Avalon might be the jewel of the south of Jord, but to the north another jewel rules supreme, the Lunar empire. This great state lays claim to near all of the Dál-Ligan continent with their only neighbours being the south eastern kingdom of Luperon. More a loyal puppet than an actual equal ally.

The land bridge called the Serpents Way acted as a unifier with their new Avalonian neighbours in the south. A few within the empire had been panicked by the events of two years ago, when their universe had seemingly ended and they found themselves on this alien world with new neighbours and old foes.

Avalon over all others had drawn the most fear from many. There were those who hoped to gain the new superpower as an ally, whilst others feared that it would side with their over two thousand year old enemy, the Ocean Lords.

Juno Freya didn't think much of their new southern neighbours, all that mattered to her were the said Ocean Lords and their traitorous allies. Just because they had all almost died two years ago, didn't mean that the great war had reduced in its intensity.

If anything the chaos and confusion caused by their homes being brought to this foreign planet had added new dimensions to this war. The new geography had left once unreachable fortresses exposed and added new potential allies.

The young female fae continued to walk through the corridors of the great tower of Mor-Armag. The silence of the empty corridor, being filled by the giggling of her silver and blue armor, as plate and mail rubbed against each other.

Though she would come across a few of her fellow Kastoran core soldiers, those who were blessed by the emperor with greater strengths than others. She had once heard some fool calling Avalonian Knights their equivalent and equals, absolute nonsense if you asked her. Even the lower Durian troops were greater than those southern fools.

But that did not matter now, she had a mission and it would be carried out efficiently. Juno smiled as she thought about the fact that the mistress had spoken to her of all the attendants and given her this mission.

The euphoric glee that rushed through her was enough to almost make her giggle.

She kept walking until she reached the end of the corridor, at this was a door with blue arcane symbols etched into the marble white doorframe. The door itself led to a room that was filled with a hazy blue smoke.

Though the smoke was extremely thick, it did not exit the door and enter the corridor, it merely floated around. Juno took in a deep breath before she stepped forward through the door and as the smoke enveloped her, she felt a sensation that was like a surge of electricity running across her skin and tickling her spine.

She knew the sensation was the smoke making her one with its substance, her flesh being transmuted as she was moved alongside the smoke across the entire tower system until she reached where she desired to go.

It had taken no more than twenty seconds before she felt the electric sensation cease, a sign that she had arrived where she needed to go. And so she stopped forward, unable to see truly were she wanted to go, but she managed to stepped out of the smoke and into another room, her body returned to flesh and blood, though she still felt a drowsiness that forced her to stand still in order to regain her bearing.

"Someone needs to develop a damn elevator for this thing, I can't stand..." she complained, though she stopped herself as her stomach tried to evict her lunch and much to her disgust, Juno had to force it back down.

A sudden wild burst of cheers almost made her jump out of her skin and reach for the bone wristband wrapped around her right arm.

Looking forward she realized were she was, this rooms walls were filled with racks that held all manner of weapons and pieces of armor on them. At its heart could be found elevated platforms, upon which warriors would test their mettle.

Juno rarely used these facilities, her duties to the Mistress were far too important to take the backseat to simple sparring.

She noticed that all of the platforms were empty with the exception of one. It was crowded by all manner of Kastorans and Durians, who should have been training, but yet they had gathered together to behold some kind of spectacle within.

She tried to get a look at it, but she could not see well ahead as the mass who stood between her and the platform were an ocean. Some other fae had used their wings to hover a few meters off the ground in order to see and as such, she could see over the throngs.

Juno pushed past the inconsequential Durians, whose shouts of protest she ignored as she reached the nearest Kastoran warriors who were cheering with a mad enthusiasm.

Juno turned to one of the cheering Kastoran and she asked, "You, what is happening here?"

But she was ignored as they kept cheering and standing over their toes in order to get a better view of what was happening. The smaller Fae felt her face heat up and her anger lit up within like a matchstick.

" Don't you dare ignore me, I am a personal aid to the Mistress herself. So you will tell me what is happening here!" she snapped out and that caught a few attention.

