R… M…R…

Is somebody there?

Annora felt as though she was drifting through a deep ocean. The gentle currents pulled her along an unknown path deeper and deeper into the depths. And there, deeper than the furthest reaches of the world… was light.

She felt herself drawn to that light. For a moment it grew so bright it blinded her, but when she opened her eyes she found herself gazing upon beautiful scenery.

She was on a hill, a gentle glade situated on a plateau surrounded by a sparse forest. In the distance was another plateau, a city settled upon it.

Is this… the outside world? Where is this place? It is like none I have ever visited. It's more vibrant than I ever could have imagined.

Much of the land outside the Mountain Home was tough and rocky, flora sparse and tough. If a place such as this does exist it must be thousands of leagues away from the land she knew, if not more.

Run…

A sense of wrongness permeated her being in an instant. The breeze that had been so gentle was dead, a feeling of dry death left lingering in the air.

She was once again blinded, but this time when she opened her eyes the city upon the hill was consumed by a pillar of white fire. A wave of heat and destruction cascaded from the pillar, reaping death across the land as it approached her.

She tried to turn, to run, but saw more behind her. Dozens, hundreds more blanketed the land as far as the eye could see in every direction. Right as the wave of death was about to reach her she felt herself be yanked away from that scene with enough force to leave her nauseous.

She found herself in a different place, a snow-covered mountainside. She looked around for any sign of habitation but found nothing, it seemed she was alone in this desolate wilderness. Until she looked up.

Above her were two figures floating through the air far above. They should have been too far away to hear or understand, but she could hear their voices as if they stood right next to her.

"I'll have no choice but to retaliate if you continue."

"Oh, I'm aware. Even if this is an outcome I know you wished for, I know you also have no choice in the matter."

"Why now? You could have done this long ago if you had wished for it. Even knowing that the Gears have ordained this outcome I don't understand why you would choose now of all times to act out your desire."

"If I'm right, it won't matter."

"The destruction of the world won't matter? Then why do you wish for it?"

A maniacal chuckle filled the air, "Because I despise the one who created it, obviously. I only wish that sleeping piece of shit could watch as I break apart everything they sacrificed so much to create. But that's not what you're asking, is it? If I'm right, there's someone in this world whose existence makes all of this meaningless. Even if it ends, it will all begin again."

"What? If you destroy this then there's nothing left. Not even the Heavens will be able to survive without the one who sleeps."

"So you didn't see it then… how fascinating." The chuckle became a laugh, then a cackle, "Oh how good this feels! All the toys in the world to entertain myself with, and all the time I could ever want to play! I wonder what I should do next… Well, I suppose I should just satisfy myself with this for now."

Before Annora could even register them as having moved they met in the air above in a clash that upturned the earth and shattered the mountain below her. As it fell away she was left floating in place.

She looked back to where they had been but they were nowhere to be seen. She looked around and saw them appear and disappear only to reappear somewhere else a moment later on the horizon. And everywhere they clashed the world below was rent asunder.

Run…

Once more she was pulled away from the vision and thrust into another.

In the midst of a dark and chaotic struggle she appeared. All around her were dwarves, her brethren, fighting an enemy she could only describe as terror incarnate.

Similar to insects in appearance, they swarmed over the battlefield, consuming and devouring her people. She could not tell if their carapaces were originally blood red or if they had simply slaughtered enough of her kin to take on that appearance.

Their claws tore through her army like paper, their carapaces near unscathed by the steel blade or iron bolt of the common footsoldier. Here and there a magician stood their ground, leveraging the forces of creation against this terrible foe. But their mana was not infinite, and one by one they were all slowly overrun.

More than their appearance or their strength, the thing that made this enemy so terrifying was that they seemed endless. For every one the soldiers brought low another five appeared. And yet the dwarves fought on. They could do nothing else. This was not the army of an invading nation, to claim territory and trade. This was a scourge. An evil intent on devouring all that was good in the world.

