Are your injuries feeling any better?

Yes. We managed to not get hurt too badly. Kallen made sure of that. It was incredible!

Oi don’t leave me outta this! I deserve a bit a’ praise too.

Yes, Love, you did wonderfully. You really are my hero~!

Thank y–wait was that sarcasm? Am I bein’ fucked with?

Ahem. Now that you’re in Reach, check-ins are going to be much more frequent. In a pinch, you can initiate communication by focusing on your beacon. Should anything seem to be a threat, I request that you establish contact.

We will, we will.

I-I’m glad you’re all alright! You sound like you’re d-doing very well. I hope things continue to go smoothly!

Pfft, y’sound awfully chipper there, Shortie. Us gettin’ bodied by centipedes cheer you up that much?

I-I just meant–

Didn’t think you had it in you! Maybe you’ll even get your first kill one’a these days!

Oh for–Colette, please do not pay her mind. Is there anything else you need to tell us for now?

Not at the moment, but we will be in contact. Thank you all.

Likewise.

Kallen blinked as she listened to the conversation in her head. It felt uncanny no matter how many times it happened. The weirdest part was the volume. She could tell when someone was speaking louder, but it wasn’t actually louder. There was no sound. It just… felt that way. What an odd sensation. Trying to talk felt even weirder. Maybe it was similar to what Malori said, where when she was growing up she couldn’t tell if she was speaking out loud or telepathically. The few times she’d added something to the conversation, Alice had shouted at her for speaking out loud as well. Something about not wanting to hear double.

Alice.

Of all the people she had met in her travels, she’d never met someone as confusing as Alice. She knew she wasn’t the smartest, but that was book smarts. The things that Ingrid mentioned about nature and stuff were things she knew, but it felt like it was in a different way. Ingrid knew what all of the plants were called, while she knew which ones not to eat because they were poisonous. Understanding people was something else entirely. First impressions were usually hard, but after getting to know people, it was pretty easy.

Despite everything they’d done together though, Alice seemed insistent on hating her. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. None of the insults or jabs ever really got to her. They were just words after all. Still, a part of her wondered why she was so angry at her all of the time. She doubted it was because she did something. After all, it had been this way from the beginning. Well, aside from that first night. There was some distrust, but she was a new person. It made sense. It was after that when everything started to escalate.

She’d opened up a little bit more to Ingrid since then, and clearly had something going on with Natalia, but there was nothing but taunting or vitriol sent Kallen’s way. Malori’s way too, but she couldn’t really control that. Maybe it was her approach? Extending random olive branches and hoping to start fresh was all well and good when she never knew anyone for longer than like a month or two, but maybe sticking with that instinct wasn’t the best idea. She absentmindedly chewed the inside of her cheek as she stared up at the gray skies.

The obvious answer was asking Ingrid, but Alice just got even more pissed off whenever they interacted. She at least hoped it wasn’t jealousy. Kallen couldn’t even remember a time when the thought of romance even crossed her mind besides idly watching. It was entertaining after all. That in mind, she didn’t want to throw a wrench in the relationship that clearly made the two so happy. This was a problem she could solve on her own. Probably. For now, the best thing to do was just try to be helpful. She couldn’t control it if Alice wanted to act like that, but she could always decide how she responded.

“Well, you look deep in thought.”

Kallen glanced over her shoulder to see Natalia approaching. “Oh! Hey. What’s up?”

“Not a lot, honestly,” she sighed, sitting down next to Kallen. “I must say though, this is an interesting location to make camp.”

The human shrugged. Usually the group had stuck to forest clearings or areas covered by rocks. It made it easier to hide from anything that might have seen them as an easy snack. It was already easy to tell they had entered Reach just by the sheer extremes the mountains took. Everything kind of just felt bigger. The mountains were taller, the slopes steeper, the valleys both deeper and thinner. Nothing was particularly hospitable. Their camp was no different. The group touched down on the edge of a cliff, though thankfully one sheltered from the wind and bits of cold. Ingrid probably chose it for the view.

