Jamie returned to the cabin and started to pack her things. I'll go out on my own. That way I can learn more about this world and what is going on! Is Master Edwards on my side or is he hiding something? Witches keep dying before they can reveal anything.

As she was gathering the rest of her shirts, a familiar, gentle voice from behind greeted her.

“Miss. Jamie, where are you going?” the village chief asked.

“Grandpa Ivan, hi!” Jamie quickly turned back to her packing. “Sorry, I'm in a rush. I’m going after the shapeshifter.”

Grandpa Ivan placed a hand on her shoulder. “I need to talk to you.”

Jamie turned around and looked at Grandpa Ivan as a worm-like mana thread slithered out of Grandpa Ivan’s right eyeball.

Jamie briskly pulled out her dagger and slashed at Grandpa Ivan’s neck. However, instead of hitting flesh, her dagger chipped on an invisible barrier. Her eyes widened and she leaped backward. With her body pressed against the wall, instinctively she put up a shield and watched the transformation before her eyes. A skinny man rapidly grew from the thin mana threads. I don't see an opening anywhere! Should I run?

Jamie raised her palm and created a transport portal.

The skinny man looked at her, “Stop! I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help you.”

"Sure," Jamie said as she stepped into the transport portal.

A second later, Jamie stepped out of the transport portal and back into the same room. The skinny man still stood in front of her.

"Oh, hey again," she said and acted as if the incident didn't fazed her. Yet he could sense her mana fluctuations.

He smiled knowingly. “A family specialty, but with your gifts, you might be able to pull it off Pure Earth.” Then the man bowed, “They call me Sir Issoton. I am a detective from the Center.”

“Really... an official detective. Why bother with the disguise then?"

“Because of Edwards. You see, we know each other but that is a story for another day.”

"What do you want?"

His right hand dug for something in his coat pocket as Jamie intensely watched, her body braced to fight. “No funny business Detective.”

“Yes, yes. But I figured you’d want to see this black market wanted poster.” He pulled out a black scroll from his shirt. He handed the scroll to her.

Jamie looked down at the wanted poster and her jaw dropped, “It’s…”

----------------------------------------

----Center District ---

Master Edwards stepped out of his transport portal and into the grand library. He was greeted with the aroma of old books, oranges, and a hint of burnt sage. Aisles of color-coordinated books lined the shelves, creating a harmonious display that pleased the eyes. On each wooden bookshelf was an engraving of olive clover grass.

While his fingers brushed against the many books on the shelves, he continued to make his way toward an old, wrinkled man. Adorned on his fragile wrinkled fingers were rather ridiculously large gemstone rings. It was an incredible feat that the old man’s fingers could even move. He pulled out a velvety book, its cover adorned with the royal emblem of a phoenix perched on a burning pine tree.

Master Edwards bowed his head. “Your majesty.”

The man turned and Master Edwards’ eyes couldn’t help but look at the old man’s shimmering crown, a massive red ruby in the center with a rainbow of smaller jewels complimenting it. “Ah, you came at last.”

“I take it, your Majesty knows the witches have a bounty out for the Pure Earth girl?”

“Yes.”

“Your majesty.” He looked at the old King with a concerned face. “They haven’t been successful and it’s only a matter of time until Ames catches on.” He handed the old King the note he found earlier.

The old King took the note and read it. He looked unfazed as he tucked the note away in his book. “Ames is far too busy off-world to deal with this. Besides, you, of all people, should know we cannot allow the Veinhams to become more powerful." The old King clasped his hands. "Veinhams. They're simply obnoxious.”

Master Edwards grinned. "Funny, you didn't think so when they crowned you King." He moved closer to the old King and with a low voice uttered his warning, “If you don't play your part as they deem fit.”

“Shush. Two generations already, we’ve been under their thumb. No this and no that. No tax increase. No war. I’m tired of these rules. I know of so many districts that make a killing from their people while the Veinhams choose to keep me poor while they live lavishly. I need more funds to support my family.”

Master Edwards eyed the old King’s gleaming white saber cloak, from head to toe, he had jewels covering everything except his eyes. "You know your jewels could burn a person should the light hit right."

