On that fateful night the two Valeguards set aside their differences and decided to finally bury the ever so sharp hatchet, sipping on drinks as they chatted on for hours, and in the end Sierra decided that she'll be going back with her father to spend the night back at her family home, Fae was very happy that they finally could have a heart to heart, with no pride or grudge getting between daughter and father

Fae has already mentioned her desire to travel northward, towards the kingdom of the reclusive elves to try and have an audience with the Dryad, a feat that was not quite possible in the eyes of her fellow companions who are actually from this world

"To call them a hermit nation would be quite the understatement" Thaddeus muttered, his voice kept getting progressively more human with each word he spoke, still chilling however, all of them were within their room, Yulia and Avalynn seated at the edge of the bed with Yuna standing straight while Fae leaned against the wall with her arms crossed next to Thaddeus

"Sounds like they have not changed ever since I was among the living" Yuna added, Hearing Fae sigh

"Yeah, as far as I know they don't allow people from other races within their towns, sometimes not even diplomats since they wish to not be involved in anything that happens outside of their borders" Yulia continued

"You guys aren't filling me with much confidence you know?" She spoke, rubbing her chin as she kept thinking about how to tackle on their next step, it will be extremely hard considering she hasn't even seen a single elf so far in her journey, she wasn't aware of their culture or their customs, talking her way would be near impossible

"Right well, we don't need to play by their rules, we can just sneak ourselves in no?" Avalynn displayed her mischief which was quite in character, Fae slowly shook her head

"If we start making enemies with them before we even reach their capital, I can't see how they'd allow us to see their Dryad, let alone give us info about divinity" She crossed her arms tighter and lowered her head, there has to be a way, she had to speak to her

Suddenly the door of their room opened to a smiling Sierra holding what seemed to be a leather bag

"Good morning everyone" She said with such a bright smile that it almost inflicted the others with blindness "My mother made some sweets, anybody want one?"

"Me Me!" Avalynn made her desire to taste quite clear with a hand in the air, prompting a chuckle out of the group while Sierra went on to hand each of them one, Even Yuna and Thaddeus, who handed their part to Fae discreetly, wanting not to ruin the smile that was on Sierra's face

The group shortly after decided to end their discussion about how they'd be allowed within the nation of green and verdure, instead they went on to make their preparation and buying appropriate provisions, mainly dried food, firewood and tents too if they ever had to camp out in the middle of the wilderness, which then showed how convenient it was to have Thaddeus by their side, with his body made entirely out of metal the amount of weight he could carry was truly inhumane

Fae let her friends do the shopping as she had no idea what to buy or how much to buy anyways, she figured it would be best to leave those things for the people used to this world, she walked with her hands in her pockets and thought about a lot of things, mainly about what happened yesterday and what will happen forward

Dropping her body on a bench she took a deep breath with her arms resting on the backrest of said bench, it was a lot to take it

Narrowing her eyes as she looked at the people walking, paying her no mind, She was happy seeing Sierra smile so much, even a little bit jealous

But that jealousy was only overshadowed by the amount of love and care she had for her, for her and the rest of her group

"Keep your gaze on the prey, not the horizon" Yuna's words echoed within Fae's mind, the latter keeping her silence while Yuna continued "I feel a disturbance in the balance of your heart sister, it reminded me of this saying my brother used to tell me when we would go hunting" Her words were soft and her tone sweet "His saying can also be applied to your objectives, do not distract yourself with many things, keep true to your path" She added

Fae slowly nodded " You're right" She said "Just can't really control it can I" Fae said in her mind Letting her head fall down as her eyes went on to look at the sky

"I understand, but I will always be here by your side if things get out of your hand" Yuna replied to her, prompting a small smile to form the face of her sister

"That I have no doubts about" Fae concluded, she then immediately lifted her head as she noticed a person sit by next to her, she wore a long cloak with a hood covering her head, Fae pursed her lips and looked at her

"You did not tell me you'd be leaving us so soon" The person spoke, her voice a woman, a familiar woman "Little angel" She then turned to look at Fae with her red eyes and that infuriating smirk

