Fire burns around me, screams slicing through the night air like sheers to a sheep’s wool. Lucy stands before me, a wall between me and the woman with the starlight-colored eyes and me. Lucy looks back at me, her signature smile on full display.

“Don’t worry, Em. She’s nothing. I’ll take care of her and the cronies.”

I shake my head. “Lucy, no! We should run away and leave; they killed everyone and your mother! We don’t stand a chance!”

Lucy shakes her head. “I can’t leave Em. These guys are too dangerous.”

She turns to face the woman with yellow eyes. “Also, I need to give you time to escape.” She smiles, showing her carefree smile, even face with certain death.

“You need to live, Em; you have a tremendous destiny in front of you after all.” Lucy’s aura activates.

I can feel that she activated her third limiter. Officially, the clock in her life force has begun to burn away. She has opened all the limiters on her metacore, allowing for an immense surge of mana to be absorbed for her to use. Her Aura is ocean blue, beautiful, unpredictable, strong, and nothing but uncontrollable rage.

“Lucy, no!” I scream so loudly my throat feels like it’s bleeding.

With another beaming smile from my best friend, the black ocean waves rise hundreds of kilometers. Casting a daunting shadow over the entire city. Even when faced with certain death, she smiles.

“We will see each other again. I don’t know how or when, but we will. Just wait for me, okay?” Then the ocean unleashes its wrath. No! Lucy’s wrath.

“Lucy!” I shout.

I shoot straight up from my nightmare. As I shoot straight up from my nightmare, a massive gust of wind blows from me, scattering things around the room and causing my magic to become uncontrollable. The windows are blown out and glass goes everywhere. Then two hands push me down.

“Whoa, Emmy, chill out, girl.” Rene sits above me, hands on my shoulders. A calm feeling goes through my body as Rene’s magic flows through me. “Breath, girl, Deep breaths,” Rene says.

I take two deep breaths, my nerves calm, and my mind relaxes. “S... sorry, nightmare,” I say, and Rene nods.

“Yeah, it must have been a bad one. You were thrashing something awful. Not to mention the wind gust you just made.” Rene pushes hair from my face and behind my ear.

“Sorry about that.” Rene waves it off and tries to fix the hair in my eyes.

“How are you feeling?” She asks me, meeting my eyes.

“Fine, besides that nightmare and what I just went through,” I say, and Rene nods.

“Perfect, your legs feel up for a walk?” Rene hops up from the bedside.

While swinging my legs off the bed, my eyes catch where I’m located.

“Oh, we’re in a hospital.” Looking around at the small white-painted room with a large window on the far left side. Beds lined across the walls. Medicines are in the cabinet on the walls. You can see various colored bottles through the glass.

Rene smiles again. “Yup, this is my hospital. Your injuries were so much worse this go around I had to use the help of heavier equipment.”

“My injuries were that bad?” I ask.

She nods and rubs at her eyes and yawns. “I discovered when you were in surgery that the spikes had splintered in places and left shards in your muscle tissue. Removing all of them took a long time.”

My mind goes back to the attack, that smile on the prince’s face, and the burning of a deep-seated hatred in those eyes made of fire. His smile will haunt me till the day I die.

“Was I out long?” I ask her, looking at the mess of the room I just made.

Rene nods her head. “Yes, it’s been a week.” Your injuries took a lot to fix and heal. I had to repair some of your injuries manually for them to heal properly.

Looking closer at her, I can see grey bags under her eyes. Her thick hair looks like an old bird’s nest. She also has stains on her lab coat. She must have used a ton of magic to heal me.

“You feel you’re up for a short walk to the castle?” She stands up and smooths out her coat. She looks around at the mess in the room and just shakes her head.

I swing my legs over the bedside, stand up, and stretch a little. “Yeah, I think I can manage.”

Rene smiles. “Good, your armor is in the closet over there.”

She points to a grey locker. “Get dressed. Meet me outside. I am sure Zeke and everyone will be glad to know you’re okay!” She doesn’t say another word as she leaves the room.