She looked up, scared she would find those two figures still there as well, but what she saw instead took her breath away. The stars, for as far as her eyes could see, burned crimson. Gone were beautiful white and shining gems of the night sky, replaced with glittering drops of blood.

What is this? Just what am I witnessing?

Run…

She was pulled away, but no other visions replaced the nightmare she had witnessed. She floated again in the deep sea of consciousness.

Run… Must run…

Who are you? Why are you showing me this? What even are you showing me?

Futures of the past… and ones that may once again come… Must run…

That could happen again? Where could we possibly run to?

Searching… Searching…

She waited while the voice continued talking to itself.

Nowhere…

What?

Nowhere left to run… The stars… all gone…

What then can we do? How can we avoid this future?

Must run… Cannot run…

Fight.

How am I supposed to fight against that?

Fight, my daughter. I am sorry… I lack the strength to give you anything more…

Yet still you must fight. If you wish to protect yourself and all the rest of my children, you must fight.

Annora felt herself being slowly pulled from the dream, and tried to resist the current.

Wait! What am I supposed to do? Where do I start?

Cannot run… Must fight…

***

Annora awoke on the cold stone floor. She noticed almost immediately that the gentle warmth that usually radiated from the Core was significantly reduced. She placed her palm on the flat amber surface and felt a wave of relief when she still felt that familiar hum permeate through her hand.

So it was you who showed me those things… It must have been tiring to communicate like that.

The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't alone. Her blood seemed to freeze as she looked toward the other figure in the room.

"Sora…"

"Did you have a good dream, Nora?" Sora said from the other side of the room, an impassive look on her face. She leaned against the wall with her arms folded. Annora wondered just how long she'd been standing there.

"Everyone was really worried when you disappeared, you know. It took a considerable effort to keep them from tearing your room apart in search of clues for where you went."

"How did you…"

"You left the hatch open, fool. If it had been anyone else to discover this place…"

"You didn't tell anyone?"

"No. I wanted some time to talk, just the two of us. About the future."

Annora's mind seemed to go blank for a moment.

She saw that too?

"Annora… do you truly intend to stay here and become queen?"

Annora blinked in confusion. The question was something she'd been tormented over for months, years even. But now it seemed paltry, insignificant.

"I don't know," She said hesitantly.

"Annora… What if I offered you the chance to leave all of this, right now? What would you say?"

"What? Why would you say that?"

"Because you don't belong here."

The sentence struck Annora far harder than any physical blow could have. Before she could respond, Sora walked over to her and put her hands on Annora's shoulders.

"I don't mean that in a hurtful or mean way, Nora. But it's true. You aren't like the rest of us. You care not for politics, foreign relations, economics, any of it. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it's what makes you who you are. But it also makes you the worst possible candidate for leadership. And if you stay you'll be given more responsibility than you'll have any idea what to do with."

Annora frowned. For months she'd thought the same thing, yet everyone had simply repeated to her over and over that she was the one that was most suited to wear the crown. Sora had too, so she couldn't understand why she would now say the opposite.

Sora smiled gently at her before stepping back and continuing, "I know you don't care for the subtleties of intrigue, so I'll lay it out flat for you. We are, all four of us, being used."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to know why the advisors kept pushing such illogical doctrine, so I did some digging. Almost every piece of historical records from before The Summoning has been destroyed. And I don't mean lost. The cataclysm that rocked the world could not penetrate the walls of our last bastion, our Mountain Home, so none of the cultural or literary loss that plagued the rest of the world should have occurred here, in our bubble of safety. Which means that those records have been intentionally destroyed over time to prevent anybody from realizing something."

"Which is?"

"I can't say for certain, the records that could tell me no longer exist, after all. But it means that since that cataclysm there has been a concentrated effort to distort the perception of history. And if I'm right, someone is trying to use that warped perception to serve their own ends."

