----- Eating dinner at Gorfon’s house----

Out in front of me laid a pile of food. The swarming scents overloaded my feeble nose. My mouse began to drool. I immediately started digging in.

“puff. Haha. Has no one taught you manors, Melody?” Cerina chuckled lightly while using a human utensil with 3 prongs to pin food.

“You don’t have to worry dear, we here take it as a compliment. Eat however you wish” Frey and Ponta’s mother refilled my plate. “But to think dear you were almost dead today is very hard to believe… you don’t look any different than when you left this morning.”

“Aww I would have been but this cute darling saved me. She is a mage that can heal fatal wounds.” Gorfon said in-between gulps of beer.

“She can do more than that! She bound me in steel before! It took quite a bit of work to get out, but it was really cool!” Cerina shook excitedly.

Ha why are you laughing at being tricked!

“What exactly can you do Melody?” Frey asked while finishing his plate.

“Well I can sing, and by my will things can happen.” I offered a sloppy explanation, but I wanted to eat the delicious food in front of me.

“So you could restore Merian and end the conflict between Merian and Cardigo?!” Cerina stood up with a thunderous slam on the table.

“Not exactly. My songs are limited. They can’t do anything world breaking like that.” If there was my job would be all too easy! But Ergo can. And when I become a full supreme I can too.

“By the way Cerina do you have any amazing abilities?”

“Eh why would I?” Cerina flashed a puzzled face towards Gorfon.

“Well aren’t you girls sisters? You two look very similar, almost identical.”

Miranda held up a pocket mirror she had in her pocket.

“Oh wow it’s been a while since I’ve seen my reflection. Wow! We do look identical Melody!”

Silence fell over the table.

“Ha What kind of person doesn’t know what they look like!” I pointed my dancing finger at her.

“W-Well! I’m not ones for looks! I have many other things to focus on like training to become strong!” Cerina puffed. Everyone still silently looked at Cerina, who slowly became embarrassed.

“Anyways what’s your plan now Cerina?” Frey questioned.

“I plan to go to Aperian! Cardigo recently overran the capital of Merian, me and Merlin planned to counter attack at the two border cities Cervana, and Aperian. But I was careless and was ambushed. They knew I was coming. I’m worried if they knew I was, they most likely knew Merlin was as well. So I plan to go to Aperian. Merian has fallen… I do not think here’s any hope. But I hope I can still save my teacher, and become refuges.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“Of course you’ll come with me… right Melody? I promise to show you a lot of fun things, in return for your help.” Cerina put a piece of chicken on my plate. A simple bribe won’t get me to do whatever you want. I’ll still take it though! Not like I’m goona say no though…

“Yea, your fun to be around…” I trailed off. Cerina clapped her hands together.

“I think it would be a good idea if you tag along with them Frey.” Gorfon’s steady voice came into focus.

“Our family has an aptitude for magic, I couldn’t be more proud of my son to invent a new form of magic. I think its best if you go with them to the magic city itself to explore the depths of it.”

“What about being the king of the merchants?”

“That doesn’t matter anymore. We were originally a family of mages, we lived in Aperian. But a coup happened there. I was tasked in protecting the 2nd princess of Aperian. I succeeded in protecting her…” Gorfon stared at Miranda. “But me and my father, Maxif couldn’t stop the coup. The current King managed to execute the king, and managed to call it an accident. We didn’t have the favor of the other nobles, nor the evidence to prove otherwise. As the only people who knew the truth, we were exiled. From there, and then we were known as the mages of exile. Me and my father were planning on going back… but I thought I had killed him for all these years, so I turned my back on magic. And decided to just settle as a merchant.” Tears formed in Gorfon’s eyes. Miranda went over and rubbed his back, while giving him a glass of water.

“Yes your father protected me so gallantly back then. I think it’s time we told you everything. I am a former princess of Aperian, my whole family was murdered. You have royal blood coursing through you Frey. Oh and you too Ponta.” Miranda placed a hand on her chest and grabbed a shiny blue pendant that matched her hair color.

“Yay special blood” Ponta exclaimed. Not seeming to understand the conversation.

“We knew Sajade must have been communicating with Aperian’s king, so me and my father infiltrated his estate to find evidence. Little did we know we played into a trap. We got separated, And I ran into a dead end. I used explosion magic to break a hole through the wall. Little did I know my father was on the other side.”

“That must have been the very weak wall I saw there.” Cerina added.

“I had thought my explosion killed him, but unknown to me the poison gas had already took his life. I didn’t think I’d ever touch magic again. But now I know the truth, I can move forward again. But even with it I have a family to look after.” Gorfon brought Ponta to his lap who was playing with some wooden sticks.

“So Frey, not as your father, as a royal magician of Aperian. Will you go to Aperian and expose the king for his wrong doings? I know it’s not a thing for a father to say, to send their son off to somewhere so dangerous, but Miranda lost everything there. You’ve developed a magic with the capabilities to bring justice on them.” Gorfon’s eyes turned serious.

“I of course want to see that man pay for his crimes, but as a mother I do not want you to go. But I will leave it up to you to decide.”

A little overwhelmed by all the sudden information Frey stood up and backed to the wall.

“So I really am royalty.” Frey stammered.

“Yes, you do have a birthright to Aperian if you want it.” Miranda nodded her head.

“Are you alright Frey?” Miranda went to comfort her son.

“Yes… it’s pretty heavy to take in all at once.”

“I don’t oppose you coming along with us Frey, but it seems like you might need some time to think this over. We leave tomorrow morning. I want to arrive as soon as possible to secure my teacher’s safety.” Cerina stood by her words.

“I’ll come … I made this magic to find the truth. And nothing would make me happier than using this ability to fix the wrongs against the people I care about.”