With the aurora now in full glow, Prelinsa followed Rupeth all the way to a heavily fortified building – the Western Keep – where Corynn and the Matriarch were standing outside. Prelinsa was relieved to see that Corynn’s left arm was back, though the way she held it was a bit stiff and unnatural. The Matriarch wore her signature fox mask.
“I greet the Matriarch and Princess Corynn Silvermoon,” Prelinsa said bowing.
“Brother and Prelinsa,” Corynn replied, bowing.
“Mother. And Corrie, of course,” Rupeth said, also bowing.
“At ease,” the Matriarch said, and everyone stopped bowing.
“So, Corrie!” Rupeth put Fern down and hugged his sister. “How’s the new arm treating ya?” He asked, pulling back.
“I’m still getting used to it, brother.” Corynn moved it around a bit to show him. It definitely looked like she was struggling – her movement was jerky and deliberate.
“Great. Love to hear it,” Rupeth replied.
“Rupeth. Although I am pleased to see that you are happy for your sister, I believe we have a more pressing matter to attend to. One that is presently resting on the ground,” the Matriarch said wryly, as she crossed her arms. Corynn noted that the Matriarch acted differently with Rupeth, and used a dry sense of humor. It was interesting to see, since she was normally so serious.
“Right, right.” Rupeth hoisted Fern back up onto his shoulder. “We got ourselves a Freedom Fighter! You can praise me now!”
“You’ve done well, brother.” Corynn smiled, but she seemed just a bit jealous that Rupeth had been the one to catch an MFF member before her. It made sense, given her history. She’d wanted to be the one who showed the Fighters up first.
“Corynn, be mindful of your jealousy,” the Matriarch advised.
Corynn nodded, quickly calming herself down. “Thank you, Mother.”
“Good.” The Matriarch turned to Rupeth. “Rupeth, you have done well indeed,” she continued. “We have already received word from the soldiers, and prepared an interrogation room. Prelinsa, since this matter affects you directly, I will brief you on what we know about the Magic Freedom Fighters. Come with me.”
She turned to head inside the building.
“Yes, Matriarch,” Prelinsa said.
----------------------------------------
They all entered the building, with Rupeth splitting up from them, carrying Fern with him. Prelinsa, Corynn, and the Matriarch walked through hallways until they entered a meeting room.
“Take your seats,” the Matriarch said, and they all did so. “Now then, let’s not waste any more time. You have already experienced this for yourself, but the Magic Freedom Fighters have been attempting to recruit more young people to their cause.”
“Yeah. I think they wanted me especially because I have a Phoenix Spark.”
“That is likely true, but we must wait for confirmation. We do not yet have all the facts.”
“Right.”
“Moving on. As a result of their recruitment process, the Fighters have grown their forces back up to a considerable size without our knowledge. They have an unexpected amount of resources on their side, and are terrorizing people in the far western reaches of the East Realm. Corynn, share with Prelinsa what you saw during your operation.”
Corynn nodded grimly. “Near the West Realm border, and with the Fighters, I saw…” She gathered herself, swallowing. “I saw one of my sisters. A clone, just like me. She was still just a child. I wasn’t emotionally prepared,” she said, her ears drooping. “I grew careless. I wanted to save her. But she wielded the Way of the Leviathan – House Goldensun’s magic. She used it to take my arm. We had to retreat after that.”
“A child clone, using House Goldensun’s magic,” Prelinsa repeated. “And they were sighted near the West Realm border.”
“That’s right,” Corynn confirmed.
“Isn’t that in the Great Desert?” Prelinsa asked. The Great Desert was located in the center of the Greater Realm, separating North from South, and East from West. “There’s not much mana there. How were they able to use magic?”
“I don’t know,” Corynn said.
Prelinsa frowned. She also remembered House Goldensun again from her lessons. The House in charge of the West Realm. Now, a clone of the Matriarch with that House’s magic had appeared close to the West Realm border, which was also exactly where the Magic Freedom Fighters were being reported. It was all very suspicious to say the least.
“Isn’t this all a bit… weird? Do you think House Goldensun is behind all of this?” Prelinsa asked.
“I have my suspicions that this is so. However, correlation does not equal causation. At the moment, we have no proof,” the Matriarch advised her. “It is possible that the Fighters stole the Way of the Leviathan from House Goldensun, or even recreated it independently. Keep your mind open to different possibilities. Do not let your judgment be clouded by first impressions. Our investigations will uncover the truth of this matter.”