They looked at her bewildered, as if she had just magically appeared before them.

"Well... speak up!" she demanded.

"Well..." One of them began to explain nervously, though she stopped and leaned her face closer " ...Wait, you are the younger Freya."

Juno gnashed her teeth together. "It is Juno Freya, or you can address me by my rank Nar-Frey..."

"Your sister is sparing with lord Libra, it is amazing!" One of them shouted in excitement before turning to face the ring once more.

"my sister... MY SISTER! " she mentally slapped herself as she remembered just why she was here.

"Please move, i have an important message to deliver from our Mistress" she commanded, but once more, no one paid her too much attention.

"Move out of my damn way, i am of the Mistresses personal aids!" She shouted, her patience finally spent.

She squeezed her way through the thick crowds who cursed out at her in surprise and those who stubbornly refused to move, even after her commands and attempts to squeeze past them, she physically pushed out of the way until she reached the edge of the ring.

Two combatants within the ring circled each other. One wore a silver and green armor with a helmet that was cast to appear like a lion head. In this warrior's hands was a great claymore.

The second wore a gold and silver armor and upon their chest was engraved a scarlet scale. In their hand was a rather plain looking sword, especially when compared to their garb.

The lion helmeted warrior lunged forward and swung their claymore with such blinding speeds that a loud bang echoed across the training hall as their speed shattered the sound barrier.

The second warrior proved fast enough to intercept the claymore with their own blade. Juno and everyone in the front row were almost knocked back from the impact of the pieces of steel clashing.

The Lion warrior pressed their attack with probing half swings and thrusts. The other golden warrior managed to block and counterattack. Though anyone with enough battle sense could see that the Lion warrior was stronger than their foe, who kept being pushed back with every blow intercepted.

A great overhead strike was brought down and while the golden warrior managed to intercept the claymore with their sword, the force sent them down upon one knee with enough force that that the concrete floor cracked.

With some effort, the golden warrior managed to throw off their opponent. Rather than press an offensive, they retreated backwards, their sword still aimed forward to keep their adversary at bay.

Like the wild beast which their helmet was shaped into, the Lion warrior slowly stalked forward, not attacking but their body was tense and ready to strike.

And once again with hypersonic speeds they lunged and swung their blade in a powerful side swing. The golden warrior raised their blade to parry the claymore, but the Lion warrior struck with such force that the golden warrior was sent staggering back, almost being knocked upon their back.

The lion had metaphorically drawn blood and it rushed with a blinding fury. More powerful claymore strikes came and with each parry and block, the golden warrior was sent staggering back before finally slipping and falling upon their back.

In a panic, the golden warrior tried to raise their blade in a forward thrust to keep back the Lion warrior, but the Lion warrior managed to grab the blade with their left hand before throwing a strong kick into the golden warriors arm. The golden warrior gasped in a sharp agony and they released their grip of their blade which the Lion warrior pulled out of their hand.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The Lion warrior then brought their sword tip to their downed opponent's throat. And the downed warrior, raised their arms in surrender whilst saying, "I yield."

Juno was awestruck by the skill and power displayed by the two warriors that she almost joined the cheering masses. But her dignity wouldn't allow such low behavior.

The lion warrior lowered their claymore and took off their helmet. Underneath that lion shaped helmet was a female fae, her black hair drenched in sweat and her breathing haggard. This was Ulfhild Freya, the great Leo of Zodiac and her elder sister.

" A well fought battle, lord Libra ", she said as she helped the golden warrior back onto their feet.

The warrior took off their helmet to reveal an old elf, his once scarlet red hair and beard had turned grey. His breathing was more haggard and he appeared more exhausted than her sister.

"I am getting too old for this. Maybe its time I retired, let another take up the mantel of Libra", Libra said as he coughed out a bit.

"Don't be silly, you still have your skills from the very days that you trained me. Very few foes would have been able to truly best you", Ulfhild responded.

The old Libra chuckled before responding, "It is not just a matter of skill, but of strength as well. My body is now four hundred and eighty two years, I no longer have the strength of youth".

