As the icy cuffs drop from my ankles and wrists, I stretch out all the kinks in my body.

“Mwaaah! Feels like I haven’t stretched in ages.” I say, finally standing up.

The King sends the guard to the big door. He returns with a set of clothes. With a nod to the cage, the guard walks over and fumbles with the iron keys to open the cell. It creaks like an old rusted fence. Then the guard hands me the clothes, turns, and walks out.

“I’m sure these will be satisfactory for you?” The King says.

I smile. “Yes.”

Saying that, everyone walks to the door. Sakura disappears for a second, then pops her head back in.

“Please meet me outside when you have dressed, Emelia.” Then she closes the door behind her.

Looking at what was in the guard’s hands, I smiled. It’s my leather armor, but it’s refurbished. The old nicks and scrapes got buffed out. My leather greaves slip on easily enough. The rest of my armor forms to me like usual. At last, the leather boots hug my feet like partners reunited.

“Much better.” With another stretch, I head out the door to the world outside.

The starlight’s out in full force. I use my hand to cover my face as it stings my eyes. Once they’ve adjusted, I find Sakura leaning against the wall next to the door.

“Good, follow me.” She walks at a sturdy pace without checking to see if I’m even following.

The city’s sites are something to imagine: stone roads shine to a point where the starlight glints off the top. Multiple carriages and people travel up and down the road, all with places to be. Enchanted posts line the road to light it up in the moonlight.

“Man, this place is so much bigger than Bladesfall,” I say, stunned as I stop to take in the sights.

Sakura looks back at me with her close-set silver eyes.

“You are in Cardinal City, the capital of the entire kingdom of Cardinal. Of course, it would be bigger.” She turns and walks off, gracefully weaving through the crowd like a dancer.

She doesn’t acknowledge me; she just keeps walking.

“Well, at least the scenery is better than the company,” I say out loud to make sure she hears me.

After walking for a bit, I see an enormous castle.

It stops me dead in my tracks. Cardinal Castle is as intimidating to see as it is to hear about. It’s carved out from the silver stone of Synapse Mountain. Its tall spires send chills down my spine, and waves from Jupiter’s ocean crash against the bottom of the chasm. A mountain path leads you from a gate in the city up to the castle.

“It truly is a sight when you see it for the first time,” Sakura tells me.

I don’t reply, just nod.

“Now, let’s go.” She walks past me. I sigh and follow her.

My mind races with excitement as we walk through the city streets. It’s gorgeous, just like the history books brag about. Magic brandished in the streets, performers entertaining the droves of people circling them. One man throws something into the air, and it pops. A giant red dragon enters existence and flies around the people’s heads. The children point and scream, giggling as they run away. Passersby whisper to each other while pointing. Right before the dragon hits the crowd, it vanishes in a cool-looking red fog that spells the man’s Magician business.

“Zanders Magical Emporium!”

“Make haste, Emelia; the king wishes to proceed with the Introduction ceremony.”

Introduction ceremony? “Introduction into what?” I ask.

Sakura picks up her stride, rounding a corner out of sight.

“Man, she is quick. Better hurry before I lose her.”

A few corners later, we finally reached the archway I saw leading up to the castle. Three guards walk the streets in full steel armor carrying large axes. We walk up to the doors. One man looks at Sakura and stumbles, no, scrambles to the levers. The two men on opposite sides of the door pull the levers.

Creak, click, clack.

With an old whine, the doors open slowly.

Sakura and I tiptoe through the second archway. The path is not very wide, forty centimeters across at best. Handrails on each side keep you from falling off into the sea below. Watching the power of the ocean slam against the mountain below shakes the trail, sending vibrations through the path into my feet. Sakura and I walk for a while to reach the third checkpoint. After a few more moments, we pass through the third checkpoint and reach the King’s courtyard shortly after.

It’s an extravagantly beautiful sight. Beautiful flowers litter the yard, and blue, yellow, red, pink, and white ones decorate the gardens. Many people in the courtyard sit under verandas at small white tables with butlers at their sides, pouring tea or liquor into their cups or flasks. A large fountain in the middle of the square has the fifth queen of mermaids carved into a delicate beauty.

