Arriving in Neim in the late afternoon, Kelsey and Gwen made their way into the city. Easily passing through the gates by showing the guards her Platinum Guild card, they began making their way towards Abby who Kelsey could see was out in her garden tending to some newly grown roses.
Thanks to the density of Neim's populace, they arrived at the house twenty minutes later and Gwen used her key to unlock the door. As they entered, Gwen shouted. “Hey Abby, I’m home. Come on in! I’ve got some good news!”
Abby whipped her head up, a big smile on her face as she heard her sister's voice. She quickly stood up, brushed the dirt off of her skirt and came into the house. “Gwen, Kelsey! You are back so soon! How did everything go?” she asked.
“Everything went well, we’re here with even better news though. Let’s sit down and chat.” Gwen said as she sat down in one of the sofa chairs in the living room.
Abby quickly sat down but raised her hand. “I actually have some news too. A guest of mine should be coming back any minute, I think you’d be very interested to meet them.” she said, a small smirk on her face.
“Guest? Who?” Gwen asked, confusion evident in her voice.
“I’m not saying. Trust me, the surprise will be worth it.” Abby said cheerfully.
"A good kind of surprise I assume?" Gwen asked cautiously.
"The best kind of surprise."
Upon hearing this, Kelsey quickly reigned in her domain to just inside the house. She didn’t want to spoil the surprise for herself or Gwen. She had a few guesses what the surprise might be based on Abby's level of excitement though.
Gwen relented as well and said that they would tell Abby their news after their guest had left. After that, the three of them chatted for several minutes about Abby’s life in Neim.
"So, how are you feeling sis?" Gwen asked, sitting in the chair next to Kelsey.
Abby smiled. "Good. Great actually. With the medicine we've got here I feel basically at 100 percent. I could probably even fight somewhat normally."
Gwen's eyes opened in shock and fear. "Abby you--"
She was cut off by Abby. "I know... I know sis. I don't plan on actually doing it. No reason to risk a flare up at the wrong moment. It's just nice knowing that I could if it came down to it."
The relief on Gwen's face was palpable. "Good. The last thing I want is you getting hurt."
I mean... hopefully it won't matter soon.
They small group then moved on to other topics as Abby told them the kinds of plants and fruit's she had been gardening since they left. With her plant manipulation skills, she was able to make a functionally infinite amount of food that tasted exactly the way she wanted. She explained that she had been learning to cook and was getting really good at making certain kinds of recipes.
Several minutes went by until they heard a knock at the door. “This must be them.”
Abby stood up and opened the door, revealing a small group.
Standing in front of them was a young woman, maybe in her early thirties, wearing simple traveling clothes, who was flanked by three women and a man, all in adventuring gear. A quick identification made Kelsey sit up much straighter, every part of her brain at full attention. She expanded her domain and started paying close attention to her surroundings.
[Warrior - lvl 263]
[Mage - lvl 382]
[Mage - lvl 275]
[Mage - lvl 257]
[Warrior - lvl 288]
The woman in simple clothing was the highest level of them all at level 382. She had dark skin, brown eyes, and her hair was in short, beautiful curls on top of her head. Something about the woman seemed familiar to Kelsey, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.
The man with them was the warrior that was level 288. He seemed to be the second in command. He was wearing full plate mail and had a large white swan painted on his chest. The other three women were a mixture of two mages and one warrior who were all wearing much more practical adventuring attire such as cloth and leather armor.
Kelsey and Gwen had exactly opposite reactions. Kelsey, not knowing who these people were, simply stared at them blankly, waiting for some sort of introduction. Gwen showed that she knew exactly who they were as she burst out of her chair, kneeled on the floor, and lowered her head respectfully.
It took several long seconds for it to finally click who this woman must be. The Queen of Cardona. Queen Alana Swanson.
Sweet! I’ve always wanted to meet Owen and Gregory’s mom.
“Good evening, ma’am.” Abby said as she did a low curtsey and opened her arms, welcoming the Queen and her guards into her home.
“You four can stay outside, I will speak with them in private.” The Queen said to her bodyguards.
The man with the swan on his chest did a quick salute before saying, “Ma’am I do not believe that to be wise. I believe the red headed woman to be incredibly dangerous.”