"You..." Fae muttered, almost growling audibly

"Yes, me" Sofia replied "What caused the sudden change of heart, wanting to head north and into the curtain of trees?" She tilted her head as she fixated her sharp gaze unto Fae

"Personal reasons" Fae spoke under her breath, her last desire was for the person seated next to her to know more about her future endeavors

"Hm..." Sofia hid her smile behind two fingers that were rested on her lips as she faked thinking "It wouldn't have anything to do with the four, right?" She then tilted her head towards Fae, the four, or otherwise known as the four gods of this world

Fae lowered her chin slightly as she gazed at the Queen with cold eyes "If you already know, why bother asking"

"To gauge how much you trust me of course" Sofia responded with a small smile and seemingly innocent eyes

"I don't" Fae immediately retorted "There's your answer, will that be all now?" She then crossed her arms

Sofia chuckled as she then looked aside, towards the people, her people, the very much unaware people that their queen herself was sitting down right by the road they were walking upon

"And also" Fae then continued "How do you know so much"

The queen smiled and did the same thinking motion, except this time she seemed actually in thought, her eyes gauging something in Fae herself, whether maybe she should know about this information

"Well you see" She then rested her hand on the bench as she leaned against it, her eyes still in contact with Fae's "To minimize the amounts of danger our dearest nation of Flora is in" She started, making gestures as she spoke "Our military intelligence likes to keep people who might pose a threat to the stability of our kingdom in a list, especially when they are within said kingdom" Sofia narrated, her piercing gaze still laid on Fae "See, these people usually have enough of an influence that could they could pose a threat, or maybe they themselves are of such strength that they could cause our nation to go into chaos, if not fully raze it off history itself"

Fae narrowed her eyes as she spoke the words that her mind thought of "Can one person really do that?" She asked

Sofia nodded "Indeed, Power does not stop at kings and queens, believe me" She then crossed her arms

"And what do you do to those people?" Fae asked, a growing smirk appeared on Sofia's face

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She said, much to the Fae's gloom "But I shall answer, do not fret" She chuckled "Some that have gone to the far end will never see the light of the morrow, while others can be reasoned and monitored" Fae narrowed her eyes, as the worrying smile that Sofia gave her filled her with a semblance of anxiety

"You see I am telling you this, for you" She pointed at Fae "Are on top of this list"

Fae couldn't but furrow her brow angrily as she pierced the Queen with her gaze alone "So what, am I in danger?" She questioned "And why me anyways?" She followed it with another, taken aback at first as she felt like she was targeted with little to no reason

Sofia chuckled "Well the problem with you Fae, is that for the people that are alongside you on that list, they often share the same traits" She explained "Them being rotten to the core and wanting to cause unrest in our nation, a lust for power or influence, or even them working for our neighboring kingdoms, especially Aralia" she then gestured to Fae with her hand "But you however, you are unique in your unpredictability, and your true power is something that is very new to our time" She then shrugged "The issue with you is that no matter how much you are being monitored you do not display the recurring traits that I explained earlier, you do not sway for neither money or power, and you are so oblivious to how the world work that you just can not be already working under the allegiance of others" She then slowly shook her head at Fae

"That is the problem with you, the inner circle of Flora can not gauge you like they do to all the rest, you have not a flag behind your back nor are you swayed by the materialistic desires that most would kill for, and you are not mad enough to want the world to burn for little reason" Then she pointed at her heart "You are an anomaly that was planned to be dealt with very early, and the only reason you are so oblivious at the target behind your back, is for my word and authority" Fae pursed her lips at those words

"There have been countless plots and plans to find a way to get rid of you, the issue was your unique harmony with the essence of the world itself" Sofia raised her hand with its palm facing the sky, slight tingling with electricity that connected with all her fingers like they were relays, she then grabbed Fae's wrist and rested her hand on top of her arm, the electric energy then seemed to move away from Sofia and coil around Fae's arm