Realization dawned on her, "The advisors…"

"Yes, I believe the advisors are manipulating policies and history to better fit their agenda."

"But at dinner, you said-"

"I said that was not the place to speak of it. If I had laid my hand bare at that dinner table everything I've worked to set up would have been worthless."

"Worked to set up?"

"...Yes. Annora… I want you, no, I need you to disappear." Annora's eyes widened as Sora brought out a dagger from behind her back.

Annora waited in tense silence for Sora to strike, but that moment never came. Sora simply looked down at the blade, the veins in her hand popping from the force she was gripping it with.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Yes, Nora. I came here with every intent to kill you. It was perfect too. You… alone down here, in a place nobody knows exists. Asleep. I watched you for half an hour before you came to. And I… I… Fuck!" With all her strength Sora flung the dagger against one of the rock walls where it clattered to the floor.

Sora took in a deep, shuddering breath before breathing out slowly, "I couldn't do it. Everything, everything I've worked to set up will be meaningless if you decide to leave this room and tell anyone what I've done, what I believe. If you decide to become queen then the advisors get yet another puppet to control as they please. And yet still…

"And yet still I can't. I realized tonight at dinner that in truth you had the same thoughts I did, even when I thought you were nothing but a musclebrained oaf. But really what stayed my hand was the fact we're sisters. All the memories, all the feelings we've shared... If I'd left your corpse in this room to rot for an eternity… I can't imagine such a me ever being able to create the Wald I envision."

Sora fell into silence, leaving the room only with the gentle hum of the Core. After several moments Annora felt she was ready to respond to her sister's honest desires.

"Thank you."

Sora gave a derisive laugh, "For what? I tried to kill you. And don't thank me for not doing it, that'll just piss me off."

"No, thank you for making my choice easy. I've suffered over it for so long, but in this moment I realize there was only ever one correct answer."

Annora stood up, and this time she was the one to put her hands on the other's shoulders, "I'll leave. I have my own purpose to seek now too, and I can sleep soundly knowing everything I've left behind is in good hands."

"Your own purpose?"

"I must seek strength, and gather as much of it as I can. I don't know if I alone can truly have any effect on the future… but I'll try."

"The future? The hell are you talking about, Nora?"

"I hope you never know, sister. I'll be going now," Annora said, walking past Sora towards the tunnel that led out.

"Wait," Sora said before Annora could leave, "Will you return one day? I plan… to kill the advisors. I'll slaughter every last one of them, and build something new in the vacuum it creates. When that happens I want somebody by my side, someone I know who shares my ideals and I can count on to guard my back."

"You're asking this of the person you tried to kill?" Annora asked with a wry smile.

"Yes… For so long I was afraid, terrified that if I revealed my true intentions I'd be ostracized, rejected by anyone who knew. To realize that there's someone who won't reject that… it feels far better than I ever could have expected. So though I realize it's incredibly selfish…"

"Yeah. One day, when I've found the strength I'm looking for, I'll return."

"I'll wait for you. It's a bit much to put on your shoulders, but the time when you return will be the moment I set everything in motion, so be ready."

***

Annora dashed over rooftops, taking in the scenery of the Mountain Home, her homeland, for the last time in a while. It felt truly liberating to have decided on a course she could choose knowing she'd have no regrets, no matter the outcome.

However, there was still one trial she knew she must pass, one question she must have answered before she departed. She hoped, wished with all her heart, that she would be given the same fortune that had been bestowed upon her sister. That she wouldn't be rejected by those she held dear.

She landed upon the roof of the building that had become her second home and ventured down the stairs one last time. She could hear raised voices from within, the usual bickering contest of the brothers.

When she entered it seemed as though Bodelin was attempting to wrest some hunk of metal from his brother's hands, but wasn't having much success as Bodelee resisted with everything he had.

As she entered both heads turned to her. Bodelin released the piece they were fighting over, leaving Bodelee, still pulling, to fall backward and land in a heap.