"It's not enough. I also have five daughters to wed off. I am the King, I have the divine right to raise taxes."

“You know, you are technically the puppet King.”

The old man glared at Master Edwards. “And you are technically a Veinham bastard.”

Master Edwards grinned. The old man is one hundred and fifty years old, yet his creased droopy eyes are still starved for more power.

“You don’t need to remind me why we’re partnering on this, but leave the girl alone.”

“Why should I?”

Master Edwards looked at the shelf, the King was in the cursed magic aisle.“Your son, he is still unwed?”

The old man’s eyes brightened at a possibility that had escaped his imagination. “I didn’t think of that,” he muttered and walked over to his reading chair. He placed the book down and rubbed the cover as he contemplated the idea of marrying his son to the chosen Vaseland. “The issue is, the witches. They want her body. They think they can use it for some spell.”

“What spell?”

“I am no mage.”

“Yet, you employ mages and read grimoires. Find out for me.”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Already on it smart ass.”

Lord Edwards grinned. “Your majesty, do you talk this way to Ames as well?”

The old man looked at him and released a snort of disapproval. “I will find out. But in exchange, try to keep the girl alive. I don’t think the witches will listen to me and the pure Earth girl avoided death this long so a few more months can’t hurt.”

“Look, Ames has taken a liking to the girl. If she is murdered, he might look into it. If this leads back to the royal family.”

The old King clutched his book harder as he contemplated his plans.

“Think about it, you can never outlive a wicked witch and they’re wicked for a reason. If you bite off more than you can chew, it’s your head, not theirs..”

The old King looked at Master Edwards and opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped himself.

Master Edwards patted the old man’s shoulders. “Just think about it. I have to head back to the Veinhams.”

----------------------------------------

Jamie admired the beautiful orangey-pink sunset. It’ll be dark soon, we shouldn’t have stopped for lunch, she thought and shook the dry dirt off her knees.

“It’s been three days Jamie. Maybe it left the region,” Alaric said.

She looked at him, with his golden tan and curly blonde hair, he was too good-looking for not bathing since they left the village.

“You’re right, it’s like it disappeared from this district. We’re already three towns out. How is it moving so fast with the women? Besides its shapeshifting magic, it isn’t known for other abilities.”

“Well, what do you want to do now? Should we continue in the dark?”

“Stupid is doing the same thing expecting results.”

“So?”

“We need help.”

“Who do you suggest?”

“Well…we know the witches are helping or something is helping this shapeshifter. This someone has strong abilities, able to conceal its tracks. So much that we’re relying on physical tells and bystanders. We should seek a witch or someone with better tracking abilities. Know anybody?”

“The military will have a tracker, I can phone my Unit to get their coordinates. We’ll need to transport there.”

“Great. I’ll get some firewood while you do that.”

Jamie walked off the trail and into the woods. She started to pick firewood when two pairs of small shoes walked out of a transport portal.

The figures ran at her and she embraced them. “Benny! Henry! What are you doing here?”

“I finished all my homework so Mom said we can visit.”

Jamie looked around them, hoping to see someone else. Benny noticed her looking, “Master Edwards was sent on an important mission. But we got protection talismans that would protect us.”

“That’s good.” She looked at Henry and her eyes lit up. “You know what, you boys showed up at a great time. Henry, I need your help.”

Back at the campsite, Alaric rummaged through his belongings and took out a wooden comb with a hibiscus flower engraving on the handle.

“This should do,” he said and handed the comb to Henry. Henry took out his water mana globe.

Alaric’s eyes widen. “Where did you get this mana globe? They’re so rare, I never even seen one.”

Henry smiled smugly. “My brother got it for me. It was a present.”

“Focus, please,” Jamie said as she gently patted Henry’s shoulders.

Henry held onto the comb and brushed his tiny chubby fingers over it. He closed his eyes and then placed one hand over his globe.

“Found her. Weird. I see a cabin. All around it is water. There’s a girl in the cabin and I sense…” Henry’s face started to frown.

As Henry shoved the water mana globe back into his face, Jamie looked at him puzzled.

“Surrounded by water, what do you mean? Is the cabin on an island? Was there anyone else there?”

“No just her,” Henry said as he pulled out a dagger.