The Queen sighed deeply before nodding her head. “Trust me. I know. It’s okay, she’s a friend.” she said before she very literally shooed out her guards like someone would shoo away a stray dog.
The guards begrudgingly left, and as they did The Queen walked into the room and introduced herself. “Good evening. My name is Alana Swanson. I would appreciate it if we could drop the formalities while it is just the four of us.” she said as she grabbed Gwen by the shoulders and lifted her up gently.
Works for me. I have no idea how I’m supposed to act around a Queen anyways.
“Hey Ms. Swanson, I’m Kelsey.” she said as she stood up and extended her hand towards the woman.
Alana smiled as she took Kelsey’s hand, “Alana is fine.” She then shook both Abby and Gwen's hands before moving to sit down in one of the chairs.
Kelsey followed her lead and sat back down in the chair she had been in when The Queen arrived.
The moment Alana landed in the chair, she leaned back and summoned a small stool to rest her feet on.
“You know Abby, you really undersold how crazy this surprise was going to be.” Kelsey said as she grinned at her friend.
“Oh? Am I everything you expected Ms. Kain?” Alana asked with a fake haughtiness and a small grin.
Kelsey laughed softly. “Absolutely. Trust me, I’ve met Gregory. I know how he acts in an official capacity, and I know how he acts behind closed doors. I always just assumed he learned that from you.” she said with a large smile.
Alana gave a very genuine giggle. “You are correct Ms. Kain. Their father was the overly serious and stern one.” she said.
The four of them continued talking about less serious matters for over fifteen minutes. Simply trying to get a feel for one another and make some small talk. Kelsey was somewhat surprised by this, as she assumed that the Queen was probably a busy person. It was strange that she was spending so much time just chatting with them.
The Queen asked Kelsey the majority of the questions, focusing on her time in Anoura and touching briefly on what it was like back on Earth.
She was well informed, knowing most of what Kelsey had been through already. It gave Kelsey a strange sense of deja vu, like being in an interview.
Once their conversation reached a natural lull, Alana turned towards Abby and spoke in a much more formal tone.
“Alright dear. I’ve brought along with me an antidote that my court healers assure me will solve your poison problem.” Alana said as she summoned a small vial from the spatial ring on her finger. “I wanted to be here when you took it, just in case something went wrong.”
Abby nodded and gingerly reached her hand out for the vial. “Can I take it now?” she asked after she grabbed it.
“Abso–” The Queen started before she was cut off by Kelsey.
“No. Not yet.”
Everyone in the room looked at Kelsey like she had just sprouted three heads.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to cut you off. I can explain. But first, Alana, do any of your guards have a domain?” Kelsey asked seriously.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Alana’s expression became deadly serious as Kelsey asked that question, the joviality and familiarity that had been on her face before were now gone. It was clear Kelsey was now speaking to The Queen of Cardona, not her friend’s mom.
“They do.” The Queen said coolly.
“Okay, listen. I have recently figured something out… It's hard to explain without saying everything. But I believe that what I have figured out could also cure Abby’s condition. If it doesn’t work, we’ll need the cure you’ve brought. I would like to test my theory before she uses your potion though. If you trust your son's judgement, you can join us, if not, we’ll be back out in a few seconds.” Kelsey said as she waved her hand, opening a portal to her Dimension of the Magus.
Both Abby and Alana were eyeing Kelsey warily, but Gwen simply stood up and waited next to the portal.
“This is something that could change the face of Anoura, I really think you should come see it.” Kelsey said as she saw their hesitation.
Abby was the first to stand up and move towards the portal.
Now, all eyes were on Alana, waiting for her response.
She sighed deeply. “Very well Ms. Kain. This had better be good.” she said as she stood up and began walking towards the portal.
Kelsey’s Senses of the Magus spiked, and it automatically ramped up her perception as she saw the front door to Abby’s house explode inward and the armored man was moving at full combat speeds, weapon drawn, directly at Kelsey.
Thinking quickly, Kelsey raised her hand and created a wave of telekinetic wires and launched them at the charging guard. The wires quickly wrapped around him, controlled by her manipulation, and lifted him off the ground, suspending him in the air effortlessly. He was unable to react in time and was completely incapacitated by her magic. Her senses spiked as he tried to activate some sort of defensive skill, but she grabbed it with her manipulation and crushed it before he could escape her creation.
