Liz emptied her drink, ice rattled as she placed it down. The maid rested her arms on the wooden table and continued to smile. Liz sneered and called the waiter to empty to table. With the waiter's arms full with plates gone, the maid introduced herself.

“Hello!”

Liz didn’t respond. The maid nervously laughed and continued, “My name is Mary! Known as the-“

“I don’t care.” Liz wiped her hands.

“Right… I’ll get to the point, I need bodyguards, and I’m wondering if you could help me?”

“No.”

The maid froze for a second, and recovered. She didn’t expect such a direct answer.

“You don’t just ask random people to act like your bodyguard, try a different approach.”

The maid smiled and cleared her throat,

“Hello, my name is Mary Watch, I'm interested if I could ask for your services?” The maid looked up in anticipation.

“No”

The maid wanted to cry,

“Please hear me out, I will give you something in return, anything within my capabilities.”

“I don’t want anything.” Liz stood up, “Why didn’t you go buy some bodyguards, they’ll be happy to work for you.”

The maid frowned, “No mercenary will be as strong as you, someone who could easily kill two level 3 knights. A lot of people saw you know.”

Liz shrugged, “I got lucky.”

“You can’t fool anyone.” The maid narrowed her eyes, “It was one-sided murder.”

“I was just trying to protect myself.”

The maid sighed, “Look if you accept, I’ll promise it’ll be all profit for you if you survive.”

“Survive?” Liz walked off.

The maid quickly tried to calm Liz, “Someone with your skill should easily survive, especially with my help!”

Liz continued to the stair, as the little maid quickly blocked her way.

“Please listen! I really need a really, really strong bodyguard.

Liz ignored her. She casually looked past the maid, Vio stood near the bottom of the stairs. She looked at the maid and quickly walked over.

“What’s the problem?”

Liz frowned and pointed at the maid. Vio looked over and grinned. She walked to Liz’s side and slung her arm over her shoulder. Liz skeptically stared at her, Vio grinning as she rested her head on Liz’s shoulder. She leaned closer to Liz’s ear.

“She’s the mage! How did you find her?! Nice!” Vio whispered.

Liz stared and shook her head,

“This brat’s the mage? She looks like she just got home from pre-s-“

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Vio quickly closed Liz’s mouth, “Sorry, my friend just speaks without thinking, I’m Vio!

The maid smiled,

“What a friendly person! I just asked your friend if she could be my bodyguard.”

The maid smiled, Liz could almost see the sneaky tone from her voice, as charming as a bandit. Great, Liz thought, Vio is too polite to say no.

“Of course! What about me too? I promise my skill isn’t much worse than hers later!” Vio happily replied.

The maid clapped her hands, “Of course! The more the merrier" The maid pointed at a table, "Could we please sit over there.” Vio complied and dragged Liz back.

The maid pulled out a piece of paper. “This is a soul-binding contract, for security sake, please sign there.”

“I can’t write," Liz stood up and started to walk away.

“You read on our trip,” Vio grabbed Liz.

“I lack the motor skills.”

“You use a bow.”

“My head hurts.”

“Deal with it.”

Liz sighed and rested her head down.

The maid pointed at the line near the bottom of the page. Vio happily picked up the feather pen. Liz blocked her.

“Are you stupid or dumb,” Liz snatched the pen, “Or maybe a little bit of both.” She looked at the maid, “What’s our part of the deal.”

The maid smiled, she was finally going somewhere with this stubborn girl. “I’ll owe you guys and if you ask a favor, I’ll do anything to help you guys!”

“Even if we’re hunted down by the capital.”

The maid smiled warily, “Sure, I guess…”

“What about teleportation?! Can you teleport us to the eastern capital with was much silence as possible?” Vio jolted up, startling the maid.

“Sorry I probably can’t do that, but I could ask someone who might be able to.” The maid shyly answered. Vio excited shook Liz. Liz still didn’t give back the pen, the maid looked worried.

“Make it two favors.”

“What?”

“Two, one for me and one for her. If you accept, we’ll sign the paper.”

The maid scratched her head, and thought. Vio nervously looked at the maid as she though, Liz waited patiently.

“Fine, I’ll accept your deal.” The mage looked defeated.

Liz signed her name and Vio did the same, the mage also signed the contract sealing her end of the deal.

The maid delicately rolled the paper and stored it.

“Be near the western gate by sunrise, I’ll be waiting.”

Liz stood up,

“Wait,” Vio stopped the maid, “How long would it take?”

“About 5 days”

“Alright.” Vio looked content. She walked over to Liz and they went to their room. Vio walked over to the wall.

“You can have the bed today.”

"What you did today was rash."

"Why?"

"Because... nevermind."

Liz stopped talking and laid on the bed. Creaking and firm, just the way she likes it as she drifted asleep.

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Liz opened her eyes, and looked up. Rain and thunder, oh how she missed them. She closed her eyes to enjoy the cool feeling of the raindrops as they fell on her, opening her ears to listen the wonderful symphony of the lightning. Nothing came. She quickly opened her eyes and looked around. The ground was instead coated in a layer of snow, the tranquility of the area somewhat eerie.

Liz rose her arm, easily. Shocked, she moved her entire body, this is something new, she thought. She patted down her body, normal. She widened her eyes, no, not normal, this wasn’t her body, or more like it was a her from a younger time. She looked at her frail body, with her near skeleton complex, nearly all skin and bones. She breathed out a mist, as she shook her frail arms to stay warm. The path ahead was clear, Liz realized the next trial, just to walk forward. One step at a time, she advanced, leaving her bare footprint behind. The area was snowing heavily, snow hills piling near the side of her, weirdly never crossing paths with her.

The rough cotton of her shirt constantly moved due to the heavy wind, her eyelashes long froze due to the freezing temperatures, her feet were painful of frostbite. Whether if her arms were frozen, or her legs, or even her body, she continued. After a while, the dense piles of white snow climbed high, Liz didn't even bother to look. She looked back, her footprints covered from the fresh snow, she couldn’t tell how long she’s been walking, but it was a long time.

Time passed, seemingly years for Liz. What she wanted greatly was warmth , but more than anything, she desired hope. She longed closed her eyes, as she couldn’t see anymore. She stopped shivering, as she couldn’t feel anymore. She stopped breathing, as her lungs froze solid. She couldn’t hear, because her eardrums shattered. Though she ventured on. How long have I been here, she thought, how long did I walk for? Is there an end? Is there something to work for? Why am I alive?

She continued, disabled, only walking forward as if she had  been designed to. She suddenly bumped into something, though she couldn’t feel it and keep walking. Its arms hugged her, filling her with the warmth she long desired.

“Good job Elizabeth, we’re proud of you.”

She fell back, able to catch the last words of the dream.

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Liz heavily sat up from the bed.

Who are you?