"Don't give up just yet old man, we still need your wisdom, none alive with only exception of the Mistress and the Black Raven know about war and combat like you do."

Juno had seen and heard enough and she climb up into the ring and presented herself before the two Zodiacs. She fell upon one knee and kept her head tilted downwards as she spoke.

" My great Libra and Leo, I hail you. I Nar Juno Freya, aid to the great Mistress Nimue, bring you orders directly from her."

"Tell us our Mistress's order's, Nar Freya," Ulfhild replied in a voice that was more of the professional Leo than the friendly one used when speaking to Libra.

"Lord Gemini has returned from the Frost Fang Islands. It appears that there might be something that you all must know" she responded to her sister as she tried to think of what this all meant.

"I best go wash up, the Mistress shall not be so accepting of me stinking up the place" Libra said before turning and walking away.

Ulfhild raised her right arm and she took a half of a whiff of her armpit and she instantly began gasping

in disgust, she shook her head and took in a deep breath of fresh air before turning to Juno and saying, "I have understood your message, I too am in need of a bath."

"Of course, Leo Freya" Juno responded.

Her sister placed the helmet on once more and she stepped out of the ring and the crowds around the ring dispersed as she walked into the smoke door and out of view.

XXXXXX

At the top floor of the the great tower of Mor-Armag stood the circle of concord. Within this great room that almost touched the heavens was a scarlet red circular table with thirteen thrones around it, seated upon them were the twelve zodiacs and upon the most beautifully embroiled was their Mistress.

Juno and the other attendants stood at attention at the four corners of the room. It was tiring work to stand still for hours, but the joy of the work managed to keep her and the others upon their feet, even as their calves hurt.

"The damn barbarians in the Frost Fang Islands have brought our troops to a grounding halt. They have been bolstered by troops and weapons from the Pontus Imperium, they have turned taking the other half of the western island a real meat grinder" Gemini spoke. His voice dripping with frustration and exhaustion.

The great lord was odd to look at, with his helmet that was cast to appear like two conjoined faces.

He had taken off his helmet and beneath it was a older human male with dark brown skin, as well as his sea green hair and a moustache that screamed of descent from those mixings of Dál-Ligan blood and that of the Ocean Lords during the occupations.

"How bad is it truly?" the old Libra asked, his face deeply drawn into a deep thought.

"We have lost the fortress of Blugath and most of our new gains in the northern territory of the western island," Gemini responded.

Juno felt a pit in her stomach at those words, the Frost Fang Islands had been one of the most notorious of the traitors and a true threat from the north. Many raids from them had been unfortunately successful and attempts by their navy to halt these attacks had proved halfway success's at best.

Emperor Nuada's successful invasion near a hundred years ago had been a great turning point and the capture of near half of the western island was a thing that people still told stories about. To hear that some of that success was lost was like a slap to the face.

"Lost? That is a funny way of saying abandoned to the enemy by you, our most dear Alaric," snickered Virgo with her usual venomous tone.

The zodiac of beauty was truly the most beautiful amongst them and deserving of her title. Her flowing black locks and her near perfection would have blinded one to the Fae's venomous heart.

"I honor you by speaking to you by your title Virgo, but if such disrespectful behavior is what you desire, then I shall oblige, Siân" Gemini might have tried to keep his anger masked in a cold rationality, but it still slipped out.

"In that case, then tell us the truth. Do not think for a second that the rest of us are unaware of your abandonment of Blugath," Virgo replied with an amused smile that seemed to get under Gemini's skin.

"I was left with nothing but twenty thousand troops, half of whom were new recruits who had barely lifted a sword or fired a gun in their life, all that to defend a fortress being sieged by five times the experienced attackers. I held out for three years!" this time Gemini did not bother hiding his rage as he leaped up to his feet and slammed his fist upon the round table.

"And you could have held out for three more years were you not continuously leaving Blugath to meet the enemy out in the open field!" Virgo snapped back, herself also leaping onto her feet. "You lost so many men unnecessarily!"

"I had to defend our subjects in the area who could not be brought in. You spend too much time conquering but not ruling, Virgo. The people would have turned on us had we simply shut our gates to them. Is that what you wanted, for me to create a great rebellion just like that?!"