Far below them was a snowy valley, with trees so distant they looked like ants. A thin river flowed through and towards the cliff, heading for what was likely a subterranean lake fed by the mountains. Gorgeous mountains and cliffs were visible as far as the eye could see, including their target. Kallen sat on the edge of the cliff, kicking her legs absentmindedly and letting her heels bump into the cliff face as she looked up at the tallest mountain in sight. The first Dark Zone. Thankfully, there wasn’t actually a massive bubble of shadow around the mountain. Colette seemed slightly relieved to hear that.

“Do you not like it?”

“I’m not exactly picky when it comes to where I’m spending the night as long as it isn’t in chains again,” she huffed. “At least Alice isn’t whining about the heights. I would’ve thought she’d veto this spot immediately, even if Ingrid was the one to pick it.”

“I said I’m fine with heights! I’m not fine with the gods damned void of nothingness for a mile under me!” the dark elf called from the fire. Kallen chuckled a little bit.

“Hm, did you hear something?” Natalia joked. “The wind certainly does funny things in valleys like this. Truly a wonder of nature.”

“I guess you’re right,” Kallen laughed, leaning back casually. “I’ve seen a lot of beautiful views and cool bits of nature. Honestly, the fact that there’s so much more I haven’t seen just makes me excited. I want to soak up as much of it as I can!”

“Wanderlust then? Hm, reminds me of someone I used to know,” she said happily.

“Wanderlust, that’s a nice word. I don’t think I’ve heard it before.”

“It’s basically what you described. The desire to go out and see the incredible things the world has to offer. Most of us are here for such short times,” she glanced back at Alice and Ingrid. “Not all of us get a thousand years to romp around doing whatever we want.”

“Hmmm, I think I’d get tired after that long,” Kallen said simply.

Natalia raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Elves seem to kind of do everything slowly. I don’t know if I could do that. I like the chaos of everything rushing around me, if that makes sense.”

The illian nodded fondly. “It does. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything other than chaos. It certainly has its moments. Did you hear that though, Alice? You’re a bit slow for our tastes!”

“You wanna fuckin’ test that and see how ‘slowly’ I can cut your damn wings off?”

Natalia laughed as Alice shouted at her. The dark elf grumbled something under her breath and went back to helping Ingrid cook.

“You two have a neat way of talking with each other,” Kallen remarked.

“Sometimes, with people like her, you just have to play their game. Besides, we have an understanding. It helps with things.”

Kallen looked out at the valley. Playing Alice’s game. She wasn’t entirely sure if that was something she could do. If she did a heel turn and started interacting with her the same way Natalia did, it would just feel strange. She doubted Alice would be at all receptive to it either. It would probably end up with another one-sided argument.

“I don’t think I’m really built for stuff like that. It’s a type of confidence I don’t really have. I have other kinds! Just not that one,” she said cheerily.

Natalia looked her over, considering her words. “Different kinds of confidence, huh?” she murmured. “I guess I didn’t really think of that either. I’m practically a different person entirely from when I was a girl. When I was younger, I was the quiet one in the family. A few of my siblings joked that days where I spoke full sentences were less common than holidays.”

Kallen blinked. “You sound sad when you say that.”

“Right. Sorry,” she sighed. “I miss them sometimes. It stings a bit when I think about what I used to have.”

“Makes sense. Do you think they’d want you to be stuck on it like this? You know what happened with my parents. Whenever I think about them though, it makes me happy.”

The illian winced. “No offense, Kallen, but our families met their ends under very different circumstances. In very different ways as well. I don’t know what they’d want. They aren’t here to tell me.”