"Annora!" Bodelin said, "Uh, we weren't expecting you to show up so late. Is something the matter?"

"Will you… Will the both of you hear my request?"

Annora sat at the dining table and felt along the rough stone grooves of its unique contours. The twins sat opposite her and waited patiently for her to elaborate.

"I suppose I should start with the truth…" And she told them everything she had danced around mentioning before. The Seed, her responsibilities, the expectations placed upon her by the advisors and her sisters. When she was finished she waited for the twins to say something.

"Is that all?" Bodelee asked.

"What?"

"Well, we figured you were nobility or something similar a while back," Bodelin said, "Though I'll admit we didn't fully understand to what extent. If you're telling us this now it means you need our help for something, right? We're listening."

"I am leaving. I will not stay and have a crown I do not desire forced upon my head. I will make my own path, one dedicated to the pursuit of strength. But… it would be a great boon to not be alone for such a journey…"

"Of course we'll-!" Bodelin all but jumped out of his seat to make the proclamation, but was silenced by Bodelee's sharp smack across the back of the head.

"Now wait jus' a minute, my dear idiot brother," Bodelee said solemnly, "This is ain't such an easy choice, ya know? We gotta make sure we're properly compensated for such a venture, see?"

Bodelin looked at his brother incredulously, but Bodelee continued, "So there's a condition on our agreement, as it were. Jus' one."

Annora felt her heart sink, "What is it?"

"Well, yer gonna have to marry at least one of us, cause I'll fukin' off myself if I have to keep listenin' to my brother fawn over ya when you're not around ta hear."

Both Annora and Bodelin looked at Bodelee completely slackjawed, Bodelin with a not insignificant blush. Bodelee stared at Annora, patiently awaiting a response. After a moment his composure broke and he added, "Well, to be honest, it'd be nice if the both of us were included in that. I, uh, don't wanna be feelin' left out now, ya know?"

"Now listen here, brother…" Bodelin said, but was interrupted by Annora's laughter.

"Marriage, huh? You know there's no time for a ceremony or anything of the sort, right?" Annora said through her laughter.

"Bah, like we'd care about crap like that. Yes or no, which is it?"

"This might be the worst marriage proposal I've ever heard, you know? But yes, I'll say yes. And that means yes to both," She walked around the table and hugged them both, happy she'd found a new family, one which she wouldn't have to leave behind.

"Now go get your stuff, we leave tonight."

***

Lee and Lin led her on a roundabout route past the guardposts and checkpoints that littered the tunnel that led to the outside world. Apparently they'd learned about the route from smugglers, but Annora didn't bother asking what their connection to such shady figures was.

They found themselves atop a hidden outcrop when they heard the scraping of steel on stone ahead of them. When they rounded a corner they saw Hop, sitting upon a rock sharpening a blade Annora had never seen before. The blade was short, but notches and nicks all along its length were a testament to its history.

"Didn't think you'd make your mind up this fast," He said, "You seemed so uncertain only a few hours ago."

"How?..."

"I once used this route myself. So far as I know it's the only way into the city that doesn't take you by the officials, which of course wouldn't let you leave."

"Why would you have had to use this route? The advisors wouldn't have hired somebody who they didn't believe was trustworthy."

"See, now that's an interesting story. I told you I made a few fuck-ups in the past, didn't I? Well, they managed to catch up with me at one point, and I needed a place to lay low. What better place than the city that didn't allow outsiders? Course, I didn't realize just how much they hated anyone who didn't belong at the time. Lived out in the pit for a time, stealing whatever food I could from the fine folks who lived in the light. One night while lurking around the city I stumbled upon the residence of some poor fellow who hadn't been able to take the persecution, so he'd taken his own life. Just after I finished burying him a surprise inspection arrived as I was looting his house. I thought for sure I was done for, but they just assumed I was the guy that was supposed to be there and left me alone after rustling me around a bit. So I assumed his identity and made a living for myself."