Prelinsa nodded in understanding, going over her lessons again in her head. Before the Matriarch learned the Path of the Phoenix and led House Silvermoon to become dominant over the Clan, it was House Goldensun that had all the political, social, and magical power. The Clan only became known as Clan Silvermoon after that, establishing the current political and social order that the other Houses all bowed down to. Even in the face of other powerful magic, like the Way of the Leviathan, the Path of the Phoenix was so powerful that it completely dominated everything in its path. Like Rupeth said, it was cheating. As a result, House Goldensun deeply resented House Silvermoon for taking their position of power away.
So naturally, Prelinsa’s gut feeling was one of extreme suspicion. The most obvious explanation was that House Goldensun was looking for revenge, and using the Magic Freedom Fighters as a means of waging a proxy war against House Silvermoon. On top of that, the Fighters were mysteriously able to use magic in the desert, which was normally almost impossible – it seemed like it would take a lot of resources to do that. However, the Matriarch was right – although it looked incredibly suspicious, there was no proof of a connection yet. Prelinsa had to be patient, and wait for more information.
“House Silvermoon must proceed carefully, limiting casualties without using excessive force,” the Matriarch continued. “This is a difficult balance to achieve. It requires both skilled soldiers and good tactical planning. We must be deliberate, yet we cannot delay for too long, or else there will be more innocent civilians killed. We also do not know how many innocent clones are still out there.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Prelinsa asked.
“The best thing you can do for now is remain in White Blossom Fortress, where it is safest,” the Matriarch advised. “The fact that someone attempted to recruit you to the Fighters even here means that their reach is greater than expected. I recommend that in public, you travel with someone skilled at all times.”
“I’ll do it,” Corynn offered. “I should remain here, too. I… I don’t know if I could handle fighting my sister again.”
The Matriarch removed her mask, a look of sadness on her face. She moved to give Corynn a hug.
“It’s alright, my daughter. You don’t have to fight now,” she said, speaking gently.
“Mother. Prelinsa is here,” Corynn protested softly.
“That doesn’t matter. Just stay here where it’s safe.”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Corynn closed her eyes, accepting the embrace.
Prelinsa inhaled and exhaled. Although she now considered Missus B. a mother, she still really missed Marianne.
----------------------------------------
As they exited the room, the Matriarch spoke to Prelinsa and Corynn again.
“By now, news has spread of Corynn’s defeat at the hands of the Magic Freedom Fighters. As a result, some people are worried. They fear that House Silvermoon has shown weakness. Therefore, we have organized a tournament two weeks from now, to remind them of our power. Several such tournaments have been held in the past.”
“Who’s going to be fighting?” Prelinsa asked.
“There will be three divisions – a junior division, a masters division, and a senior division. Prelinsa, I would like for you to partake in the junior division. Although you have only just learned magic, I believe this will be a good experience for you. There will also be rewards for a good performance.”
Prelinsa’s fox ear perked up. This was very exciting news for her. She was still inexperienced, but a tournament was a great way to get more practice in, and show what she was capable of. Aside from Corynn and Camilla, she hadn’t really fought anyone her own age. She was eager to put her talents and skills to the test, now that she had the Phoenix Spark.
“You may use the katana you’ve been given, and are permitted to treat your duels as real fights. The junior fighting rings will have defensive enchantments and mages on standy, which will help keep combatants from seriously harming one another. However, you must still respect the referees and cease when ordered. There is always a risk.”
“Yes. I understand,” Prelinsa nodded excitedly.
“Since most of the knights and soldiers will be dealing with the Magic Freedom Fighters, the adult division will have few people in it. In the senior division, the Elders will participate, as well as Rupeth and Rensa. I will refrain from participating myself.”
Prelinsa nodded. Like Rupeth, Rensa had returned to the Fortress recently after dealing with important matters. This was the first time she would be seeing the middle Silvermoon sibling outside of pictures. She had heard that Rensa was more serious and sharp-tongued than the others. In that sense, she seemed like the opposite of Rupeth, who was flippant and laid-back. She wondered if they would even be able to get along, if they were to meet up in person. Then again, Rupeth and Rensa must be able to get along somehow.
“Rensa is nice, really,” Corynn said, sensing Prelinsa’s concern. “If she says something that sounds mean, remember that she’s just trying to help you. I think you’ll get along, as long as you remember that.”