“Enough. I’m not going to hurt her.” Kelsey said as she looked overprotective guard.
After finishing her sentence, she commanded the telekinetic creation to dissipate back into mana and let the guard drop to the ground.
“Garrett. It’s fine. I trust her.” The Queen said gently. “I appreciate that you are worried about me though.”
“Plus, she’s got like a hundred levels on me, I’m not a threat to her.” Kelsey said offhandedly.
Both Garrett and The Queen looked at Kelsey sharply. Oops, that may not have been the right thing to say.
“Ms. Kain. That is incredibly privileged information. How did you acquire that knowledge?” The Queen asked seriously.
Instead of answering directly, Kelsey simply activated her identification and stared directly at the Queen.
“Magus…” she whispered under her breath, quietly enough that Kelsey almost didn’t hear her.
Damnit. Does everyone except me know about this shit?
“Yeah, we can talk about that through the purple magic circle.” Kelsey said as she pointed dramatically at the portal. “I don’t really want to discuss it here. Are you coming?”
The Queen quickly looked at Garrett and nodded. “I’ll be back in a few seconds, Garrett. Tell the others not to worry.
With that, The Queen held her head high and walked through the portal with confidence. The other three quickly followed. As they all entered, and Kelsey closed the portal, Alana spun around on her heels quickly. “You better start explaining yourself right now, Kelsey.” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “I’ve only trusted you this far because of how much my son trusts you. Do you have any idea what some of the other Anouran leaders would give to put me in a pocket dimension like this one?”
Kelsey put her hands up in a calming gesture. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.”
“Yeah, you’re gonna shit yourself when you hear what this one has to say.” Gwen said, pointing at Kelsey.
“What do you want to know first? The Magus stuff, or the new information I have?” Kelsey asked.
“All of it. Start from the beginning.” She answered simply as she sat down on the recreation of the real leather sofa Kelsey had in her office in the Mageblood forest.
“Very well. So, I was at my parents house on Earth when my brother Thadius and I…”
Her story continued for another forty-five minutes before she was caught up to the events leading up to that morning. She repeated much of what she had said during their conversation, simply adding more detail and relevant information.
Kelsey chose to skip over her time in isolation, not bothering to explain what she had learned about magic, the soul, or the Sage’s notes. She didn’t mention anything about the Sage’s book at all. She also left out everything about Destruction magic. No need to let that particular secret slip out.
Based on their previous conversation, Kelsey was pretty sure that Alana already knew most of what her class could do. How she knew, Kelsey had no idea. But it was clear she did.
“And then we left The Trial. It's been three days since then.” Kelsey finished.
Alana was deep in thought for several long seconds. “Okay, so a Mageblood body, the Eye of the Magus, a Creation class skill, and a Minor Creation general skill. Makes sense. Not that it's possible for anyone else to ever get a class like that.” she said, a bit of exhaustion leaking into her voice.
Kelsey leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Actually… that’s the new information I’ve got. I know how to perform the Mageblood ritual. I did it for Gwen this morning.” Kelsey said as she motioned for Gwen to show them.
Gwen held out her hand, created a small dagger, and sliced her hand open. A few seconds later, she activated Mageblood Regeneration and the wound closed right before their eyes. “Yep. The ritual is more painful than anything else I’ve experienced in my life, but it works.” Gwen said simply. "I've experienced a lot of painful things, so that's saying something."
Both Abby and The Queen were staring at Gwen’s hand, completely dumbstruck.
“I want to perform the ritual on Abby and see if her body getting remade will cure her poison. Plus, I want to share the Mageblood ritual with all of my friends and companions too. Both of your sons will have one within the next couple weeks.” Kelsey said excitedly.
The Queen blinked several times and shook her head in disbelief. “Alright Kelsey, I will say. You’ve got my attention. Do you want to perform the ritual now?” The Queen said as she regarded Kelsey with a critical eye.
Kelsey nodded her head and looked at Abby. “Are you open to trying the ritual? You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Like Gwen said, it isn’t pleasant.”