"The way you communicate with magick itself, is something both fascinating and glooming for them, all of us even" The Queen said, connecting her gaze again with Fae's "They were afraid that if you'd be put against a corner, you'd unleash something that would harm not only our kingdom, but the world itself" She then smirked "Your talent is both a curse and a blessing, Angel, and not a lot of people will take you as kindly as yours truly does, so be more aware"

"Right..." Fae spoke softly, rubbing her arm as she could feel it tingle with power "I will"

Sofia nodded with a smile "As long as you are within the borders of my kingdom, you are being watched, always remember that"

Fae didn't know whether to take that as a threat or as protection, only deciding to nod her head to the Queen's words

"Alright, let us not focus on the doom and gloom for so long" She said while smiling "For I didn't only come here to sour your day"

"Really now, shocker" Fae said with wide eyes and a sarcastic tone, prompting Sofia to give a slight chuckle

"Now, with your journey to the green lands northwards, I just wished to relay some information to you that might help you achieve your goals" She told Fae as the latter crossed her arms, she was attentive but also slightly doubtful "Of course, them being you seeking an audience with the ruling party of the elven race" And then she smirked "And I do not refer to their high council, oh no, you seek to see their own little god, the Dryad, correct?" She lowered her chin mischievously as she delivered that information to Fae who went silent for a second before slowly nodding

The Queen smiled "As I thought, well that might be an itty bitty difficult considering that she does not reside on the same plane of existence as we do" Those words made Fae's eyes slightly widen

"How? what do you mean?" She asked of Sofia, who replied shortly after

"Yes, there are multiple sources that each claim different reasons for her desire to isolate herself from the world, some say that her oh-so-generous heart! couldn't bear to see the devastation that was laid to the elves back when demons were amongst us" She replied, mocking the praise that elves would always give to their dryad "They say it broke her, and she decided to leave with her in pieces heart as she made her escapade into a realm none could reach, others say many things like how the heartbreak caused her to die, so she retreated to a place none could see her slowly wither away so her people wouldn't fall into despair at seeing the entity they worship leave them for ever" Sofia then shrugged "Who knows what happened to her, for none has seen her ever since she left, and that happened an eternity ago"

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Fae's heart shook at those words, if she really did die because of the atrocities she saw, how could Fae get the answers she wanted, she looked aside for a second and took a deep breath before facing Sofia again

"You said she went away to another plane of whatever, how did she do that?" She asked, Sofia smiled as she lifted one finger to urge Fae to wait

"Patience, young one" She said while smiling, Fae could clearly tell Sofia was enjoying having so much information that Fae desired "On the day she left, she actually walked into a mirror, vanishing away for eternity as no one else has ever seen or talked with her again" She then put her hand inside her cloak, closing her eyes as she was feeling for an object she carried

"Or at least that's what the records of history say" She added, pulling out a book of all things, Fae's eyes widened as they read the cover of the black book

"The masquerade of this world, and its four leadings actors"

"This book" Sofia said "The mere possession of this would cause the church of the four to hunt you down for eternity until they make you draw your last breath" Her eyes then lifted from the book to look at Fae "For they would call it nothing more than pure blasphemy upon the grace of this world, and to be honest" She chuckled "It really doesn't say many nice things about our dear four gods"

"What does it say?" Fae asked curiosly, Sofia hummed to herself in thought

"Well, since the church has gone beyond hell and heaven to make sure to destroy this work, not many are left, if at all" She then sighed and opened it "Sadly this one seemed to have survived their hunt at a cost" The book had most pages missing, while the ones that weren't were tattered ripped in half, the ink seemed to have partly faded, leaving it very hard to read the few readable words

"But, there's one thing that the book keeps talking about" Sofia said "One character that keeps getting mentioned over and over again, it seems to be a woman and the book praises her exploits in the war that caused the extinction of demons, but not in the sense you'd expect" The queen added, Fae got closer to her as they both started to read some words form the book

"Kind, just, the savior of demons and humans alike, that's how it memorializes her" Sofa read the few words that could be readable "And the book even has a part that confirms the Dryad indeed isolated herself into a mirror, but..." Sofia narrowed her eyes then