“Well. I guess that’s good…?” Prelinsa remarked, uncertainly.
“You will likely see her during the tournament,” the Matriarch advised. “She will be watching all of your duels, so that she can give you advice. Remember to be thankful.”
“I will.”
“Corynn. I believe your presence is required in Room 1Q. Do not keep them waiting for too long.”
“Yes, Mother.” Corynn bowed, then strode off – not running, just walking quickly.
This left Prelinsa and the Matriarch alone. There was a bit of awkward silence, and Prelinsa fidgeted with her hands.
“It seems you have some further questions for me,” the Matriarch said.
“Yeah.”
“Then let us head back into the room, where we will not be disturbed.”
----------------------------------------
“So. What is it that you wish to ask me about?” The Matriarch asked.
Prelinsa struggled for words, scratching the back of her fox ear. “This is kind of a sensitive question, but… it’s about House Silvermoon’s past. And your past.”
“I see. You must have heard from the person who tried to recruit you to the Fighters.”
“And Rupeth.”
The Matriarch nodded. She did not put her mask back on.
“What did they tell you?”
“They said…” Prelinsa swallowed. “They said that a long time ago, you and House Silvermoon did a lot of terrible things. That you killed innocent people. Rupeth even said I can read about it online. But I wanted to hear it from you.”
The Matriarch breathed in and out deeply, pausing for the right words. She maintained a serious expression, but there was definitely a deep regret that Prelinsa could sense under the surface.
“What they have told you is true. I have no excuses for my past.”
“I’m sure you must have had reasons.”
“They do not justify my actions,” the Matriarch said, shaking her head. “But would you hear them regardless?”
“Yeah. I do want to hear them. And everything else, like how the Silvermoons came to take over the Greater Realm.”
The Matriarch nodded again, once. “Very well. This story takes place over one hundred fifty years ago. I believe you have already learned of this era from your history lessons, but I will summarize it in my own words,” she said. “Hundreds of years ago, House Goldensun led the elves to rise over the dragons. They conquered the entire Greater Realm, leading to the Goldensun Era, and the creation of the Goldensun Empire. They created a new age of conquest and prosperity.”
She closed her eyes.
“But prosperity was reserved solely for the elves. All other races suffered in slavery and poverty. We were worked without rest, doing whatever was asked of us – no matter how unfair or how unreasonable. It was common for us to be beaten for complaining, go hungry for lack of food, or die for lack of everything.”
Prelinsa frowned. She’d learned about the history of slavery from Miss Longtail, but it was different hearing from someone who’d been through all of it. There was a different emotional weight to the Matriarch’s words.
“That’s crazy.”
“It was the reality we lived in. As a slave myself, I grew up despising the elves. I believed they must be overthrown, and experience the same suffering that we did. Therefore, I led the slaves to rise up. We named ourselves House Silvermoon, after the antithesis to House Goldensun. We succeeded in killing many elves.”
She shook her head again. Her expression was very dark.
“But that alone does not describe what we did. We slayed countless innocent people. Soldiers, civilians. Men, women, children, and all others. It mattered not who. As long as they were elves, we delighted in torturing and killing them. It is not an exaggeration to say that killing them made us happy.”
Prelinsa was stunned to hear it from the Matriarch herself. This didn’t sound anything like the Matriarch she knew, who was so restrained and didn’t let herself give in to her emotions. The same Matriarch, who told Prelinsa to have mastery over herself, understand her feelings, and use them to her advantage. This story sounded like it was about someone who was completely the opposite.
“…And what happened after that?”
“After our mass slaughter, we were suppressed and captured by the elves. Many of us were punished. Some of us were killed. I was banished to the Great Desert, to suffer eternally in isolation,” the Matriarch said. “There, I lived off of whatever I could find on the land. Over the decades, my body grew old and weak. Insanity gripped me. I was still furious at the elves. I still wanted them dead. But I was also full of regret. My actions had not only failed to stop the elves, they had led to many slaves being killed. I was responsible for their deaths. Many times, I considered ending myself.”
“But you didn’t. You’re still here.”
“Indeed. Perhaps it was sheer stubbornness that kept me alive for so long. Such a thing would never last.” The Matriarch shook her head again. “But one day, I encountered a tribe. They were mostly elves. In my feeble state, I could not have stopped them from doing with me as I wished. I expected them to enslave me, or kill me.”