The two went quiet, letting their statements hang in the air to be fully absorbed. It was a lot to think about, but Natalia was right. Kallen had never considered what would have changed if her parents lost their lives in a different way. The disease was natural, just a part of being impoverished. They had time to accept it though. So did she. What she’d heard about Natalia was that it was sudden, almost instant. She didn’t have an opportunity to make peace with it, or have her parents give her their final words. The smile on her mother’s face, the love that her father held her with, neither of those were luxuries afforded to Natalia. Would things be different if she had them?

“Kallen?”

“Hm?”

Natalia sighed, her arms resting on her knees as she leaned forward. There was another beat of silence as she stared into the abyss. Finally, she spoke. “I can’t change the past. I don’t think your parents deserved that kind of end. They, and you, deserved long lives with each other. I’m sorry that the world hasn’t been a more gentle place for people like that. People like you.”

Kallen looked quizzically at her. There was no bravado in Natalia’s words. She sounded more resigned than she ever had before. “Whether or not they deserved that end isn’t really relevant, is it?” she shrugged. “It’s the one they got. This is the only life I have. What can I do other than make the most of it?”

“Of course you’d say that,” Natalia said with an amused huff. “Gods, I wish I had half the strength you did.”

“Oh, I can give you a workout routine if you want! You’re pretty muscular yourself though, don’t sell yourself short!”

Natalia let out a hearty laugh. “That’s not entirely what I meant, but you know what? Sure. Keep in mind there are parts I may not be able to do with my wings.”

“That’s fine! I can make adjustments. So your back muscles are pretty strong from the wings and using them so much, but you don’t want to neglect your legs, they’re still important.”

Kallen barely noticed the smile on the illian’s face as she launched into her explanation. She could deal with the hostility that Alice sent her way, and it may have been a little disheartening that talking to Ingrid was much harder due to that. Still, having someone she could talk to freely was nice. It seemed to make Natalia happy too, which was always good. The winged woman seemed like she could use some friends in her life. Maybe it would be worth sticking around with this group for longer than she initially thought.

Malori stared at the puzzle box on the table in front of her, her head resting on her arms. That little box had been the start of her training with Colette and getting to know her own abilities. The Archmage was kind enough to let her keep it as well. Whenever she was bored, she’d solve it, re-scramble it, then solve it again. She’d lost count of how many times she’d done it since the link with her group was cut off and Colette had to speak with the King. It surprised her how much time the other esper had made for her in what was clearly an extremely busy schedule.

After a while, it felt like her eyes had practically glazed over, the puzzle box barely in focus. Even still, she’d managed to reduce the amount of time it took her to solve it to only about a minute. The repetition made it easier. She didn’t have to focus particularly hard on it to let it pass the time. At the moment, her thoughts were occupied by the miniscule interaction between her and the group. She had gone from traveling and living with these people for a couple of months, to only exchanging a few sentences in the morning and evening. There were going to be much more with them in Reach, but it remained the same. A couple of sentences. A few stray thoughts that slipped through the cracks of their composure.

The previous two days had felt… good. The day in the city with Colette was something she never thought she’d experience. It was nerve wracking at first, but once she managed to calm down a little bit, it was fun. It felt like the first time she had experienced real, innocent fun with another person. Maybe it was the first time. She buried her face in her arms. Of course it was the first time. Being unable to forget anything even if she tried made sure that she knew that. It was still wonderful though. Learning to ice skate, or trying to at least, was one of the most baffling things she’d ever taken part in. She could barely stand up at first, needing to hold Colette’s hands to prevent herself from falling over as her feet slid every which way. It didn’t even work a few times. Despite slipping and falling constantly, going so far as to sweep out Colette’s legs and send both of them skidding into a snowbank, she enjoyed it. When Colette looked at her after a fall, she’d reach a hand down and help her up.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Her stomach twisted in knots as she thought about it. No, it wasn’t the helping hand that made it important. It was the smile that came with it. It was the one she always had when they were alone or with Ivar. It wasn’t the professional smile she put on for the King or the rest of the group. It was genuine. Warm, even. When she laughed, Malori laughed too. She didn’t feel humiliated or made fun of like with Alice or Natalia. The smile and helping hand had feeling behind it, not the neutrality that came from Kallen. She gripped her sleeves. She wished Kallen would smile at her like that. She wished there was something there that made her feel like she wasn’t just any passing face, that she was actually the person that had gone through so much with her.