“That’s Jupiter!” I say, enamored.

Sakura nods."Yes, it is; she saved a critical figure during the Civil War. Ezekiel was grateful and had the best artist come and build this in her honor."

“Hmm, I didn’t know that. I hope I can learn the story someday.” My lips curl into a smile. Lucy always told me her stories when she returned from her adventures in other countries.

“It is a lovely tale,” Sakura says with a smile, keeping her stride.

We weave through many nobles, maids, butlers, and soldiers as we reach the stairs leading to the castle doors. A loud snort comes from the top of the stairs like the pigs at Old Man Zakaria’s farm. The sound comes from the giant now in front of me. My hands begin to sweat, my heart races like it’s trying to run away, and my breathing intensifies. My mind takes me kicking and screaming back to that moment like I never left it.

The mountainside rumbles as the King of Giants hurdles to the city below. He stands eight meters tall, a scar runs from his left eye to his nose. He drops fifty meters to our ocean-side city below. His impact craters in the ground, sending citizens, homes, and the very earth itself into the sky, blocking out the sun. In a second, thousands of lives are lost. His White eyes burn like tiny stars, powerful and ancient. His aura is so heavy, unlike anything I have ever felt before. It is old, wild, and so easily powerful that he could squash this city in the blink of his eye.

“Emelia, come back to us.”

A distant voice and a shaking sensation return me to the real world. But I’ll always remember the giant king’s aura. It’s like I was a bug looking up to a god squashing me without even an afterthought. The memory slowly fades, and I see Sakura’s steely silver eyes peering down at me.

“Good, your pupils are back to normal. What happened, Emelia?” Sakura asks me, her eyes hard with questions.

While struggling to sit up, the ground is rough and calloused. Then I look up, and I’m met by two large, dark green eyes. I fall off the giant’s hand like a bag of rocks, and the giant catches me before I hit the ground.

“Get back! Stay away from me, monster!” I jump off again, using wind magic to help slow my descent. I land and run behind a pillar to slow my breathing.

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“Ah, the Giant King attacked your city, you said. I should have warned you of Baxter beforehand; it was careless of me.” Sakura’s voice comes from the other side of the pillar.

Then, a deep voice speaks up; it’s not as thunderous as the giant King’s but softer.

“Do I scare girl?” The giant asks.

“Yes, but not at any fault of your own, Baxter. Please don’t worry. Just go back to your post, okay?”

Sakura’s voice turns light and almost fluffy like she’s talking to a child. Weird compared to how harsh and scratchy her voice is. Loud steps pound their way down the stairs. I peek out from behind the column and see Sakura looking at me.

She nods. “Well, let us continue.”

Sakura turns away from me.

“Emelia,” Sakura says.

“Yes?”

Sakura turns to me, but her eyes are distant. They don’t have as much fire in them as usual. It’s like she is looking through me.

“This Kingdom owes Baxter much. Don’t be too hard on him.” Then she turns and walks off to the castle doors.

The inside of the castle is a gorgeous sight. Its stone floors are immaculate and shining to the point of reflecting the light from the candles and chandeliers. A red carpet stretches from the doorway entrance up the stairs in front of me. A few pictures of the King’s family litter the walls in a very organized fashion. He had to have skilled castle design experts show his staff how to set images and place furniture.

Sakura leads me down a tight hallway, and we squeeze by maids and butlers shuffling along. After a couple more turns, passing down a hallway with many rooms, we reach a large door with another beautiful chandelier made from pointed yellow enchantment crystals that cast a soft glow from the candles inside. The paintings in the room are all a sight, and one presents a soldier in sleek black armor battling a Hydra. He holds a large black longsword that seems to slice through the picture. The second picture shows a woman standing on a mountainside, looking down upon a thriving city below her and smiling.

Sakura and I pass through a few more decorated halls, leaving the two beautiful paintings behind. Then we reach a large silver door at the end of the hall. I approach it and rub my hand across its incredibly smooth texture.

“Emelia, welcome to the Council room. Please be respectful.” She pushes me away from the door and places her hand on it.