"But what?" Fae inquired, deathly curious

"It speaks of a friend of the Dryad, a dear and close friend, a human as well" Sofia replied her eyes on the antique pages "The Dryad blessed this person so she could visit her inside this otherworldly plane" Sofia then hummed "Hm, and if this is true, that means that the Dryad didn't quite go there to die, did she? and it seems that the person she blessed and the woman are one and the same"

Fae tilted her head to the side and spoke with a slight sorrow "Not a definitive proof of her still being alive sadly, but well" Fae sighed "If one person can go inside it, I have a chance as well" She then nodded to the Queen who replied with a smile

"If there's anyone who could, it would be you, you can control magick itself, you have a higher chance than anyone I'd know" She then looked back at the book "As for this book, it is a very sad read" Fae was amazed by the little noticeable sadness in Sofia's words

"What do you mean?" She asked of her, Sofia pursed her lips

"I'm not quite sure myself, if you can believe that, hell this book could be just a work of pure fiction considering that it tells things that no other records in our own very history tell" She gripped it slightly tighter "But, if it's true then the author was a borderline worshipper of this woman character he keeps talking about, this character that had such a big heart for humans and demons alike, for everyone really" She then looked at Fae "But it seems that the world was not quite as nice to her, it seems that..." She switched her gaze back at the abyssal black book "She has perished in an incredibly sad way, betrayal, I think, by the same people she sought to protect" Sofia tilted her head to the side "And it seems the author's heart is as broken and in pieces as the Dryad's, maybe he is furious at how the gods couldn't protect the woman he speaks of" She sighed "Look here, at the last page" She went on to said page with her fingers, putting her index on the words that were at the center of the last page as she recited them with a soft tone, one filled with enough sorrow to cry a river

"And I would burn this world that betrayed you in hellfire, this filthy, cruel and unloving world, just for you, o purest, o kindest and o dearest, but in my endless sorrow, I know you would run at the flames to save it"

"It is, truly saddening" The Queen said, closing the book with a slow and silent close, she took a deep breath to then look at Fae who then spoke to her

"You don't usually show much behind your endless smirking" Fae told her, Sofia chuckled

"Yes Fae contrary to popular belief I am also a human possessing human emotions" She said with a smile, then looking at the book again

"I do not know whether I hope for this book to be a work of fiction or a true record" She spoke "If it is real, then our history doesn't seem as clear as we think" She then let out a sigh, looking at the book with empty lifeless eyes "What is history anyway, if not the leftovers of the victors of old" Silence dominated the air for a couple of seconds, before Sofia took a deep breath in

"Well Fae, I hope you have gained some insight from our conversation, and not just more sorrow" She told her, her eyes having a slight hint of genuineness this time, which could be the first

"A bit, but that's enough to get me started, thank you" Sofia gave Fae a slow nod

"And you are very welcome" She then got up, holding the hood that was over her head with one hand, while her book held in the other "I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for, Fae, if only for your mind to be at ease" She gave her a slow smiling nod

"Thank you, again, but..." Fae was estranged by one last thing "Why are you so helpful, all of a sudden"

Sofia looked at Fae with no expressions on her face for a silent second, before breaking said silence with soft words

"I already set in mind that I would be on the path you take today to relay you this information as soon as my spies told me of your next voyage, but" She then smiled "My parents died when I was just a teen, and yesterday night I had a dream that when I was seated on my throne, you came" She pointed at the seated Fae "You alongside my very well alive father came to me together, and I spoke with him for the first time in decades" She gave her a beaming smile "That was the only dream I had of him ever since his passing, so you can imagine how joyful I felt this morning"

Fae smiled in turn "Happy to hear that", one smile that the Queen reciprocated

"So there you have it, I wish you the best on your trip northwards, hopefully you'll come back with more answers than questions, yes?" She smiled, Fae chuckled

"I sure hope so, thank you again"

And with a smile and a nod, the unpredictable Queen went away, leaving Fae with a mind that was surer of the future, as for the book that Sofia brought with her, Fae wasn't quite sure about its origins since the author's name wasn't even present, as if the person or persons that were behind that work didn't write it for fame or fortune, but as if they knew that history was nothing more than smoke and mirrors

"Savior of demon and human folk alike" Fae spoke to herself, rubbing her chin, "Where have I heard it before" It seemed so familiar for her, that woman that keeps getting mentioned in the book, she felt as if she has heard about her previously, as if she heard it herself, or maybe, she heard it through another self.