When she’d spoken, some of that joy she had felt from her time with Colette bled through. Instead of being happy for her, she was made fun of. Again. Why had something so simple felt like such a punch in the stomach? Colette must have felt the way her emotions shifted, given the way she tried to stay with her. Malori needed to be alone though, and she needed to attend to her duties. The little esper needed to be alone, she knew that, but why did she feel so lonely? If she spent another moment around the Archmage trying to pretend everything was fine, she would have broken down. She knew she needed to recover her energy before interacting with anyone again, so why was her head yelling at her about how desperately it needed someone to help her? She gritted her teeth. Why couldn’t her brain just make up its mind?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was sudden enough to make her jolt upright, her heart almost pounding out of her chest as her mental grip on the puzzle box slipped, letting it clatter onto the table. Taking a moment to calm herself, she turned in her chair, peering over the back at the door. She could hear muffled voices from behind it.

“I’m surprised you’re knocking.”

“It is something I’ve had to get used to. She’s the Archmage now though. I can’t exactly go barging into her room unannounced now can I? It would be unbecoming of a Prince.”

“One would consider it unbecoming of a Prince to barge into a woman’s room unannounced regardless of her position.”

“Well yes, but it’s different with her. You’d understand if you had siblings.”

“You are an only child.”

“She’s practically my sister, it’s not in stone. Still, I don’t think she’s in right now, do you mind sending a message to my mother to ask–”

“I-I’m here!” Malori called out, surprising herself. She slapped a hand to her mouth, almost frightened by the sound of her own voice. “S-Sorry, is that you Ivar? Colette is with the King right now, but… if you need something, I could tell her when she returns?”

There was silence from the other side of the door. For a moment, Malori wondered if she’d been too quiet, and he had left with whoever he was with. Slowly, the door creaked open, the familiar face of the half-orc peaking in. He looked around for a moment before fully opening the door and stepping in.

“Did she really leave you alone here?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “That’s a little surprising.”

Malori nodded. “S-Something happened in the communications, and she said it was okay for me to b-be alone for a bit,” she explained quietly. It certainly wasn’t something she expected either. She was grateful for it though. As she opened her mouth to ask what Ivar needed, another voice pierced the air.

“Leaving someone she has only known for a week or so in her private office for an unknown period of time is reckless and ill advised, even for Colette,” said a commanding voice that almost reminded her of Natalia. It made her feel small. Entering the room behind Ivar was a very surprising sight, given the reason for them being here. A tall woman in black plate mail armor folded her arms behind her back, rustling the feathers on her cape. Wavy silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, perfectly outlining her dark gray skin. She was a dark elf.

“Perhaps, but this is Colette we’re talking about. If she thinks Malori is trustworthy, then hesitant as it may be, I’ll trust that judgment,” Ivar sighed. He glanced down at Malori, noticing the fear in her eyes and demeanor. “Ah, right, you haven’t met. This is Lilith, one of the Shadows. She’s been a personal guard of my mother and I since either of us were born.”

The esper furrowed her brow, glancing back and forth between the two of them. She wanted to ask what exactly a ‘Shadow’ was, but didn’t know how well that would be received. “I-I thought that you… did other things with dark elves. L-Like Alice…” she trailed off, not quite sure how to broach such a topic right in front of her.

“It varies case to case. Lilith has been working for the royal family since my great grandfather’s rule. When she violated the Accords, he recognized that she was a sorcerer, taking her in as a guard,” he said happily, looking back at her stony expression. “She’s proved her loyalty time and time again. Every time there’s a new ruler, they’re meant to reevaluate whether or not the sentence is still applicable. No one has questioned it even once.”

