Gilles was not so perceptive. He pointed down at the now hiccuping wolf kin. “Property. His parents were handsomely rewarded, and his fate is determined.”

“I’m opposing that claim.” The man’s sudden smile revealed sharp white teeth as he replied with arms out in invitation. “Physically if necessary.”

The tengu woman sighed and weaved a rune in the air gracefully.

“Barrier’s up, Lord Gray. Try not to break this one. I’m not Lady Jade, remember.” She ruffled her wings, and stepped casually over to a table and invited the group of catfolk to join her. They were soon seated and conversing casually like this scene played out all the time.

“Don’t worry.” The one named Lord Gray replied with a widening smirk. “This one doesn’t seem like an inside toy.”

Trasana relaxed her hand from the hilt of her weapon and stepped back. The man was clearly focused on Gilles. Should she attack? He was technically an enemy of the kingdom they were supporting. She shook her head at the thought. He had healed the child, sacrificing a priceless relic able to cure White Cough in the process. No evil being would be so selfless.

She decided to wait and see, though she realized a moment later that her decision wasn’t a factor.

Gilles began a lightning fast incantation. It was the opening words of Disintegration. That spell would destroy the Usurper and everything behind him, including the child and several gawking patrons beyond that. Trasana moved to stop him, knowing she would never make it in time.

A leather soled designer dress shoe kicked Gilles in the chest as a large blood red oval appeared in the air behind him. He was blasted through the portal even as the air was blasted from his body. He disappeared, and the man gave a slight bow to Trasana as he strolled past. He rolled his shoulders and smiled wickedly before he walked through the portal after Gilles.