The Queen’s place seems much bigger on the inside. Inside is a simple home with cute red curtains made with fine silk on the windows. I can tell by the feel of their texture. Pictures of Slyphans line the walls up to the throne. They are all in armor or other various war attire. Some brandish swords, others magic, and some use the Wind Element.

The Throne of the Queen of The Slyphans is at the end of the home. She is beautiful, and that’s honestly the best way for me to describe her. Except it’s a natural beauty, not like Lady Tyvor, who is gorgeous, and, I mean, stupidly beautiful. It’s as if someone carved Lady Tyvor from stone, creating her to be perfect. Queen Venus looks as if she naturally grew into her beauty.

With dark, long black hair, small jade green eyes flicked with specs of a golden luster, and a suit of silver armor that fits her form, it’s not skin tight, but I’d say it looks good on her muscular frame. It also makes her look intimidating; she has a red cloak tied around her neck that sits on her shoulders. A large golden bow and a quiver full of arrows sit beside her, right within reaching distance. Her armor goes to her hands.

The armor begins at round steel shoulder pads, then ends at pointed tips to give her claws. What is strange is she is not giving off any magical pressure. She has to be suppressing it. The Queen is talking to a guard, so she seems to have yet to notice the group. Or she has and is just ignoring us.

When we reach the edge of the throne, she finally waves the guards off. They all rush through doors and other entrances.

Then she turns to stare directly into my eyes. Then, all at once, I feel a pressure beginning to build from her. It’s like she’s opening my soul up like a cork in a wine bottle. The room spins, and I fall over, dizzy. My head spins and spirals like on a windy day. I put my hands over my eyes to stop the room from flying away.

“Emmy! Are you okay?” Rene rushes over to me, checks my eyes, and does other stuff, then nods.

“Looks like you just got dizzy. Probably from the battle.” Rene says while checking me out.

I shake my head to shake away the magic.

“No, she did something. She tried to read me, but her magic was too much.” Rubbing my eyes, I stretch and take Rene’s hand to have her help me stand up.

“I apologize, Emelia, but I sensed your elemental magic and had to see if it was truly my gift branded on you. What lovely news for you it is, or I would have sent your cursed soul off my lands.” Her tone is sincere but firm.

“All of you, please, if you wish to have my aid, then I ask all of you to enter that room behind my throne while I talk with Emelia.” Turning, I look at my crew, and they all look at each other and collectively nod.

“If anything happens, Emmy yell,” Rene tells me with a small smile.

When they walk to the door, it shuts behind them, and the Queen smiles. Alva still stands beside me.

“You and I can talk later, okay?” Venus smiles at Alva.

With a nod and those last few words, Alva disappears behind the door. The room is all but silent now. Except there’s a fire crackling softly in the fire pit. The Queen smiles at me warmly.

“Alva is such a wonderful human. She’s so powerful I wish she’d join me. I could rule the world with her by my side.” She smiles a crooked grin.

I lift my eyebrow.

The Queen smirks and waves her hands. “Have no fear; I would never do that.”

My senses are going wild. Even while they’re closed, I can feel the queen’s power pushing me to my knees.

“Emelia, do you wish to know your Fate?” The pressure from her aura relents. I stand up and stretch.

The Queen sits with her elbows on her knees, chin resting in her hands. Like she can read the questions burning inside me, she can. It’s not even a question.

The Queen nods. “You will destroy the world.”

“Why?” I have heard this line so often that it is the only thing I can say now.

Tears well up. I can feel my knees ready to buckle under the weight of the feelings in my chest again..

“Fate is a fickle being or nexus; either of those names works. Emelia, your Fate was determined when the first sin was committed. You are the only human whose Fate came before Fate itself. A mistake to be accurate.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

There’s that word again, a mistake. Those words that came from the woman and Jonathan came back to me.

You are a mistake—a blight upon this world. Darkness incarnate a creature that should have never been born. You must die so the world can continue—how it was supposed to.

“You are the greatest mistake this world has ever known. Due to the will of the Phoenix, you shall die.”

My mind threatens to break as I fall to my knees. Then I feel a hand on my shoulder. Looking up through my tear-filled eyes, the Queen has a soft look in her deep and crystal green-colored eyes. I get lost in those gigantic eyes of hers. It’s like I’m walking in a field of soft green grass. It brings me comfort.

“All humans have to come to understand. Humans or any living being can try to run from or ignore their fate, but it will always win in the end. It is folly to try, though many have.” She looks out a window at a at a small patch of red flowers.

“But no one has changed their Fate yet.” She smiles.

“I hope you will be the first.” She helps me to my feet by bending over to reach her hand. I take it, and she effortlessly pulls me to my feet.

I can feel the crushing of despair, but then the Queen smiles a bright, beaming smile that seems to rinse away the grief like a small cool stream rushing over me.

