----------------------------------------
Day 155th of the year 1877, the month of Treldop
In a small and rural village of the Imperial Republic of Serinn, the sun started slowly approaching the horizon. A nice and welcoming house, functioning both as an abode and a workshop, would be its first stop. The shining rays of the warm sun slowly irradiate the inside of a room, decorated with several maps of the rest of the world, and furniture that seemed to be crafted by a local carpenter, clean and smooth to the touch. The light moved towards the corners as one of them hosted a bed with colourful blankets layered on top of another. A bright pair of azure eyes gently opened, welcoming the environment as she yawned and stretched from her long night of sleep.
Looking around, the girl soon noticed that someone had opened the window to let the cold breezes after prolonged rain arrive at her bed, the room was for two; however, the other occupant was nowhere to be seen, their bed, separated by assortments of random boxes, was tidied up to such extent that it was as if no one had ever slept on it even once. Then, as if following the example haphazardly, the girl would do the same before changing her attire into something more suitable for the day, combing her messy silver hair straight whilst moving out of the room.
The interconnecting hall was lightly decorated, the interior being a mixture of wood and bricks. Walking past a similar bedroom onto the living area, she would spot a younger girl with her hair as grey if not as silvery as the moonlight, much like her own. The two’s features were similar, azure and sapphire eyes would be difficult to distinguish from a distance, though the older sister’s taller stature would help determine who is who.
“Good morning big sis~ I’m glad the wind did the trick, shaking you for hours hurt my hand!” Ellie happily greeted, the youngest daughter of the family hadn’t always been cheery, even now, she wouldn’t show such joy without Ellia within her reach. Cheerfully nodded at her sister as she descended the stairs. Ellia then, without a word, pounced like a predator, arms wide open.
“Eeek!” exclaimed the little sister, being knocked off her chair onto the floor with a warm embrace. The strategic carpet on the floor would perhaps hint at numerous iterations of this interaction, after hugging and patting to satisfaction, Ellia would get up whilst helping Ellie to do the same.
Sitting across each other on a table for four, the breakfast, consisted of gruel for two, a sharing plate filled with roasted chicken, while not at all appetising looking, gave off a smell of something quite the opposite. Circling her spoon mindlessly as she watched her little sister consume the food happily Ellia pondered on their future, while the two would probably end up inheriting the cartography workshop from their father, they knew that they weren’t particularly talented even though both had been helping for the majority of their lifespan.
“Sis…?” a clear, petite voice snapped Ellia back to reality. “Please stop staring… Your food will get all cold…”
----------------------------------------
Later that day, she'd drop off a pile of parchments of different sizes at a large desk, where her father thanked her as he labelled another one of his projects. The workshop had a printing press ready for common maps like the continent, every state of Serinn, and local areas, but this one was a rarity, a map of a snow-covered city in one of the few remaining northern countries. She always admired her father's endless knowledge of geography, assuming to be from years of travelling and exploring.
“Fetch me a drink, will you?” he asked with a smile, his eyes twinkling.
“Right away, your highness.” she teased, grabbing an unwashed mug on a cabinet. “This servant of yours will return promptly…”
.
.
.
Humming her way to the pantry, Ellia would recall the times when she would watch her parents fetch water from the community well while she ran around with Ellie, though that wouldn’t be necessary these days.
Placing the dirty mug in what resembles a small hole, it would quickly be flooded with water and detergent, which disappeared as quickly as they came. Humming to herself, she retrieved the mug, fetched some dried berries, sugar, and salt, then began making her father’s favourite sweet drink.
Magic items in the world come in all sort of shapes and functions, her family have a few: one capable of washing plates, one producing a limited amount of water per day, one that can heat/make cold of anything that can fit, some that act like timer, and one that can warm the entire house in winter. While their family is nowhere rich, they can live relatively comfortably with these. Ellia wouldn’t pretend to understand these arcane items or even the concept of magic but she’s grateful that the government allowed them to be at a reasonable price.
Crush berries into a soluble paste, mix well with sugar and water and a slight hint of salt to stabilise. The perfect recipe for a cold drink.
Ellia was just about to taste the mixture she had prepared using a teaspoon when she heard a strange ding sound. The sound seemed to be coming from all directions, but she could tell exactly where it was coming from. The bell-like noise was unlike anything she had ever heard before. Although the workshop had various bells, none of them sounded so artificial.