“Henry, what are you doing?” Jamie said amused.

Henry grabbed Jamie’s hand and stepped backward. He pointed his dagger at Alaric. “I sensed Alaric’s aura there. He was in the cabin with his sister.”

Alaric’s mouth opened in surprise as he was knocked down to the ground and immediately felt cold silver against his neck with Jamie on top of him.

“Explain yourself,” Jamie said and glared down at him.

“It isn’t what it looks like.”

“Tell us what it looks like then.”

“Move Jamie,” Benny said, and approached them with pliers. “We need to torture him.”

“Wait a damn minute!” Alaric said. “I’m not a bad guy.” He looked at Jamie, “Look you met the detective from the center, Sir Issoton?”

“How did you know about him?”

“I’m the one that gave him the tip-off of when Master Edwards left so he could talk to you alone.”

Jamie looked at Alaric suspiciously.

“In exchange for information about my sister. He was able to pull her soul from the shapeshifter for protection but her real physical body is still out there somewhere. To prove that he safely secured her, he also transported my soul there, like for a second. That’s why I’m still here trying to find her. I need to reunite the physical body with her soul.”

“I never heard of such magic,” Jamie said and pressed the knife closer.

“It’s old magic, known to the Fredred family,” Benny said.

“Fredred?” Jamie looked at Benny. “Never heard of them.”

Benny frowned at Jamie. “Listo is a Fredred. He was at our school picnic remember? His pants ripped and everyone laughed. You laughed so hard, beer went out your nose, Jamie.”

Jamie smirked. “Oh yeah, that was hilarious.”

“Tell us something good Alaric,” Benny said.

“Look, I just want to find my sister,” Alaric said.

“Tie him up Benny,” Jamie said.

A few minutes later, Jamie looked at Alaric, who looked mummified with all the rope wrapped around him.

Henry raised his hand and used his mana to rotate the levitating kabobs, each chunk of roasted rabbit was the size of apples over the fire. “Almost done.”

Jamie inhaled deeply. “That smells heavenly. When do you boys need to head back by the way?”

“Tonight, we can’t stay for long. The shield protection spell runs out at midnight.” Henry took out a bag and handed it to Jamie.

“What’s this?”

“Money, Master Edwards said you’ll probably need some.”

“Thanks.” Benny handed Jamie a kabob. “Thanks, Benny.” She bit into the juicy BBQ rabbit meat. It was chewy but delicious nonetheless.

“So what are you going to do with Alaric?” Henry asked.

“Can you boys take him back with you?”

Alaric muffed under his covered mouth to protest.

“I can’t trust you Alaric. You should’ve just come clean. I can’t be looking behind my back when we travel.”

Alaric continued to protest.

“Sorry. But I’ll bring your sister back, don’t you worry.” Jamie finished her kabob and began to gather her bags.

“Boys, you should hurry back.”

“You’re leaving now? It’s dark out.” Benny asked with his mouth full.

“Exactly. The shapeshifter is probably more comfortable now, more likely to make a mistake.” The sound of a small tree branch snapped in half interrupted the conversation. Jamie held a finger to her lips and looked at the boys.

The group listened as they heard a rustling in the woods. Jamie pulled a dagger from her side and aimed it into the woods.

“Ahaha! She got me!” a male’s voice screamed. Then before they knew it, a group of rough-looking men emerged from the woods and surrounded the group.

“Bandits? God! Can’t I catch a break? I haven’t even gotten one single shapeshifter!” Jamie screamed in frustration.

“Aren’t we lucky,” a man said as his gold tooth twinkled against the fire’s light.

“Leave. You don’t know who you’re messing with,” Benny said.

The group of men laughed.

“Oh, don’t you worry boy. We know who you are. Veinhams, always so mighty and thinking they’re so smart.”

They know who the boys are and still want to attack us? Jamie thought. Either they’re stupid or they have something to defeat us.

Jamie's eyes drooped slightly as she commanded, “Boys, I need...” but before she could finish, she fell to the ground. The rest of the group followed suit and within seconds, they all fell unconscious.

The gold-tooth man grinned. "Men, grab the girl and boys. Kill that mummified bastard there and let's go."