The preparations ensued, and their voyage began shortly after Fae relayed to the group the information that she has received from the queen about the Dryad, the time was just a bit until noon, the group consisted of Fae, Yulia, Yuna, Sierra, Avalynn and Thaddeus, but even with them numerous enough, most of the provision and baggage were carried by Thaddeus, much to Avalynn's joy

"Hey" Yulia elbowed the daydreaming Fae, prompting her to raise an eyebrow as she looked at her friend "What's got you so down?" She asked, Fae smiled

"Not really down, just thinking about what's going to happen" She explained "Are we even going to be let through, and even if we are through and we possibly find our way to that mirror, will it allow me to enter?" Fae furrowed her brow "And even then, what if I find the Dryad's lifeless corpse, what will I say to its people when I come out?" Fae pursed her lips and gave an anxious gaze "How do you even tell a people that their god is dead" She sighed

Yulia looked at her hard for a second "Well, you've been thrown in this world that you don't know a thing about, without even your consent" She told Fae "And even with that you've done so many amazing exploits ever since, you at least deserve some answers, as for the rest, whatever happens, happens" Fae let out a small chuckle

"Guuuuys, can we please have a break, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" The two could hear Avalynn's complaints in the background, in reality they've been hearing them for a long time, only now deciding that maybe they should rest for a bit, a decision that was made with a couple of laughter, and so they did, finding a good spot, some sat on rocks while others sat on the grass

"Is it easier to speak now tough guy?" Fae spoke to Thaddeus who chuckled as he handed her a piece of bread

"Aye, a bit easier, I still sound like I need an exorcist but well, better than being mute" He then handed her some dried fruits that looked unfamiliar for Fae, but she trusted him so she didn't ask

"Ugh, this feels so bad for my teeth" Avalynn complained, Yulia and Sierra at the other hand seemed to be used to the feeling as they laughed at the facial expression the devil had

"Better than starving haha" Sierra said with a touch of sympathy while Yulia handed Avalynn her dried fruits

"Here have my part, I don't like them anyways" A gesture that made Avalynn's eyes glint

"Thank you so much sweetheart!"

Fae slowly shook her head with a smile plastered on her face, she then looked at the haunted knight again

"I assume these are the go to things to take while travelling?" She asked of him

"Well it all depends on how well off you are doesn't it girl?" He said, letting out a heart chuckle "But I'm afraid that's all we can afford for now" He continued, looking at her with his deep emerald eyes that radiated within the vision port of his helmet "But apart from that, I truly sympathize with your situation Fae, being so far from your own world must be making you quite homesick" Thaddeus added with a touch of fatherly care

"A bit I guess" Fae replied, biting down gently on the piece of bread she had, it wasn't nearly enough to break a piece, it had to take enough pressure to feel like she cracked a teeth, thankfully she didn't

"Gugh..." Thaddeus laughed at the reaction Fae had at the taste, it felt like the effort of breaking a piece from that bread was only punished by its taste

"Thanks for the worry though" She replied to him after swallowing, he gave her a slow nod

And so the group talked with each other about many things, life, their goals, their hopes for the future and if the worst happened, that they had to stick to each other, but mostly it was Avalynn and Fae complaining about the food

Suddenly however, Yuna appeared next to Fae

"I sense malice in the air everyone" She said, one hand on the seated Fae's shoulder while her other was on the handle of her blade

"Is there danger or something?" Yulia got up from her seat alongside Sierra, both went on for their arms

"That way" Yuna pointed behind the trees and leaves that obscured their vision

"Investigating it shouldn't cost us too much time, should it now?" Thaddeus exclaimed, Sierra agreed thoroughly