Leaving her creation in the [Magic Cooler], the girl made her way towards the noise, only to find something most perplexing at the storeroom. A letter, with a magnificent gleam, as if it is made of gemstones almost blinded Ellia upon entry, looking at it carefully, its composition seemed to be that of paper and nothing else. The imperial seal was displayed clearly as it floated proudly in the middle of the air.
Reluctantly, the girl reached out, fetching the letter as it stopped its glow and mid-air stasis. The seal burned itself off, perhaps to prevent reuse and to confirm that it is indeed a legitimate imperial seal, a floral scent filled the room, one which Ellia did not recognise, as several coins fell onto the ground from within, though Ellia would first take a look at the attached missive.
----------------------------------------
To Ellia Marcerath
While we acknowledge your family's standing in the field of cartography, your contributions were deemed unnecessary. To avoid stifling your potential and that of your sister’s, we hereby decree that you two make your way to the Imperial Institute of War section 3 at once, to attend as first-year cadets.
There, you are to master various arts that will prove most useful in military branches, regardless of which you intend to enlist after your graduation, you are expected to cast offensive spells proficiently. Fair compensation to both you and your family is guaranteed by the state, should an unexpected accident during your academic year occur.
Failure to report before the 183rd of this year will result in immediate termination of your family’s existence.
Five quarts have been disclosed alongside this letter, which you may spend as you wish on your preparations.
Signed,
Ministry of Internal Affairs.
----------------------------------------
Ellia felt a surge of anger, fear and eventually resignation as she read the letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Why did they choose her? A nobody in the countryside who hasn’t even seen actual magic spells in action? Someone that wouldn’t even warrant attention from the governmental body…? Had they always been observing? Living in the countryside, she had no idea how the Empire was governed as she had no interest in politics and war, especially in such a remote frontier like this.
Physically hearing her heart beating from the event, she attempted to calm down, yet the most pressing matter was on her mind. The fact that her sister too, would soon be conscripted, what would happen to them? If anything happened to either of them, what would their parents think?
“Ellia…? Ellia…. Are you okay?” asked Ellie, appearing from the hall connecting to her father’s workspace, on very limited occasions would the name be used instead of some variation of ‘sister’.
“I’m okay sis!” the reply was energetic as would her mannerisms, but no matter how excited she sounded and looked, the sweat and paleness would give away that something was amiss. “A-Anyways, could you bring the drink to father…?” her eyes widen as she sees Ellie bend to the floor, collecting fallen coins from the letter.
“F-Five quarts?” Ellie exclaimed in disbelief, shakingly handling five of the unblemished pristine silver colour, as if they just come freshly out of the mint. “D-Do we have a commission like that sis?”
The largest commission the family did would be half a quart, or rather 500 Clanes, so for such an amount to be laid casually on the floor would puzzle any member of the Marcerath family.
----------------------------------------
Later that evening, the family would gather at the dining table, all of them were very close, a rarity in this era of the imperial republic yet the usual happy atmosphere would be replaced with coldness. No one dared to be the one to speak first.
Ellie sniffled, she had only recently stopped crying, after all, Ellia couldn’t exactly blame her. Her tears weren’t caused only by the fact that she, who knows nothing of warfare, would be forced into a faraway place, but it could also be from the possibility of death, shattered dreams and the fact that she will learn to hurt someone. Perhaps the latter scared her the most.
Ellia of course, tried her best to comfort her little sister, holding her tight. Despite not a single word being uttered, the younger sister seemed to find solace in the warm embrace.
“The imperial institute of war… isn't that horri-” the mother paused momentarily, clicking her tongue and not looking anywhere other than the husband, intending to break the ice, she would continue. “Isn’t that place in the capital ward?”
Her husband nodded slightly before starting to explain. “Section 3 would be on the western end of Alicia Ward-”
The imperial republic relegated its governance into ‘wards’, many wards were former nations of their own that had been absorbed into themselves. Alicia would house the imperial capital and various cities considered to be the most developed in comparison to its peers.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“There are few methods to get there, the best way is to get to the nearest train station about a week on horseback, then about a day for the train to reach the capital district.”
Ellia nodded, Inter-Continental Rapid Transit, while spanning every direction of the Imperial Republic, has few stations across the vast land, and none in a rural ward like East Tapol.
“Life in the capital…” Ellie muttered to herself, quivering as she said so, she had always paled up when in a crisis, but not quite to this extent.
“It will be fine sis! I will be with you! We can like, explore all the places together!” assured Ellia, gaining a reluctant quarter of a smile.
“We should depart soon.” the mother nodded to herself before standing up, slamming the table with her hands, “How I have longed for another adventure!” she excitedly exclaimed. Whether that be her genuine feelings or an attempt to cheer her daughters would not be apparent to outside observers.