Malori stared at the ground. He explained it like it was meant to be a heartwarming story, or a fond memory. It sounded horrible. Was she really doomed to be a servant for her entire life? She wished she could read her emotions, but her thoughts were like a steel wall. Not a single thing slipped out even as Malori focused. It was a similar case with Berith, the only thing allowing her to pierce his mind being sheer adrenaline and the sudden gap that appeared after Alviss was hurt. She hadn’t a clue whether or not she’d be able to replicate that again. For the moment, how Lilith felt about her gilded cage was a mystery that would have to remain unsolved.

“Um, I s-see. If she’s a sorcerer, w-what is her bloodline?” she asked, curiosity managing to give her enough confidence to break the silence.

“As much as I’d like to be flashy and have her demonstrate, that’s a horrible idea. But Lilith is an extremely skilled Sonikinesis sorcerer,” he said with pride. Lilith responded with nothing more than a small nod.

The room went quiet once more. Malori blinked. A Sonikinesis sorcerer was standing in front of her. Her mouth felt dry as her heart pounded. In Cordelia, anyone cursed with Sonikinesis was doomed to a life in captivity or a swift death. At the best of times, they would be permitted a similar situation to Lilith’s, albeit with clearly much less respect than Ivar and Gertrud offered her. Other sorcerous bloodlines that specialized in potentially destructive magic had to be regulated as well, and for good reason. If a Pyrokinesis sorcerer had no knowledge of how to control their powers, it could lead to numerous deaths. Generally, that regulation amounted to nothing more than a few check-ins from the guards to gauge the users temperament and ability, with another sorcerer of their bloodline present to help things go smoother.

Occasionally, if they had enough magical potential, they would be enrolled at the nearest Mage Institute. They would give them the knowledge to control their powers, then leave it up to the wielder whether or not they wanted to further their education, or simply return to their previous home without fear of hurting anyone. Sonikinesis on the other hand was far too destructive to be simply released back into the world. It required far more precision and discipline to use safely, as well as constant focus and control. When she was younger, she found the idea of freely manipulating sound and shockwaves to be a fascinating concept. The more she read about it, the more terrifying it became. Stories of unchecked users doing something as simple as dropping a heavy object or clapping their hands without awareness of their powers accidentally unleashing blasts of sound that would permanently deafen people at the best of times, and at the worst of times, level entire towns or sections of cities. When she had first read about such things, some of her recurring nightmares involved similar blasts that were so loud and destructive that they could literally cause people to explode.

She gulped, trying not to let those old fears surface and make her seem even more suspicious to the woman. “Th-That’s very impressive. I’ve never met a s-sorcerer outside of my companion. But I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Lilith.”

“Likewise,” she said simply, giving a respectful bow. Malori let out a sigh of relief. It didn’t seem like the woman was holding the anxiety against her.

“Well, I’m glad I could introduce you two. I meant to ask Colette a question, and I’d prefer to simply ask it of her than dig around her room looking for an answer,” Ivar mused. “I’m glad that she’s been enjoying her time with you, by the way. She’s gushed quite a bit about it to me when we’re together. Anyway, let’s get going, Lilith. I’m going to see if I can cross-reference anything from my own library while we wait.”

The two left the room before Malori had a chance to ask what he meant. Colette was gushing about her? In what way? Why? It was a confusing prospect. As much as she hoped she could ask her friend about it, the idea of asking something like that terrified her. She sighed. It was just something else she’d have to wait and hope she’d find out naturally. Until then, maybe if she got closer to Ivar he’d help her learn how to actually talk to people. It was a nice thought.

“You’re free to take your leave for tonight, Lilith. Eurydice and Medea will take over for the moment,” Ivar said, continuing to pore over books and tomes. “You’ve been working almost non-stop for the past few days. Getting a good night of sleep would do wonders.”