"Especially if someone's in danger, we'll have to do something" She added

Fae chuckled at how comedic it was that the two knights in the group were so adamant on going there, and so all of them packed up and moved towards the noise, it was a bit hard for Sierra and Thaddeus to keep up with them ironically, even with them wanting to go there the most, the weight of their equipment and plate armor didn't allow them for much maneuverability within the dense forest, the yelling and voices were getting stronger with each step forward

Yulia, Avalynn and Fae were the first one to reach the scene of what was happening

"Are those two serious right now?" Fae muttered under her breath as the three of them could see an old man on the ground, apparently being mugged by two men that looked like villagers more than bandits, one with a sword and the other held a large knife, a backpack was on the ground with its contents spread all over, most likely the victim's

"I'm telling you you old fart give me those rings or else!" The swordsman said to the elder that was on the ground, clutching his hand with the other as hard as he could

"Hey man, come on just hand over what you got and we won't hurt you, It would leave a bad taste in my mouth" The other said, but the elder didn't budge

"They really have no shame do they now" Avalynn said, she then turned to Fae "Shall we do somethi-" Before she could even finish her words she found herself alone as Fae and Yulia already

"Hey you two, leave the old man the fuck alone" Fae exclaimed quite loudly, attracting the attention of both the two men and the elderly person

"Who the hell are you?" One of them exclaimed

"And why should we be scared of two women?" The other added

Fae gripped the handle of her sword tightly, a vision snapped by her filled with red, crimson red, she took a deep breath and decided not to do anything for now, she was not going to spill anymore blood

And besides, the encounter was already over, as the two men widened their eyes as they looked over the blood-lusting Fae, Thaddeus held his war hammer with one hand, while the head of the mace rested on his right shoulder, he only had to give them a gaze for them to disappear

With the encounter solved, Fae let out a long exhale that was synchronized with her hand gently letting go off her weapon, she walked over to the old man and handed him a hand

"Sorry that happened to you sir, are you alright?" She asked of him, getting a good look at his face now, he had short hair that was fully white, his skin was also of the same colour while his eyes had an entrancing shade of green and blue mixed together, he gave her a weak smile and spoke with just as much of a weak voice

"Yes, thank you, young lady" He took her hand as she helped him up slowly and gently "It is good to see there are still good younglings like you"

Fae smiled softly and nodded

"Oh we are the kindest you'd meet" Avalynn interjected with a smirk that made the old man smile

"That I am surefire of" He replied to them "My name is Theodore, thank you all for your help, I doubt that they would have given up without your intervention"

"Don't worry about it brother, sometimes young people need a scare or two to make them mature faster Heh-Heh-Heh" Thaddeus said, his laughter was as evil as it could get but it was more comedic to his friends

"Well, do you have a place to go Theodore? I'm sure they'll be sticking around the area" Fae said with her arms crossed

"Ah, unfortunately I don't have a place to call my own, I'm a nomad of sorts, I travel from place to place and enjoy the years I have left with nature and its bountiful blessings" He was old and he was very much so aware of that, still his words were quite bittersweet to the ears of the rest

"Well, where are you headed next?" Fae asked, he gave her a smile

"Northwards, I have some things I need to deliver to an acquaintance of mine" Northwards, that word brought curiosity to Fae and her friends

"The only thing north is the nation of elves, is that where you are going friend?" Thaddeus asked, Theodore nodded, and so he asked another question on his mind "Would they let you in? Last I heard was that they don't allow other races within their borders"

"Yes you have heard correct, but you could say we have a mutual understanding" Theodore only saying much proved that he didn't want to say too much and the group respected his wishes

"There you go sir, here are your things" Sierra handed him his backpack while everyone was talking, she was picking up the things that the two muggers threw around, putting them all back where they were

"Oh thank you child, I appreciate it infinitely" He gave her a small smile and then turned back to Fae

"Is there anything I can do to ever repay you, you spared me so much of annoyance today" He told her with much sincerity in his words, and she smiled widely

"Actually, there is"