The last butterfly fell to the ground in a heap, its body mottled and desiccated by necrotic power. Ianna stood where she had at the beginning of the fight and reveled for a moment in the power that she wielded. It wasn’t often that she could genuinely enjoy what she’d obtained since arriving in this world. The last time she’d fought a serious battle there had been larger stakes, greater dangers, and painful emotions warring in her chest. This was simple. She let out a low breath of satisfaction that billowed out in a white mist that hung around her head.

“It’s been a while,” she murmured, “No Katali spies to worry about, just a moment to cut loose.”

Azrael stepped up to her side and slipped a knife into her belt, “Shook some of the rust off?” she asked with a wry smile.

“A little, could have done better with my afflictions. Still have other abilities I want to readjust to,” Ianna said and rest her hands on her hips, stretching her back, “Didn’t even have to use my melee powers or summon a higher-order monster,” she reached out and a mockery landed on her fingertip, “That’s right sweetie, you and your siblings were more than enough.”

“That was with our powers restrained,” Azrael commented.

“They were only level seven,” Ianna pointed out, “Hardly a threat.”

‘What were they?”

“[Shard Sipper Butterfly],” Ianna said with a frown, “I don’t like the implications of that name.”

Azrael turned to look at her for a moment, consideration plain on her features. She turned back to the field of dead butterflies and crossed her arms. She looked down at her feet before her eyebrows rose and she looked back at Ianna who nodded. “Astral Shards,” Azrael whispered, “You think those things eat Astral Shards?” she hesitated a moment and rubbed her chin, “That would explain the odd variety of abilities they had. Some were throwing stone while others were using fire. Their abilities seemed simple.”

“A few I fought could heal themselves among other things,” Ianna said.

“I didn’t give them long enough to try,” Azrael said with a smirk.

Ianna glanced her way, “Braggart.”

“Says the woman who stood there like a conductor instead of hopping into the fray,” Azrael chuckled before glancing over her shoulder, “You left quite the impression.”

Ianna didn’t look back for a moment as she considered the field of death in front of her, “I’m sure I did,” she said before stepping forward to lean against the rail. She gestured and called her mockeries back to her. She opened her inventory and pulled a leather satchel out that she slung over her shoulder. The little creatures turned into a cloud of glittering gold that narrowed to a point at the entrance of the satchel, filling it to the brim. Those that couldn’t make it inside climbed onto her shoulders and back, clinging here and there. Only then did she turn back to the others. Miranda was smiling proudly, her nose in the air while Mack and Delilah stared at her in a mixture of awe and horror.

“Was that death magic?” Mack asked.

“Yes.”

“It looked like several spells, an aspect?”

“Yes.”

“You have a death aspect?”

“[Aspect of the Pale Dawn], actually,” Ianna said with a smile before walking over to them. She tilted her head to look Mack in the eyes, “Get any experience from that? You’re in the party.”

He blinked and pulled his journal out, flipping it open and squinting. His eyebrows shot up, “Yes I did! I’ve almost leveled up again!”

“Level ten is a big milestone, you won’t have to pull that awful journal out anymore,” Ianna said with a smile, “Look forward to it while we grind our way through this place,” she turned to Delilah, “And you?”

Delilah inclined her head, “I leveled up.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Ianna grinned, “Superb. Now how about we do some looting?”

“Let me check around first for any stragglers,” Azrael called over from the railing. She hopped off the side and darted into the garden as Delilah waved her hand in front of her. She reached into the air and plucked an [Aspect Shard] from her inventory while Mack did the same. The two sat down and started talking amongst themselves. Ianna nodded to the two of them and stepped over to Miranda.

“Always good to see you work, your Majesty,” Miranda said, grinning ear to ear.

“You seem pleased,” Ianna said.

“Of course,” Miranda said with a sweeping bow, “Seeing the aspect being I worship demonstrate her power, even whilst restrained, is a blessing.”

“You’re too kind,” Ianna said with a laugh as Mack and Delilah looked up at them in confusion.

“You worship her?” Mack asked with a raised eyebrow.