Ellia couldn’t help but smile at the situation. When she was young, her mother would tell tales of her journey as a self-proclaimed adventurer before settling down, so to see perhaps her eyes sparkle is comforting in a way…
“M-Mother… does that mean you will a-accompany us?” Ellie asked, wiping off lingering traces of tears.
“Of course! Your mother will make sure you reach the place safely and come back before your father misses me too much!” such proclamation earned a slight scoff from the person in question. “Off to pack your things, then the quicker you go to the institute, the more time for waddling around in the big city!”
Just then, the father rose to his feet, “I will get it” he said in response to a sound coming from the kitchen before moving towards the general direction, Ellia would follow. “I will help,” she said, trailing not far behind.
----------------------------------------
“That is everything right?” asked the mother, her sister would be quick to nod happily. It all had happened so quickly, only last evening were they discussing the future that would come on the day after, and now there they were, preparing to leave the area she had spent seventeen years of her life in, everything was so abrupt but to know that she would accompany them slightly gave the sisters comfort, especially Ellie.
“That should be all mom.” Ellia nodded, recounting the coins in her hand. In addition to five quarts given by the government, her father also pledged another three, totalling eight. Since she’s never handled this amount of money before, she’s naturally nervous, triple-checking that they wouldn’t fall off accidentally.
Before them would be two carts, one for them to stay and another for their belongings. It should take longer than expected to reach the train station considering their mode of transport, but the time should still be plenty before the deadline mentioned.
“Will father be fine…?” Ellie meekly asked, glancing, not finding him coming to send them off.
“Well… despite his looks, your father can be quite emotional…” answered the mother helping Ellie onto the carriage, apparently, their parents called on them last evening but for them to arrive immediately in the morning is rather impressive, or at least Ellia believed so.
Inside the carriage, there were seats for four, though it could be six if the armrests were to be removed and passengers sat tightly to one another. Though with limited legrooms comes limited options. The sisters personally never ridden something like this before, let alone know that there was such service near her.
“Sit comfy missies, might be a tad bumpy ‘round here!” announced the coachman, getting ready to depart… Soon enough, his prophecy would come to fruition, the carriage shook at every step of the horse as the wheel struggled in paved dirt with bits of stones and such. Ellia took a final glance at her home workshop, noticing the father, looking at them from the window with a sullen face. She waved at him with a soft smile, only for him to turn away, perhaps holding back tears, it was understandable enough Ellia thought, imagining what she would do if the roles were switched.
A few minutes went by without anyone saying anything, though the most excited person on this journey seemed to be none other than her mother. While the two were dressed in her usual attire, dark colour tunics with not many things to discern them from the masses, her mother was geared for adventuring, sporting hiking boots, functional canvas pants with plenty of pockets alongside similarly practical upper counterpart, apparently, she had prepared supplies for the journey outside the rations in her backpack of which Ellia and Ellie help loaded onto the cart at the beginning of the day.
“Dearest daughters!” the mother abruptly spoke, startled, Ellie gripped her sister’s hand from the side, a reaction which brought a smile from the culprit. “My dear second daughter! Has your mother ever regaled you on her and her friend’s journey to defeat the demon lord of Clement?”
“D-Demons?!” Ellie exclaimed, clutching and clinging to her sister even harder. “T-There are demons?!”
“Shh… hush now! Your mother will elucidate!” then as if she had been waiting her whole life for this moment….
.
.
.
“The scene was that of winter, we paved and struggled through the path engulfed with the ever-adding snow, five of us tasked to slay a rumoured unholy beast residing inside one of the random assortments of random caves, hiding like an injured stray hound. Our party leader, with all his intellect, triangulated the location and our artificer confirmed a life signature. We descended the narrow path of the cave, readied for the confrontation we knew for certain would be before us, soon echoing sounds of water drips reached our ears, we thought there to be some sort of underground reservoir, only to know from the rancid, metallic smell that it wasn’t mere water. So carefully, your mother spearheaded in, yet the source of the smell would most be unexpected. A wild game being hung, allowing the last of its blood to drip, there we know that it’s an ambush… Our ranger, perception as clear as a hawk let loose of his crossbow, bolts after bolt flew towards the area we just came from! Moans of pain were heard yet the barrage from our end did not cease.”
In comes a dramatic pause from her mother, By this point Ellia couldn’t help but question what she’s hearing, she felt like ordering a meaty sandwich, only to find the filling be that of vegetables and fruits. By no means was the filling bad, but it wasn’t what was advertised by any means.