"Are you here to take me back? Did the advisors send you?"

"They didn't. But whether I take you back or not depends on you. Do you intend to pursue the path you spoke of before?"

"I do."

Hop was silent for a long moment, then said, "To live by the blade is something that one can never truly prepare themselves for. Training and willpower can help in the endeavor, but only experience can truly see you through. Experience is something you have none of, but I will test whether or not you are truly as prepared as you could be. This is your final test, Annora," The weathered blade in his hands suddenly seemed far more lethal than any she had ever beheld.

She nodded. It was just like Hop to test her like this. She'd always felt he saw her clearer than even her sisters, and she knew this rite of passage was something she needed as well.

"Lee," She said, looking to the dwarf behind her.

Bodelee nodded and unslung the long scabbard off his back and presented it to her. She slowly drew the oversized blade.

"I see you have requisitioned a tool that better fits your style," Hop said. He held out his free hand and asked, "May I?"

Annora handed the blade over. She saw veins bulge in the man's arm as he struggled to lift its weight with a single hand. He looked over the plain steel with the trained eye of an expert, assessing her husband's work.

"This is an oricite blade, is it not? Did you forge this, sir?" He asked, looking at Bodelee.

"Aye, I did."

"It is well made. You must be the fellow who sells weapons to the guards, are you not? I had wondered where they obtained such quality weapons."

"You… you think so?"

"Weapons such as yours will be valued in the world outside, where reliable steel trumps vanity. Tell me, what is the enchantment you placed upon this blade?"

"Durability was my primary goal. She wanted a blade that wouldn' break, no matter how rough she was with it."

Hop gave a small smile, "Aye, that's just like her. I see now why your stance has been so off recently. You've been working with something that far outclasses the practice swords, and you weren't accustomed to their light weight." He gave the blade back to Annora before turning away and taking several paces back. Then, he turned to face her, "Now, are you ready?"

Annora readied her stance, one of her own making. Very few people save barbarians used swords as big as hers, which meant she'd had to develop a style of fighting wholly her own. She held the blade in both hands and tensed her muscles, readying herself.

She stared Hop down, not saying a word. They had done this enough in practice that they knew when each other was ready.

Annora barreled forth and swung her blade with her full might. She imagined she could easily win if she tried to deploy an Area, but Hop had challenged her with the blade. And she would respond with the respect she knew Hop deserved.

Hop dashed in much closer than she expected. With sword in only one hand he blocked Annora's blade at the hilt before it could build up momentum, stopping it dead in its tracks. With his other hand, he reached forward and grabbed Annora's shirt before pulling her in and perfectly headbutting her.

Annora stumbled backward, blood spurting out of her nose and down her face as she tried to make distance. Hop watched her with the cool and collected eyes of a hawk.

"That blade allows you to make the most of your strength, yes. But you allow an enemy to close the gap between you then you leave yourself open. Do you think a rogue will simply sit there and let you split him in two? No, you'd have a dagger or two stuck in your ribcage before you had a chance to react."

This time Hop went on the offensive, forcing her to block stabs and slashes while he dashed right and left, not giving her a moment to attack. She roared and put enough force into a block that it became a massive horizontal swing instead.

Hop moved like a shadow as he ducked under her swing and twisted his body, launching a sidelong kick that connected with her head and sent her sprawling. She landed in a head atop her sword, desperately trying to shake off the bout of dizziness the kick had imparted.

"Too much emphasis on power. Again."

She stood up, breaths labored. She knew he was good, but the fact that he hadn't even displayed a fraction of his skill in their practice bouts was humbling.

They repeated the bout. Again and again Annora was knocked to the ground, some new fresh bruise adorning her skin with every blow. Time and time again Hop slipped past her guard and landed a blow on her.

"Your strength is your greatest asset, but without flexibility it is worthless. Come on, I know you can do better than that."