Miranda gave him a curious look and gestured to Ianna, “You are aware that as an ascendant she is an aspect being, correct? She even founded an aspect. By definition she is an entity that can be worshiped and thereby grant power to someone with the Aspect of the Priest or Priestess. Which I possess.”

“I also granted Miranda the aspect I acquired when I ascended,” Ianna said.

Delilah looked between the two of them, “So you’re a god?”

Ianna squinted a little bit at the word but shrugged, “Sort of? In as much as you could worship the Lord of the Wolves in the Green Sea as a deity among wolves. It doesn’t really take anything from me to have a high priestess like Miranda,” Ianna explained, “I do have some control over her abilities though as well as her growth. I can nudge her aspects in one direction or another if I really want to.”

“Which you don’t, ever,” Miranda said with a frown.

“We’re not getting into this again,” Ianna said.

“It’s your right!” Miranda protested.

“La la la la! I can’t hear you!” Ianna said, turning away and plugging her ears.

“Um!” Mack raised his hand, “Can I ask a question? Feel free not to answer.”

Ianna pulled her fingers from her ears and looked down at the young man. He had a serious look on his face but his hands were wringing together in discomfort over the [Aspect Shard] in his lap. She tilted her head as he seemed to work up the nerve to ask his question, “Go ahead.”

“So, it’s been a huge point of speculation for everyone back in Katal. Theories going all over the place. Y-your Core Aspect. The one you got when you ascended, what is it?” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Miranda in confusion. Miranda shrugged at her, “Some core aspects have weaknesses tied to them in one way or another,” she cleared her throat, “Your fathers, for example. Giving the name of such a crucial aspect can be dangerous when you think about it. I don’t think there are many ways to intuit a weakness from the name of yours, though.”

Ianna chuckled, “Oh! Is that why you were worried about asking?” she asked Mack who nodded, looking a bit sheepish after Miranda’s commentary, she shrugged, “I am [The Mother of Monsters],” Ianna said, “All monsters are my children, I wasn’t just saying that the other day because I adore the creatures I summon. All monsters in this world are tied to me now that I have this aspect. Even ones that might see me as an enemy. I can bond with them given the opportunity,” she said, “For example. I don’t have an ability to summon rilks. I bonded with a Rilk Queen and ordered her to conquer the other hives in order to have the rilks that we rode to the forest on.”

She held her hand out and one of her mockeries scuttled down to her palm before crawling up onto her fingertip and flapping its wings. It opened its many eyes to look down at the pair staring up at her with wide eyes. She grinned at them, “I actually got a pair of new summons a while back, too bad I’m restrained. I’d love to let them loose.”

Miranda turned to her excitedly, “Oh? You never mentioned what you got when you leveled up over the past year, what were they?”

Ianna smirked at her, “One’s called an Avalite. It has an interesting function to it but you’ll have to see it to understand,” Ianna explained, “Never heard of them. The other? Lydan.”

Miranda’s eyes went wide, “You’re kidding.”

“Nope!” Ianna laughed, “Isn’t that funny? Remember that story from when-”

“What’s a Lydan?” Mack asked.

“It’s a proto-titan,” Azrael said from behind Ianna.

Ianna glanced over her shoulder and waved at her sister as she stepped over the railing and began walking forward. Azrael gave her a thumbs up. All clear, then. Can’t wait to loot those things. I wonder if they have anything interesting on them given their name.

“A proto-titan?” Mack blurted, horrified.

“Big nasty things,” Azrael said with a grin, “They can pull a tree out of the ground and toss it at you. There used to be one in the Wildlands.”

The two young heroes stared for a moment before Delilah shook her head and squeezed her [Aspect Shard] it flashed before fading away and she got to her feet. “I need to reassess my definition of absurd if I’m going to keep traveling with you, majesty,” she said with a small laugh. Next to her, Mack hurried to follow suit, hopping to his feet after picking a new ability.

“Oh I assure you it’s gonna get more wild from here,” Ianna said with a chuckle before turning to nod at the dead butterflies and rubbed her hands eagerly “Now! Let's get to looting!”