“So, after scanning for any more people waiting to ambush us and the result being negative, we ventured to see what exactly we had shot…..then, we realised it was none other than our quest giver! Since we had and still have, no idea why he was there, we kinda just buried him in that cave and went on our ways! Such an interesting adventurer isn’t it~” The mother nodded happily to herself, looking upwards and smiling lightly, “Such good times.”
“Mom.”
“Yes? First Daughter?”
The siblings stared blankly at one another, one clearly showed signs of more discomfort than the other, but still, Ellia could no longer hold back and speak up. “...Not only were there no demons, but you also killed your employer and hid him in that cave…”
“That is indeed correct, dear first daughter, astute observation! Thankfully, your mother brought enough shovels for us all since it was snowing heavily, so the lesson is, it’s best to be prepared!” she exclaimed.
“I…see, as expected of mother…” Ellie muttered to herself, gaining an enthusiastic approving nod from the person in question.
“I know! Your mother can be pretty amazing!”
----------------------------------------
After what felt like several hours, crackers consumed, many more stories, and small talks concluded, the carriage came to a halt, Based on the sun’s location in the sky, it would not be late into the afternoon. The pause was so abrupt that it sent several articles flying from the vibrations, perhaps it wasn’t just an abrupt stop but a hole dug to trap the wheel.
Ellia and Ellie were almost knocked off their seats, thankfully, their mother reacted in time to help prop the two up, after confirming no injuries from the impact, she would say, “You two stay put. I will check” before attaching a sheathed blade to her waist, making her way out after another glance.
Ellie turned back, not daring to peer her head through the side views. There was a gap, large enough to see the coachman had he been there, but obscured enough to render it pointless as an instrument to view the scene transpiring. “A-Are we under attack?” Ellie softly whispered, defeated and scared.
The mother's and the coachmen's rapid footsteps echoed as they ran a distance away from the carriage. Ellia and Ellie sat in silence, waiting for their return. The two could hear muffled voices in the distance, but couldn't make out what was being said. It was nerve-wracking to be left in the dark like this.
As they waited, Ellia's mind wandered to the events that led up to this moment. Countless possibilities flooded her mind, though they both knew better than to not follow instructions. The sisters held on to each other “It will be okay” the big sister claimed, she looked around the carriage, finding weapons for self-defence if it came to that. While knows rudimentary swordsmanship, or rather, how to handle a blade but not much more than that, Ellie couldn’t be more clueless about it.
Their home and the village’s surroundings were peaceful, with no such thing as monsters or threatening wild animals, combined with their position as an apprentice, they never had the chance or interest in such things.
“Hold onto this…” Ellia handed her sister a wooden stick whilst grabbing a shovel for herself, there were several things her mother brought along inside the carriage itself, adventuring gears close to reach would make more sense than placed on the other wagon. “You should be able to hold on to it, whack the bad guy real hard if it comes to that, okay…?”
The little sister didn’t respond, merely holding onto the stick with her free hand, perhaps already taking all of her might to not break down. The commotion turned into clashing of steel, Ellia knew they couldn’t simply stay still any longer. If combat is initiated, she would need to see how well her mother and the coachmen match with the mysterious enemy, if they are equivalent, her help would tip the tide of the battle. If the enemy is overwhelming, she would need to run away, to protect Ellie no matter the cost.
Solidifying her will, she approached the exit, being slightly held back wordlessly by Ellie. “It will be fine, just a peek.” assured the big sister as she poked her head out…
There, was melee combat, whilst her side seemed to have the upper hand from their proficiency, they were outnumbered three to twelve. Looking closely, their attackers seemed to be ill-equipped for the occasion, with only little paddings and sharpened sticks that could barely be qualified as a wooden sword mixed with arms that could have belonged in an antique store. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of unifying factor other than the state of their equipment.
“W-What’s happening?” asked the little sister, making Ellia get her head back inside the carriage, “There are too many of them…” Solidifying her will, she uttered the next words, “Stay here, okay? I will try to lure them…”
There were some resistances, but Ellia couldn’t waste any more time. She knew she would not be able to do much, she would most definitely get in the way, but by some miracle, she might be able to take down at least one. Haphazardly gripping a shovel, whose length could be mistaken for a pole arm, she exited the carriage and shouted…. nothing. She couldn't get any words out even though her will was solidified, actually committing to the act and imagining it is vastly different.