“What? Of course. Obviously, I want a Mageblood body. Are you kidding? I can see how strong you are, no way I’m passing that opportunity up.” Abby answered easily.
Kelsey was about to say something, but before she could, Gwen shouted unintelligibly at the top of her lungs with excitement as she grabbed Abby in an excited hug.
Kelsey laughed softly. “Alright, let’s do this.” Kelsey said as she willed one of the pre-prepared ritual concoctions to her hands.
“Abby, you’re going to want to be sitting down for this.” Kelsey said as she created a large cotton blanket for her to lay on and motioned for Abby to sit. “Once the ritual starts, your body will lock up and you’ll fall, so you don’t want to be standing or anything like that.”
Abby quickly followed her instructions and sat on the ground.
“Take this bowl, drink a few mouthfuls, then hand it back to me as quickly as you can.” Kelsey said as she extended the bowl towards Abby. “See you on the other side.”
Abby nervously reached out her hand and took the bowl. She looked Gwen in the eyes, who was staring confidently at her older sister. With a look of determination, she tipped the bowl up and began to drink. A few mouthfuls later and Kelsey had the bowl back in storage.
The convulsions began immediately, and thankfully, Gwen was keeping it together. That was until Abby’s skin started to be torn open by her own muscles changing size and contracting. Gwen tried to lunge towards Abby. To do what, Kelsey didn’t know, but she was prepared for it, grabbed Gwen, and whispered in her ear. “It’s fine. It’s fine. This happened to you too. I just cleaned off the blood. I’ll do the same for your sister. She won't even remember this. I promise it’s okay.”
Gwen struggled for a few moments before calming down and nodding seriously. She was clearly worried about her sister’s wellbeing.
A few seconds later the worry drained from her completely when she saw the wounds on Abby’s body close by themselves, a clear sign that the ritual had indeed worked.
As this happened, Kelsey heard a small gasp from behind her. She turned around to see The Queen staring very intently at the ritual being performed.
“How bout it Alana, you want a Mageblood body?” Kelsey asked as she saw the Queen’s reaction.
Alana looked at Kelsey quizzically. “Are you serious? You would really let me do the ritual? What do you want in return?” she asked seriously.
Kelsey squinted her eyes in thought for a few seconds. “I hadn’t even considered I could get something in return… You don’t need to pay me for it or anything, but, now that I’m thinking about it. I do actually have something I’d like your help with, if you can spare some people to do it.” Kelsey quickly added. “I’ll perform the ritual on you either way.”
Alana looked at Kelsey seriously and nodded. “Go ahead, what is your request?”
“I want to create my own dungeon, similar to The Trial. The only problem I have is power and lighting. Do you have solutions for either of those things?” Kelsey asked as she created another blanket and pulled out the other half of the concoction Gwen used for her ritual.
“I will have to speak with The Lion and see what he has to say about the power and lighting in The Trial. He’s frankly obsessed with that place, so he’d know more than I.” she said contemplatively.
It took Kelsey several seconds to put together who The Lion must be. “The Lion? Do you mean Leon?” Kelsey asked.
“Ah yes, sorry, I forgot that you did not know him by that name. He’s actually the one that has told me most about you. Although, he didn’t know you were a Magus.” she answered a bit distractedly as she was staring at the Mageblood concoction in Kelsey’s hand.
Kelsey could tell that asking her more questions was going to be pointless, so she figured she’d just get to the bottom of it after the ritual.
“Okay, let's get started. Go ahead and sit down, I’ll clean up any blood before you wake up, so your guards won't worry when we leave the portal.” Kelsey said as she handed the bowl to Alana.
The Queen’s ritual went just as smoothly as the previous two had been. And once both Alana and Abby were unconscious and sleeping, Kelsey quickly destroyed the blood that was covering them and sat down in her office chair. She contemplated what Alana had said about Leon being ‘The Lion’.
The Lion and The Winter Saint. They’re like titles. Alana used Leon’s title so casually, as if she has a deep familiarity with the man. Leon reported about what happened inside The Trial to her too… Why are those two even in contact? I wonder if she’ll know who The Winter Saint is.
Kelsey was frustrated. It felt like there was something going on behind the scenes that she wasn’t privy to. She didn’t know what it was, but she wasn’t going to let The Queen leave her sight until she found out.