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Negotiations with the Order of the White quickened, though we didn’t naively welcome them into the city with open arms. Like the Turri Peace Accords, both sides constructed a temporary camp around the two flags we had planted for our parlay. While both sides were professionals, the whole city was in turmoil. The citizens’ lives had been not only shaken but completely uprooted, forcing them into an understandable but unfortunate defensive panic. Sending in a bunch of strange soldiers wasn’t exactly the answer to their woes.

We accepted their offer of priests, however. As clear non-combatants, they would be paired with temple representatives under the supervision of the Order of Silver. The priority would be to get a new set of holy crystals operational.

In my mind, it was a bit of a futile effort, given the General’s tight timeframe, but I could easily understand doing what you can when you can. If I were lucky enough to rout him somehow, or at least satisfy his need for battle, perhaps he’d leave this cursed city alone. But he wasn’t Chairo's only enemy—nor mine.

“Do we know what the Mistress is up to?” I asked Captain Corwin during one of our many status meetings at central command. “I know we’re concentrating on the here and now, but…”

“Ever since her Purpose was eliminated, she’s been even more the enigma,” he admitted quietly. “Her subordinates seem to be concentrated around the Demon King’s Tower, but they’re keeping their distance from the General’s side. I don’t believe they wish to be seen working together. I wouldn’t think for a moment that one lord would be allowed to seize power greater than the other.”

I took a few moments to process this. In the books leading up to the story’s hiatus, Mistress Aziza was ignored since neither she nor her subordinates ever directly confronted the hero.

Come to think of it, I may have gone out of my way to avoid her for some reason…

I glanced around the room, noting that everyone seemed too busy to pay attention to our discussion. “Would you, uh, refresh me on her Purpose?”

I had come to recognize Corwin’s look of pity and irritation—a blend that caused his brow to tighten as if it had been stitched straight across. “Epiales assigned her the special Purpose of freeing him from the Goddess’s chains. Given his demise, she no longer needs to continue her experiments. I don’t believe, however, that she’d abandon such dark arts. I’m certain she’s still pursuing them.”

I grunted. “Maybe we can ask Captain Sonea if she has any more information. I’ll be close enough to her territory eventually.”

Corwin’s eyes darkened, and a sneer threatened to overtake his face. “She’s very good at keeping secrets, isn’t she?”

It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the captain. “Ah… You didn’t know about her sister either, huh?”

He slammed his fist on the table. “What if she switched roles on me? What if it was her sister who said those things back then!”

“What things, exactly?”

He froze, his face suddenly bright red. “Nothing related to our discussions, Captain. Forgive me for bringing it up.”

“What you mean to say is, ‘Please don’t ask for any more personal details,’” I replied, failing to hide my smirk.

“May I remind you we’re in the middle of a serious discussion?” he asked pointedly.

Hey, now, both topics are serious to me!

“Right, right. The lack of an intelligence network between the Orders,” I nodded. “Glad you recognized it almost as fast as I did.”

His eyes widened. “An intelligence network?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of it before?”

“We have one, of course, but it relies on…” He paused, looking around the temple sanctuary. “Son of a—”

“Captain Corwin,” Relias interrupted from behind, causing us both to flinch. He was covered in dust, much like Talib, who stood at his side, grinning from ear to ear.

“Your Holiness,” Corwin said with an audible swallow. “Please forgive me—”

“There is much to swear about as of late,” he conceded, “though I would ask it not be done within her house or near innocent children.”

I glanced at Talib, who looked back with a glint in his eye that suggested not only was he well-versed in swearing, but he’d likely been caught doing so recently. Given the smile spreading across his face, he didn't seem the least bit repentant.

“Of course, Your Holiness…” Corwin sighed.

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Relias turned to Talib and motioned for him to step forward.

“I found it!” the boy shouted at me gleefully, holding out a thick, tattered leather journal. “Your field manual!”

“Someone had… rearranged a number of holy relics… as well as all of my confidential documents,” Relias explained, his jaw tight. “Having an archivist available to locate your hero manual was certainly a blessing, for I was getting nowhere on my own…”

Wait. He was just given the Purpose of archivist—there’s no way he’s even completed orientation!

Was I underestimating the power of these assigned character roles?

I have to talk to Nora about this…

Reaching out for the book, a tremor ran through my arm, and my hand froze midway as Talib asked, “Why didn’t you write anything in it? You didn’t even list your name…”

Unable to answer, I looked to Relias.

“Captain Lightbringer was humbled by those who came before her,” Relias murmured. “She did not wish to pen her name until she felt worthy of her Purpose.”

“You should sign it now!” Talib exclaimed, scrambling for a quill pen on the nearby table. “You’ve earned it!”

With a quick, halting motion, I raised my hands. “I’m not entirely sure—”

“Sign it!” The boy shoved both the book and quill into my grasp

Excited murmurs filled the air as a crowd formed a semi-circle around us. Biting my lip to hold back an annoyed sigh, I opened the journal’s front flap.