“Fear not, Emelia. You shall become something greater than human when your Fate comes to pass, but not yet. Your Fate may be to destroy the world, but that will be the beginning of your ascension.” She says, and the energy she gives off is cold, like she is ready for me to become this monster.

“Can I change it?” I ask, no, pray she has an answer.

She shrugs. “I hate having my future set in stone. But maybe Alva is right, and it’s impossible to beat Fate.”

I feel hope finally wash away before that smile of hers comes back.

“But I have a theory.” Venus stands next to me. I have to crane my neck to see her staring down at me.

“If you can’t change fate yourself. Then surround yourself with the strength to stop the impending doom.” The Queen smiles sadly.

When she leans down to make eye contact with me, I start to crumble.

She wipes the tears away from my eyes. “Oh, child, you may not know this, but I used to be good friends with Dominic.”

That name makes me snap my head up to look at her. “You knew my grandfather?“

“Yes, for many years, your grandfather was good to my people during the civil war. He saved many of them from certain doom, so I shall provide you this minor comfort for your bleak future.”

The Queen walks up to her throne, sits, and waves me closer. I oblige her and walk up to her throne. She motions for me to lean forward, and then I do. Her cool palm touches my forehead, her voice resonates through the room, and pictures flood my brain.

“Find Dea.”

That’s all it said; the pictures of a pale skin and dark-haired girl in a doll-like dress surrounded by bones and the Rising of an undead army all come into my mind. Her eyes glow a dark amethyst.

“Find her, Emelia. She could be a vital ally to help change your Fate and the world’s.” Then she stands up, pulling me to my feet.

“What was that city? Who was that girl?” Venus shrugs.

“A century ago, the First Titan delivered that message to me. I do not know what any of it means. Hopefully, I helped satisfy some of your questions and brought you a small reprieve.” She stands up.

“I feel that you’ll cross paths with Dea soon. She’s deeply tied to this world’s Fate and yours as well. Now, let us call your friends back in.”

Venus hugs me and it kind of reminds me of my grandfather, who always smelled like a cool breeze mixed with salt water. Venus smells like a warm, windy day with a hint of freshly trimmed grass.

She releases me, and I step back.

“You all may return.” The door opens, and they all come to stand by my side. Rene is right next to me.

“You okay, Emmy?” She seems concerned.

“Yeah, I-I’ll be fine?” She sighs.

“Fine, be stubborn. I’ll make you talk, eventually.” She doesn’t say anymore and turns to face the Queen.

“Queen Venus, we wish to conscript your best soldier to join The Keepers,” Alva says, her voice loud and firm. She bows to the Queen.

“Bahaha! The mighty Alva bowing to me is so funny. I appreciate the gesture, but it is unnecessary.” A smirk.

“You may have my strongest if you help me with one thing.”

Alva raises an eyebrow."What would that be?"

The Queen’s eyes turned serious as she declares, “In one week, an attack will be launched on my village. I require all of you to be prepared to defend my people when the time arrives.”

“Wait, what?” I say.

“Yes, I’ve known it since our original downfall during the Civil War.” The Queen’s eyes glisten over, showing the small bit of care in the powerhouse.

“Tell me, Venus, is it Zara?” Alva’s molten red eyes simmer with anger just at the surface.

Venus nods, and Rene gasps."What? I thought he died when you fought back during the Civil War?"

Venus sighs." We fought, but Zara was almost impossible to take down completely. I ended up having to bury him under thousands of tons of rock. Enough to keep him there for years or until he digs himself out. Which he did two years ago."

Alva takes a deep breath. “Is that the reason most Sylphan villages have been eradicated and their inhabitants killed in recent years?””

“Wait, is Zara the reason this is all that’s left of your kind?” I blurt out, surprised. The Queen avoids my eyes.

“Yes, Zara is running rampant on my people because I can’t leave this village to stop him?” She says, her voice rising an octave.

“We will help you, Venn. After how much you’ve done for me and Alva, we have your back,” Rene says, her eyes locked onto the Queen.

“Yes, I shall help also,” Levi says resolutely.

“You know I have your back on anything, Venus. You helped save my mother back during the war, so I owe you,” Victoria says.

The Queen looks at me and Alva, then we look at each other, and both nod.

“Of course, Venus, we will also help,” Alva says.

The Queen nods and smiles." Excellent now, please. I have much to prepare before the day arrives, so if you could leave me be, Zeenix will lead you to your homes for the night."

We all turn to leave to see a towering man of a Sylphan with bulging muscles, dark green wings, and yellow and brown eyes.

“Oh, Alva, please stay behind. We have much to discuss.” Alva stops and waves us on.

Well, what an interesting day, and the battle will soon come again. Will this be my whole life from now on, just constant fighting?

I think about it, and something in me quivers with excitement at the prospect of watching the Embers burn and writhe in their agony, which will be so sweet to my ears. With that thought, I head outside.