----------------------------------------
“Tch.” Talia muttered, pacing herself backwards, her strikes did not find their mark, though she hadn’t sustained any injuries yet either. She looked to the side, glad to see the coachmen holding well on their own. The opponent is twelve in number, yet they segmented the fight into three, four versus one each. While on the surface, that seems to be a good idea, splitting combatants evenly, the gap in the skill makes it unideal.
The ones in front of her seemed to be unremarkable men, one equipped with a lengthy shovel, two with short swords and another with a proper spear.
Being a retired adventurer, the mother of the two is familiar with challenging enemies of greater skill elevation, had her position be in reverse, she would order two of the twelves to stall whilst the rest take down one of the three, then repeat the process with the rest of the enemy.
“Surrender! We don’t have to fight” exclaimed one of the assailants, rushing forward with a pitchfork, whilst another three followed closely behind, splitting to the sides to attack from all angles. Talia’s senses were as sharp as her prime, yet her movement could not match what she perceived and predicted, a natural deterioration of physical prowess.
The lunge was evaded, she would have attempted a counter if there weren’t slashes aiming at her sides. She paced back, followed by the assailants, “Two can play that game, why don’t you surrender.” This goes on for a while, it is not like there weren’t openings for Talia to launch an attack, but only one hit would be sufficient to slow Talia down, ultimately leading to her demise.
Just when she thought the stalemate would turn into a battle of stamina, one of the attackers faltered, allowing her to lunge forward. Her blade struck fast and true, pierced through the throat and pulled, in just a blink of an eye, though this wouldn't come uncontested, groaning in pain, Talia took a few steps back, a spear had grazed her side.
She stumbled back, clutching her injured side, a crimson stain blooming through the cloth. One with the shovel opted for a swing, the tip would’ve cleaved her head off if not for a brief pale barrier that appeared to receive the impact. A glow from her neck would reveal the source of this, [Lifeline Talisman] a magic item that prevents death from a deadly blow. However, it’s counted as Inferior on the scale of a magic item due to its effect not being mitigation but rather translocation of damage.
The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to give in to the searing pain. The remaining attackers faltered, momentarily thrown off by both the sight of their comrade's demise and the culprit surviving what would have been fatal. It was a minuscule advantage, a flicker of hesitation, but in the desperate dance of battle, it might be all she needed.
Without any declaration, Talia lunged towards the nearest attacker, the one with the short swords. He reacted clumsily, his blades flashing in a panicked parry. Talia's blade, lighter and swifter, danced around his clumsy defence, finding a gap in his leather cuirass and digging deep into his shoulder. The man roared in agony, dropping his weapons and staggering back.
But the respite was short-lived. The remaining two, driven by a mix of fear and fury, pressed their attack. The spearman thrust with deadly precision, aiming for her injured side. Driven by adrenaline, she barely managed to deflect the blow with her sword's hilt, the wood splintering under the impact. The shovel-wielding man closed in, long handle whistling down like a battering ram. Talia rolled beneath it, masking the agony in her wounded side.
She scrambled to her feet, back against the carriage, despair threatening to drown her. Just when she thought all hope was lost, a movement from within the carriage caught her eye. Ellia, face flushed with determination, emerged, brandishing the shovel like a makeshift spear.
“Ellia, no!” Talia screamed, but it was too late. The girl, fuelled by a desperate need to protect her mother, charged towards the attackers. Her clumsy swing caught the shovel-wielding man on the arm, sending him reeling back. But the spearman, a towering brute with eyes burning with bloodlust, saw his chance. He raised his spear, aiming for Ellia's heart.
Time seemed to slow down. Talia, moved by a mother's primal instinct, launched herself forward with a speed even beyond that of her prime. The provoked blade blurred a silver streak against the setting sun. Steel met flesh with a sickening crunch. The spearman crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering away. With a quick motion and a throwing knife to the neck, she would then ensure that the rising shovel-wielding man would not stand ever again.
Talia stood there, chest heaving, her blade dripping with crimson. The remaining attacker, the short sword man, looked at her, his face drained of colour. He dropped his weapons and sank to his knees, whimpering in surrender.
Their battle was over. They had won. Talia looked at Ellia, her face pale but resolute, the bloodied shovel still clutched in her trembling hands. Tears welled up in Talia's eyes, a mixture of relief and gratitude. Her daughter, her brave, foolish daughter, had saved her life.
The two coachmen gathered around, faces etched with concern, apparently held up decently on their own with few scratches and bruises. They quickly checked Talia's wound, their words clipped and efficient. “We need to get you patched up,” one of them said, his voice gruff but kind. “And her too.”