Huffing for breath, she changed her stance. She held her blade aloft in a single hand while putting her other hand before her. Hop's eyes narrowed at the stance, but he said nothing.

She dashed in, swinging her sword in an upward slash with what looked like reckless abandon. Once again Hop moved like a shadow under the blade, and for the first time, he struck out with his own blade. As his short steel sword moved to pierce her throat she struck his hand aside with the hand she had left free. Then, as the shortsword passed by her face leaving a cut along her cheek she thrust that same free hand forward, grabbing Hop by the throat.

With her superior strength, she slammed him down onto the hard rock floor and prepared to bring her blade down upon his head when he said, "I give."

Hop hacked up a few coughs as Annora stepped back. When he'd recovered his breath he said, "I was never allowed to teach you anything other than the blade, but out in the real world people won't be content to just let you swing your sword against them. Not when simply parrying the damn thing is enough to sprain the wrist of most people." She looked at his wrist and realized it was red and swollen. He'd only had to parry a full swing maybe twice, but even that had been enough to cause injury.

"With a weapon like that, you don't need to rely on putting all your weight into every strike as you did with a smaller blade. And yet there will also be people who you simply won't be able to beat down with brute strength alone. Be flexible and adapt."

"Alright."

She turned away and made to leave, but Hop said, "Wait. Even if you're skilled enough to survive, that doesn't mean you will. I told you before, didn't I? Even with training, war can break the people who seem the strongest and most steadfast."

"You think I will be broken down?"

"I hope not. Your will is strong. I've seen it over and over again. But a battlefield is something that nothing can prepare you for. Watching your comrades, your friends die right in front of you…"

She remembered the scene she had seen in her dream. The field of men and women dying in droves against an enemy they had no hope of defeating. The cries of rage, sorrow, and fear. Those cries had a way of etching themselves upon her soul, even if they had only been an illusion.

"If the path you intend to embark upon is to throw yourself into that maelstrom over and over again in search of yet greater strength there will without fail come a day you lose somebody close to you. Will you be able to live with yourself if you lead these two here to their deaths?"

She looked at her husbands, a dark shadow of an unknown emotion crossing her heart at the thought of either of them losing their life for her cause. "You think it best to go alone?" She asked hesitantly.

"Now wait just a-" Bodelin started to say.

"No," Hop cut him off, "Rather the opposite. Strength comes in many forms, girl. Standing alone is the height of folly, and it will lead to an early death. I encourage you to find allies who will make you yet stronger, but never take them for granted."

He went silent for a moment before continuing in a soft voice, "I've had many of them along the road that led me here. Comrades, friends. I wouldn't be alive if not for some of them. I still feel the pain of their deaths to this day, but I will never regret having met or loved them. I hope you can find allies like that on your path, Annora."

Hop sheathed his sword and picked up a small pack that was lying next to the rock he'd been sharpening his sword on.

"Do you intend to come with?" She asked, surprised.

"No. Stepping foot or stump into an Area would be a death sentence, so I won't be returning to that life. But I sure as hell don't feel like staying here any longer. Not that I'll have much of a job left anyway, what with you taking off."

With that, he left. She watched his back recede into the distance before turning to her husbands. She felt a conflict deep in her heart, stirred to life by Hop's warning. But it would not deter her. She was resolved to see her path through, no matter what. And he was right, she could not possibly hope to stand against any of the fates she had borne witness to alone. She didn't even know where to begin deciphering how to prevent any of those calamities, but those answers could not be found in the Mountain Home. Of that, she was sure.

"Not still thinkin' 'bout leaving us behind, are ya?" Bodelee asked.

She gave a wry smile back, "Only if you slow me down."

"Hah, sounds like we got our work cut out for us, brother!"

"Indeed," Bodelin said with a smile.

Annora turned away from the only homes she had ever known with a single word still resounding in her head.

Fight.