Prelinsa leaned forward in her seat, listening closely.
“However, they did no such things to me. They welcomed me into their tribe, and helped me recover. Their leader explained to me that the tribe consisted of victims of House Goldensun’s tyranny. They had all spoken up against the regime for enslaving other races, and were banished because of their views.”
“Is that why you promote equality now?”
“No. At first, I did not believe them. They were elves, too. I believed they could not possibly understand the suffering I had experienced. Regardless, I stayed with them, as it was preferable to living on my own. I refused to interact with anyone else, but I watched the tribe carefully, waiting for the elves to act upon their evil urges. But as the months passed, I came to realize the true picture of the tribe. There were people of many other races, too. Although they had strict rules, they all treated one another with kindness and respect. Their cooperation was what allowed them to survive despite adversity.”
“Like how we got by in the slums,” Prelinsa said, recalling the Commune.
“Very much so. As I watched, I felt deeply ashamed of myself. I had been closed-minded. Thus, I began to help them in whatever ways my elderly body could. When I was unable to do so, I told people stories of my past as a slave. However, I could not bring myself to tell them of my past as a murderer. Then, one day, we encountered a banished slave who had taken part in the uprisings with me. She recognized me, and gleefully brought up stories of how we killed elves together in delight. She asked me why I had not attempted to kill the elves in the tribe.”
“What happened next?”
“The tribe could not believe that they had taken in someone with so much blood upon her hands. Many of them wanted me gone. However, the leader insisted that I stay. She said that I could still heal, despite my broken past. In her view, the fact that I was trying to do good within the tribe was proof of that.”
The Matriarch closed her eyes, reminiscing.
“However, I left them on my own. I knew that my presence made others too uncomfortable. I could not possibly burden them and jeopardize their cooperation with such a thing. I also knew that I was old, and would not be for much longer.”
“But again, you didn’t die,” Prelinsa noted.
“Indeed,” the Matriarch said, opening her eyes again. “While I wandered the wastelands, bordering on the edge of life and death, I experienced a revelation. An avatar of the Phoenix appeared before me. It told me that I had to go back, for the tribe was experiencing a great disaster. To prevent a tragedy, it granted me power and told me how to use it.”
“A Phoenix Spark.”
“Yes. As quickly as I could, I headed back to the tribe. There I found it under attack by another tribe. The enemies were elves who were banished for being too volatile and hard to control. I used the powers granted to me to slay them all, but for the first time, I was not happy that I had killed elves. Instead, I was disheartened that I was unable to save everyone. Numerous people had died, including the leader. I mourned for their loss. If only I had been able to act sooner.”
“So what happened next?”
“I became the new leader of the tribe, if only because I was powerful. Many people were still wary of me, and I had to work hard to earn their trust. But I was deeply inexperienced. I will not claim that I was the best leader at that time, nor will I do so even now. To that end, I learned to listen to what others had to say about the former leader, and how she would have acted in my position. There were many problems that I had never considered before. At the same time, I cultivated my Phoenix Spark over many years, becoming stronger and stronger. One day, that Spark grew into a Heart. When that happened, my body burned in phoenixfire and was created anew. Visibly, I aged back to when I was about forty years old.”
“What did people think of that?” Prelinsa asked, very curious.
“I became the object of many different emotions. Some were afraid. Some were in awe. Many questioned why I had been given so much power. But regardless, there was a growing sentiment that I should use my power to stop House Goldensun.”
“So did you?”
The Matriarch shook her head. “Not right away. I was still not strong enough. More importantly, I felt that as a murderer, I would not be the right person to lead a new uprising. I continued to cultivate, and grow even stronger. My body continued to be reconstituted in phoenixfire, eventually becoming as you see now. I used my power to help keep the tribe safe. I also taught the Path of the Phoenix to others that I believed would be suitable to learn it. Together, we were powerful.”
She closed her eyes again, for a few moments.
“But that time would not last forever. Eventually, soldiers from House Goldensun came for us. They had heard rumors that some of the convicts they had banished were not suffering as expected. Although we fought them off easily, I realized that House Goldensun would not stop coming for us. We could not escape from our pasts, and had to confront them directly. That day, I resolved that I would lead a new uprising. With our power, we approached the nearest city and liberated it, establishing some of our own to keep watch. The rest of us continued along the border, joined by others who were dissatisfied with House Goldensun. We continued to capture cities and gain more followers, using hit-and-run tactics to avoid capture.”