" But that didn't stop you from running away when it got too hard. You dishonor your rank Alaric, but what else is to be expected from an Ocean Lander!" Virgo's words drew a gasp of horror from even the aids and looks of indignation from her fellow Zodiacs.

Gemini looked aghast for a second, as if he could not comprehend what she had just said. But his look of horror soon turned to a snarl of rage as he drew a double sided war hammer that was strapped to his hip.

"How dare you!" he roared as he began to walk around the table to her, his hammer ready to swing.

"Oh, I dare you, green blood!" Virgo responded, her voice drunk with bloodlust as she drew her scythe from under the table.

Juno could not believe her eyes, these two mighty warriors looked ready to murder each other, here in this most sacred of places. She looked to her fellow attendants, who all looked pale in fright while the other zodiacs stood in total confusion and disbelief by what they were seeing.

All of them that is, except for her sister, Ulfhild. The Leo of Zodiac had leaped from her seat as both warriors swung their weapons, their speed being so fast that they were near undecipherable blurs to the youngest Freya sister.

Both weapons never met as Leo proved even faster as she managed to get between them and knock aside both their weapons with enough force that hammer and scythe were sent flying out of their master's grips.

"Leo? Mind your own Dia damn...." Virgo had began cursing out but Leo's claymore was leveled to her face and it silenced her.

"Watch your tone, lest we find another Virgo. Your antagonistic attitude to Gemini is distasteful and you ought to be ashamed." Leo then turned to Gemini who was still seething with rage "Gemini, while Virgo is a great fool and many would like nothing more than to shut her up, do not forget where you are and what such actions mean."

" You stupid child, I was Virgo while you still suckled at your mother's tits. You have no right to speak to me..." Virgo began to rant but once more she was halted, but this time it was not from Leo's claymore, but a burst of pressure in the room.

It felt like the room was submerged into the depth of the ocean and the under sea pressure was not just forcing them to their knees, but their eardrums felt close to bursting and it felt like water was being forced into their mouth and nose.

Juno gasped in pain as she and many others fell to their knees, feeling as if their lungs were being flooded by water and the pressure seemed to increase even more. This torturous experience ended swiftly and everyone greedily sucked in as much oxygen as they could.

"Children, please behave," the cold voice of their lady said softly.

The Mistress's flesh was as pale as her hair was white, her piercing green eyes were like blades that cut through everything that they rested upon. Her armor was a black and white masterpiece, forged in ages past.

"Forgive our foolishness, Mistress," both Gemini and Virgo said at once as they fell to their knees.

"All is forgiven, but never repeat such things here again," the Mistress responded, her body still radiating the magical power that had almost killed them all.

"We understand Mistress," like submissive children, both Zodiacs replied before returning to their respective seats, not without casting a few dirty glances at each other.

"Now, let us discuss truly important issues. Libra, how goes project apotheosis?" she asked the eldest of the Zodiac.

"So far, everything is going well. We have managed to subdue the resistance forces and the cells are up to seventy six percent capacity..." Libra then paused as if something troubled him before asking, "Mistress, forgive me for overstepping my bounds, but should we not tell the emperor of our plans. We can't hide the fact that so many resources are not going to the active war effort, someone will notice".

" I am well aware of that, but the emperor is still a boy at heart, same as with you my dear Alfreth, if you truly believe that the emperor would allow such a usurpation of his power. He has been looking for an excuse to reduce Zodiac to nothing," the ancient being said with a smile and though Libra was an elf of four hundred and eighty, he looked as embarrassed as a little boy softly scolded by his parents.

"But mistress, what of Avalon".

" Leave the Avalonians to me. Their entry in this war is inevitable, regardless of how much they might try to spin their isolation policy, Pisces has discovered them to be making overtures to our new eastern neighbours," she responded.

"Of course Mistress," Libra replied, though the ancient warrior did not sound convinced.

"Have some faith Libra. Avalon has doomed themselves already, they just don't know it yet," the Mistress said with a knowing smiling.