“If it is your will, my Prince, I will graciously accept,” she said, bowing. One hundred and fifty years. Well over a century of being a lapdog. She thought that over time she’d at least be able to say such things to them without feeling sick to her stomach, but there was no such luck. As she exited the study and marched through the halls, she paid no mind to the guards and staff giving her a wide berth. Maybe she didn’t have their respect, after all that took time to build up. Most of the species that roamed the castle were incredibly short lived anyway, it would be barely worth it. What she had was much easier to build, and far more powerful at times. Their fear. It wasn’t like she could show it, but whenever she found herself groveling at the feet of one of these bastards, the knowledge that she could probably level the castle if she tried hard enough could put a smile on her face in any situation. The only person in it that she wasn’t confident in her ability to kill was Gertrud, but there were other ways to deal with such an enemy.

Something far more pressing was at hand, however. There was no joy as she marched back to her quarters, doing everything in her power not to shout in annoyance. As she finally arrived, she quietly closed the door, then closed her eyes. She let her magic drift out into the room around her like she had so many times, the room itself falling even more silent. The energy condensed around her, sound ceasing around outside of the barrier she had quickly created. The bubble wouldn’t be pierced by any outside sound. More importantly, any internal sound wouldn’t be heard from outside. One of the most important tricks she had ever learned. Once she was sure that it was up, she was finally able to breathe a sigh and drop the fake composure. A stream of expletives spewed from her mouth, cursing fate or luck or whatever annoying concept had decided she needed to deal with more problems than she already was. It took even more self control not to break anything.

Angrily, she wrenched the false brick from the wall, revealing a small, wooden box. She yanked it out and opened it, placing the smooth, prismatic stone onto her dresser before linking its silver and gold wires to the mirror that rested upon it. Pressing her thumb and forefinger to the stone, she watched as the various colors rippled and moved. Satisfied, she slumped onto the small bed she called her own and waited, staring intently at the mirror.

After what felt like far too long, the surface began to ripple like water, before the scene in it began to shift. Lilith could no longer see her meager room or her own annoyed face, replaced by a simple office, and the last person she wanted to see.

“Well hello dear sister! Soooo good to see you. How’s your day? Coming back with the milk anytime soon?” Berith taunted, leaning forward and resting his chin on his interlocked fingers. The shit-eating grin on his face was almost enough to make her destroy the mirror immediately.

“Where is Moloch?” she deadpanned. Now was not the time to play along with her brother’s games.

“Hmm, I'm afraid he’s busy at the current moment. I’d be happy to take a message for him! Or just let him know that Miss Perfect was throwing a temper tantrum and didn’t want to talk to her little brother.”

Lilith gritted her teeth. This insufferable little shit was the reason she had to deal with this mess in the first place. “I wouldn’t be this pissed off if you could just do your job!”

“Mhm, mhm, and you know what my job is right now? Taking messages,” he mused, leaning back in his chair. “So chop chop, I’m not the one at fault if you decide to blatantly disregard Moloch’s authority.”

“Are you forgetting that you’re sitting in that chair because of your failure? Now I have to tiptoe around the esper that you couldn’t kill! And somehow she has the favor of the Archmage!”

Berith raised an eyebrow. “Wait, she’s there? In the castle? Since when?”

“Since the illian and dark elf showed their faces and were brought to the castle!” she shouted. “You didn’t want to tell me that there was an illian in their group? Or that she was a sorcer–”

“Nope, you don’t get to blame this one on me,” he smiled, holding up a finger. He seemed to relish the fury in her eyes from being cut off. “Let’s remember what happened, shall we? I gave my report to Moloch. Moloch sent me to you to inform you of them, but you didn’t want to bring your shiny plate mail ass down from that high horse and listen. What was it you said? You didn’t need to hear about the color wool of the sheep you’d slaughter? So no, afraid you can’t pin this one on me.”

Kill him. The next time she saw him, she was going to blow him up like a watermelon. “They’re sending them north. To you.”