She sighed.
“Eventually, people wanted a name for our movement. As with the previous uprising, they began calling us House Silvermoon. I did not like this, as it reminded me of my past, but I could not change their minds. Having a name that was widely used proved to be a powerful tool, and helped us gain further recognition and momentum.”
“That makes sense.” Prelinsa thought on that. Silvermoon was actually a name that the Matriarch had very mixed feelings about.
The Matriarch allowed this before continuing. “…We also quickly realized that we could not stay within the West Realm for long, as we would eventually be overrun. Instead, we headed to the East Realm, far from the capitol and where the presence of House Goldensun was much weaker. We spread quickly, liberated much of the region, and seized the capitol of Pyrus. From there, we declared ourselves a new country. The masses wished for me to be the leader of the new country. As the strongest individual, I could not refuse them. As a result, I became the first Imperial Matriarch of House Silvermoon. All the while, we taught more and more people the Path of the Phoenix. Our power became overwhelming. The North and South Realms saw our power, and joined forces with us. As a result, we defeated House Goldensun easily, and conquered the West Realm.”
“So that’s the end of everything, right? It sounds like even with all those horrible things happening, everything turned out okay.”
“If only it were that simple,” the Matriarch said sadly. “We were still a young country with an unclear direction. Many people wanted us to continue our conquest. With so many individuals who had power over phoenixfire, I could not stop them. Using the Silvermoon name, they conquered the North and South Realms, even as I urged them otherwise. Their conquests led to suffering for countless innocent people. Far too late, I realized that I had made a mistake in trying to quickly build up House Silvermoon’s power. The Greater Realm became controlled by House Silvermoon, and all were forced to swear fealty to us. The Silvermoon Empire was born.”
“Uh. I’m guessing the problems didn’t just stop there.”
“Regrettably, that is so. The constant fighting depleted the mana streams in several areas, leading to energy crises, and great social and wealth inequalities. With nowhere else to go, the people turned their aggression towards one another. Power made mages blind and greedy, and poverty made non-mages desperate. People fought violently over even the slightest of disputes. As a result, there were countless unnecessary deaths.”
Prelinsa couldn’t find anything to say to that. She just continued to let the Matriarch speak, as she listened in horror.
“Although we had won the war against House Goldensun, it came at too heavy a price,” the Matriarch concluded. “It would not be for many years until we finally found the peace that we have today. Even now, the scars remain, and there are tensions in the Greater Realm. As a result of this tragedy, I enacted the policies that relieved pressure on the mana streams. I have also chosen to be been careful in who I teach the Path of the Phoenix to.”
“So that’s why,” Prelinsa said, her fox ear drooping. “It’s not just that you think it’s bad for too many people to learn. You saw what happens.”
“In so many words.”
“I’m… I’m sorry. That must’ve been really tough. Even after you stopped House Goldensun, you still had to go through all that.”
“It is all in the past now. Although I regret my actions and feel deeply for the losses, I can only change my decisions moving forward,” the Matriarch said. “As the leader, I must not show too much weakness, or else House Silvermoon will be in jeopardy. Our position of power has always been predicated on showing strength. Even this is not sufficient in the long term, as you have seen from the attacks recently. In the end, new leadership will be required to keep peace in the Greater Realm.”
Prelinsa nodded. “Does that… does that mean you’ll be stepping down soon?” She asked anxiously.
“Not yet. Stepping down during this time of crisis would create turmoil in the masses. I will only do so when I believe the time is right.”
“Okay.” This was somewhat reassuring to Prelinsa. “Thank you. For telling me all of this. I know it can’t have been easy.”
“The past is something you must learn eventually. It was inevitable that we eventually speak of this matter. Although I did not intend to hide it from you, I needed you to reach a certain level of peace with yourself first. Otherwise, it could have disrupted your learning. I hope for your understanding.”
“I do understand.”
“Thank you, Prelinsa.”
The Matriarch put a hand on Prelinsa’s shoulder again. This time, it felt more comforting than before. The Matriarch, after all, had shared her darkest moments with Prelinsa directly. There was a level of newfound trust that they shared. Prelinsa also knew for sure now that the Matriarch would try her hardest not to repeat the mistakes of her past, even if she wasn’t perfect. There were still the Magic Freedom Fighters to worry about, but surely they could be dealt with.
For now, there was a tournament to look forward to.