I can feel the magical pressure in the air rise as Sakura releases some of her magic. Etchings on the door come to life and shine pink, and with a whoosh of air, the door clicks open.

I’m left with the full majesty of The Council Hall, the most talked-about room in the history books. It has a dark stone floor and a dark red carpet. Enchanted copper light fixtures hang from the ceilings, casting a decent amount of light into the room.

A small bronze chandelier hangs above a large white table with multiple people seated. Sakura walks past me and reaches Ezekiel’s side, whispering in his ear. He looks up and smiles at me.

“Emelia, glad you made it; now that you’ve arrived, let me introduce you to the few here.” The King says.

“Thank you.” I bow and wait for my cue to sit down. I get one and pull out the chair in front of me.

“Please, behind closed doors, you do not need to treat me as King Ezekiel. I’m just a simple man."

Well, here we go. Let’s see what’s going to happen.

All eyes turn to Ezekiel as he clears his throat. My nerves prickle at my skin, making it hard to focus.

I’m sitting at the freaking Council of Nine! The strongest wizards in Esterpine, these people, are the pinnacle.

We sit for forty minutes while Ezekiel drones about city boundaries and town maintenance. I feel myself wandering when his attention turns to me, and I focus back on the situation.

“Emelia, it’s time to let you know what my plans for you are from here on out.” He doesn’t smile, his lips planted firmly in a line.

“Alright, what do you have for me?” I ask, feeling my hands reach out to clench the table’s legs.

A dark-skinned girl with dirty blonde hair in a white lab coat smirks devilishly. “So a king tells you your life is in his hands, and that’s your response?”

“You’re practically saying lay it on me, dear King!” She pretends to mime, being scared.

“Whatever dire punishment you have, please go ahead with it!” Her voice peaks with dramatics in her last sentence.

“I concur; you don’t know what the king has planned, so why do you not beg?” Sakura asks me questioningly.

The other three don’t say a word; they just look at me for an answer.

“If he wanted me dead, he would have had you do it back in that prison cellar when he walked out,” I tell Sakura, who nods.

“Emelia, did you mean it back in the cell? Do you want revenge?” Ezekiel asks me, his yellow eyes lighting up with passion.

No...not passion, maybe excitement? Is that what his eyes constantly scream at me?

This is a test of my mettle. I’m a stranger sitting at a private trial to plead my case. He wants me to pledge to serve him, but I can’t see why I wouldn’t if revenge is all I want. Is it the only way to get rid of the faces haunting me? Will hearing those bastards beg me for mercy drown out the screams?

“Yes.” He nods, a big grin on his face. I’ve given him the answer he wanted.

“Now, I want the five of you to give your opinions.” He scans the table and leans back, waiting for their answers.

The first to speak up is a boy with a giant sword, his hair tied in a ponytail, and his meadow green eyes glimmer as he looks up at me. The sword in his possession is beautifully crafted. It has a small dragon curled up as the pommel with red rubies as its eyes. The blade has a faint hum of some kind of magic I don’t recognize, but it screams danger.

“If she can fight, I’m down,” he says as he returns to sharpening his sword.

The King sighs. “Okay, that’s a yes.” He points to Alva next.

“Alva, would you care to give your opinion next?” He asks.

Alva assumes a motionless stance, reminiscent of a statue.

“From my perspective, Emelia lacks the appropriate training due to her young age,” Alva states.

“I will not object if she can prove that she can protect herself and the Council seems well-protected.”

Man, she is every bit as terrifying as the storybooks and rumors tell. Actually, no, they don’t do her presence justice.

The King nods. “Very well, if Rene and Levi also agree to it, that will be the final factor I need to decide for her to join,” Ezekiel says.

Okay, I noticed a keyword that I haven’t picked up before. All three speakers have mentioned joining. Join what, exactly, the army? I try to speak up, but the black-haired girl blurts out her answer and stumbles over words like she can’t say them fast enough.

“Of course, I want her to join. We need new members on the Council, anyway.” That was her entire answer.

Wait, Council? Sakura mentioned that, too.