He stared at her for a second before rolling his eyes. “Let me go get Moloch, we can’t exactly decide what to do next without him,” he sighed. Hopping up from the chair, he walked out of sight, much to Lilith’s relief. How she could be blood related to such an insufferable failure was beyond her.

Composing herself, she waited patiently for Moloch and Berith to return. After a few minutes, a tall, thin, lime green orc with black hair tied in a bun came into view. He wore a simple brown tunic with a dark apron over it, and a belt tying them both off. A pair of goggles with magnifying lenses rested on his forehead, flecked with the dirt and dust of the ancient ruins.

“Berith informed me that there was something urgent you wished to talk about?” he sighed, sounding more tired than usual.

“I figured you should be here for this, but the group that burned my camp to the ground is headed up here right now,” Berith said before Lilith could speak.

“Moloch, I believe we should cut them off before anything advances. This is not the first group they’ve sent north, it won’t come as a surprise if we simply kill the–”

“Nope.”

Moloch and Lilith stared at Berith, who shot down her idea like it was the most natural thing in the world. Lilith fumed.

“There she goes again. Can’t think of any idea other than ‘let’s just kill them’ or something along those lines,” he taunted.

“Berith, I believe I have made my stance clear on you two and your bickering,” Moloch droned. “I trust you have an explanation?”

“The difference between their group and the other groups is like Lilith said earlier, their esper is staying at the palace with the Archmage. The only reason they’d do something like that is to keep a sort of telepathic link up for easier communication. Lilith attacks them, suddenly the Archmage knows that not only can Lilith teleport up here with stolen magic, but there won’t be any reason to believe you weren’t the one doing this the entire time. That hundred-fifty years of groveling you’ve been doing? Down the drain,” he explained. The fact that he sounded both professional and rational made Lilith even angrier.

“Well then, what do you propose? Or did you just want to poke holes in my solution.”

“Lilith.”

“Yes, my apologies, Moloch,” she sighed.

“Well, I don’t think we should be hasty about anything. They’re investigating the Dark Zones, right? Wait until they deal with the first one. If Lady Felmere just kills them then we have nothing to worry about,” Berith said calmly.

Lilith furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about? She’s far to the north. The odds of them finding you before her are high.”

“Actually, Lady Felmere was recently moved to Point One,” Moloch interjected. “Berith pointed out that having our most valuable defensive asset too far away would render it completely pointless. I agreed, and we had her moved there to act as our first line of defense.”

Lilith couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Moloch was actually listening to that failure? The dragon was meant to be their last line of defense, a trump card for if everything else failed. How had he even been able to convince her to move?

“The strongest part of a castle is its walls. If Felmere annihilates anyone who tries to pass through her territory, we can afford to divert more resources to matters that need it more. Plus, if any do escape and send word back that Lady Felmere herself is preventing access to Reach, do you really think they’ll be willing to waste the resources needed to kill her?” Berith mused. Lilith hated that tone. It was the tone he used when he knew he was right.

“We’ll consider more solutions in the event that they break through Felmere’s territory. Until then, we must put trust in our defenses. Berith, do you have anything more to add?”

He tapped his chin, thinking. “Nothing comes to mind. I’ll start thinking of ways to deal with them in the meantime though.”

Moloch nodded, turning back to Lilith. “Continue as planned, you’ve been doing an excellent job. Please keep us informed of any major happenings.”

Gritting her teeth behind closed lips, she nodded. The mirror rippled again as the image in it returned to a reflection. Burying her face in her hands, she groaned in anger. She was the one doing everything right. She was the one who had been succeeding. Berith had been nothing but failure after failure, yet Moloch still trusted his judgment? This had to be some kind of sick joke. She stared at the mirror, seeing her fingers vibrate with magic periodically as she itched to use it. Berith’s shit-eating grin was still clear in her mind as she closed her eyes. She sighed.

“Like a fucking watermelon.”