In Honor of Raela, the First of All Humans in Speranza

Without Her Efforts, All Would Have Returned to Naught

This Sacred Chronicle is Held by:

Captain Raeanna Ironwrath

Captain Raeonna Skillshaper

Captain Raedine Wisewarden

Captain Raelina Cleargaze

Captain Raelana Demonslayer

Talib was right; one name was conspicuously absent.

With a deep inhale, I set the book down.

Signing it as Rachel Emily Smith felt like the right choice, but I clenched my teeth in frustration, wrestling with the pressure of being put on the spot.

“Think of it as an alias,” Raedine advised in my mind. “If the book were ever to fall into the wrong hands…”

Alright. An alias. It’s just an alias, and it doesn’t define me…

So, I added my false name to the list of heroes, only to be rewarded with the cheers of those who had watched anxiously. After fanning the page to help the ink dry, I turned to Relias and Talib.

“Thank you for finding this for me.” I tried not to sound half-hearted. “I’m sure reading it will be insightful.”

Talib nodded, his arms folded in satisfaction. “Make sure you read it all. Leave no page unturned!” He then motioned for me to lean down. After I complied, he whispered, “I couldn’t understand it all, but I’m sure you will. And… don’t let the end scare you, okay? The real story isn’t finished yet!”

The end?

His serious tone sent a chill up my spine. “Right…” I slipped the journal into my cloak. “I’ll be sure to stay strong.”

Another unfamiliar yet melancholy voice filled my head. “What I penned in there is not the full—”

“Silence!” Raeanna Ironwrath interrupted. “I studied the General more than anyone. Focus on my observations within my book. If you win, even I will finally acknowledge you!”

"You think much too highly of yourself, Captain Ironwrath," Raedine replied with a crisp mental snap. "We are no less knowledgable than you are!"

Ugh… Three of them at the same time?!

Everyone in there better just shut up! Go fight somewhere deep in my subconscious if you must, but I don’t want to hear another word out of any of you!

They all objected simultaneously, short-circuiting my patience.

Not right now, damn it. I’m busy!

I probably should have let the new one speak, but it was impossible to think with all these voices arguing in my head.

“Captain… are you alright?” Relias asked. “You appear unwell…”

Rubbing my temples, I replied, “Sorry, I was just… distracted.”

Captain Corwin eyed me with concern. “Perhaps a small break is in order,” he suggested. “I’ll send for you when it’s time to meet with Captain Sonea… and her sister.”

“Alright… Oh, before I forget, let’s bring the Golds. I wasn’t kidding about expanding your intelligence network. Vernie, in particular, could help with that.”

“Isn’t she leaving with you?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean she lacks connections here. She’s likely been working with them as Quartermaster.”

It was the only explanation for how she could distribute resources so swiftly.

Captain Corwin scowled. “Not all of her associates are trustworthy… No offense to Vernie herself.”

“You’ll need eyes everywhere,” I warned. “Otherwise, you’ll be blind on three out of four sides.”

“Not bad,” Nora quipped from behind. “Going with number twenty, are we? Well, hindsight is exactly that, I suppose!”

“What… what are you talking about?” I asked.

“Twenty-twenty for hindsight… but I'm really referring to twenty out of thirty-three?”

“Thirty-three?”

Nora grimaced. “The number of ways for improvement?”

Realization finally dawned upon me. “Oh!”

NoRaeNoWay and the 33 Opportunities for Improvement!

Nora let out a long sigh, but it ended with a foolhardy grin. “Good job remembering! Now, why don’t we get something to eat?”

Finally, the voice of reason!

We headed to my quarters, only to find both doors slightly open. Nora clutched her staff tightly while I summoned my aura. However, a loud crunching noise from within startled us more than I’d like to admit.

“Hey!” Kiko called, munching on the shortbread cookies at my table. “Looks like the kitchen’s finally forgiven you!”

“How did you get in here?” I asked, baffled.

She shrugged, her mouth full. “Ninja.”

“No. Not an answer!” I objected, grabbing the plate of cookies and holding them up. "And these are my cookies!"

She jumped higher than I thought possible, snagging another cookie before landing soundlessly. “I’m practically your party member at this point. The guards let me in. I found your shield, remember?”

Nora chortled as I stashed most of the cookies in my cloak pockets. “Practically doesn’t mean actually,” I hissed. “And if you’re here angling to join our journey, you’ve got another thing coming!”

She shook her head. “I’m not an idiot. I’ll stay here. I just stopped by to give you something I found while helping Talib.”

I bit into a cookie I had clenched in my hand. “What did you find?” I asked, swallowing.

Kiko glanced at Nora questioningly.

“Nora’s no narc,” I assured her.

Kiko gave me a strange look. “Uh… Well, whatever. Here.” She lifted a cloth napkin to reveal a thin, dark tome. “I wouldn’t leave it lying around, but I think you need to read this. It was hidden in another book, inside another book. Sneaky, right?”

Turning it over, Nora and I read the cover.

The Eight Edicts of Epiales.

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