The King looks past Rene to a small, lanky boy in a fur cloak who wears leather armor much sturdier than mine. The armor makes me think he’s a ranger. The armor has gouges and is a dark green leather, and the brown cloak gives it away. He has a bow strapped to his back and a set of dangling keys on his belt loop.

“What are your thoughts, Prince of Rangers?” The King asks the boy, and he simply nods.

“If you believe her to be an asset to our team, then by all means, count my vote as a yes.”

The King claps. “That settles it then.” He looks at me and smiles.

“Welcome to the Council, Emelia”

“What? Wait? Nooo? What!” I stutter, trying to drag my words back as they seem to have run away.

The smile from the King doesn’t dampen.

“You’re not an official member until you take the test and vows,” Ezekiel says.

“Wait, but aren’t there nine already? I can’t join. I’d be the tenth member then.” My brain just can’t keep up, so it’s making up excuses to make sense of the mind-rupturing scenario.

All smiles in the room drop. Ezekiel breaks the silence.

“This information does not leave this room, Emelia.” Ezekiel looks at me, and the semblance of the kind king is gone.

“What is it?” I gulp, my heart pounding in my chest.

Four years ago, one member of the Council of Nine died during one of his missions.

My heart drops. Ezekiel continues.

“This is hard to say,” Ezekiel says. He sighs and takes a breath in.

“A year ago, three of the council defected to the Now Phoenix Embers.” The King’s eyes drop to the table and don’t look up.

“Wait, what! Three of the Nine are with the Embers?”

“Yes, but for now, my spy network and a few of the coalition’s strongest assassins are pursuing them. Luckily, they don’t know top-secret info, but they have enough to do unwanted damage.” Ezekiel sighs.

“Do not fret, Emelia. Just know we welcome you.” He gives me that famous smile.

“Your test starts tomorrow with a mock battle,” he says, picking up his crown and putting it on.

“Tomorrow. Why so soon?” I ask.

“Don’t worry, Emmy, you’ll come with me to my clinic, and I’ll make you as good as new for tomorrow’s battle.”

“Rene, right?” I ask the girl’s name, and she smiles sweetly.

“Correct.” She answers.

She seems nice.

“Alright, I guess I’m in your care, Rene.” I stand up and bow.

A hint of red tints her dark cheeks.

“Whoa, silly, no need to bow to me. Helping those in need is my job.” She scratches the back of her head.

*Clap*

The clap adjourns the meeting.

“Before we go, Ezekiel. Why me?” Everyone stops and looks at me.

The King looks at me and laughs.

“Oh my dear, you are perfect for the Council. Now that I confirmed you’re innocent in the attack, having you join the Council is a blessing.” I crook my eyebrow at him.

“Me, a blessing?” The words of that woman echo in my head.

A mistake, she said.

“Very much so, Emelia. You’re a Wind Elemental, aren’t you?” The King asks me.

I just nod. “Yes, how did you know that?” Another smirk.

“Emelia, do you need to ask that? He also crooks an eyebrow.

Right, he is the King and all.

“Very well,” I say.

“If I’m also correct, there’s more to you than just your Elemental magic, correct?” Behind his shining royal eyes, he is not asking a question, but wanting confirmation of something he already knows.

I’m uncertain. “Wind magic is all I can use currently,” I tell the king.

“I’ve always just used wind magic. What kind of question is that?” I ask Ezekiel.

He shakes his head and smiles.

“Oh, don’t listen to the crooning of an old man.”

Rene clears her throat. “Elemental magic is the rarest form to be born with. I can’t wait to study your aura at the Hospital!” Rene says, her voice peaking at a high squeal.

The King clears his throat.

“Before Rene gets into one of her tangents, you all may go. But, Emelia, get plenty of rest for tomorrow. You will be in a one-on-one battle against the Council’s strongest.” I nod to him.

“Right, a test of strength that makes sense.”

Janet would do the same to the new guards in the city and have them face the city’s most robust.

The strongest!

“Oh, no.” My eyes grow wide.

The King grins.

“Yes, tomorrow you face Alva, so be ready.”