I follow her out of the room. Rene and I walk through the city, and I notice a few things.

“Hey, Doc, how’s life?” A random man with a stubbly chin asks. Rene waves but tries to stay clear of his outreached hand.

“Doc, how’s the clinic?” A random female in a white dress asks. She also tries to go up and shake Renes’ hand. Rene spins around her and waves back to her. Rene doesn’t answer anyone who tries to shake her hand or interact with her. She keeps giving them nods and dodging their touch when they try to shake her hand or kids who recognize her try to hug her.

“You’re quite popular,” I say.

Rene’s smile fades.

“Yeah, being the most famous doctor around the kingdom has its perks.” She says, but she doesn’t seem as chipper as usual.

“But you don’t seem to be happy about the attention. Why?” I ask.

We reach the gate that leads to the path to the castle. The guards open the gates for us, and we head up.

Rene finishes her thought. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice to have the attention. I love it.” Rene’s lost smile says otherwise.

Why does her positivity seem so forced? It’s so strange. She is always so perky, but her eyes are always glassy. The two of us go silent as we walk to the castle. A moment later, we reach the door to the castle. That giant Baxter from before stands guard.

“Scared girl from before returns,” Baxter says, his voice shakes the ground.

I slink away behind Rene, and she sighs.

“Sorry, Baxter, she’s been through a rough patch with a giant before. It’s not your fault.” Rene says.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Baxter nods. “Mmm, yes, Mistress Sakura came and told Baxter the truth,” Baxter says.

I stare at the giant. He doesn’t stand anywhere close to as tall as the king did. The Giant King was close to seven hundred centimeters tall, or taller than Baxter is, maybe three hundred and fifty centimeters or more.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be scared,” I say, looking up at the giant, trying to meet his glowing pasture-green eyes.

His cracked lips curve into a smile. “It okay, small girl, me understand. Me no like Giant King neither.” He says with a huff.

I nod, and Rene smiles. “Great, now that you two are all patched up, let’s head inside, Emmy.”

Baxter waves goodbye with his free left hand and a massive halberd in the other. Rene and I enter the Council room door and see it has multiple people inside. At the round table sits Alva, Levi, Evan, Lamden, a pudgy older man with wispy gray hair who wears a white robe, a man with a green tunic, and two men both in armor with erupting volcanoes and fallen ash stitched into the thread of their tunics.

“Emelia, glad to see you are doing well.” The king bows slightly at me.

I bow back and sit at the table by one of the men with the volcano on their armor. The man has an ashy smell to him like he hangs out by too many campfires. Or is it more of a sulphuric scent? Not exactly sure of the answer?

Rene grabs the chair to my right, and we wait for the king to speak.

“Okay, thank you for arriving, messengers of the four kingdoms.” The king says, and all men nod.

“As I said in the E-Chants sent to your respective kingdoms, we must be ready for war against the Phoenix’s Embers.” The kings say.

One of the men in the white robe snorts. “Why should we worry about a ragtag group of traitors?” The plump man says.

The king smirks, then regains his composure. “You have not read the report yet, did you Vision?” The king looks at the man with steely eyes.

Blood pools up in the man’s pudgy face, making him look as red as a tomato. “I-I may have skimmed the surface of it.” The man named Vision hangs his head.

“These Embers have all risen from the dead. One such member is The King of Giants Oto.” The king pauses. Looking at everyone in the room.

A gasp from the messengers in the volcano tunic.

“Impossible. King Maxim of Karnm killed Oto a thousand years ago. States the man named Vision.

“I second Vision. Maxim and Oto fought to the end, taking with them the Karnm empire and its people.” The black-haired, smokey-smelling man says.

I get a good look at the Volcano with a cloud of ash and it’s raining down. I have never seen it and do not know which kingdom it represents.

“From the records held from the Dragon’s end period. Oto and Maxim died in the final years of Dragons End.” Ezekiel says like he’s reading off a card.

“Except we have a witness stating that she saw him.” Ezekiel points to me, and all eyes turn to me, and I feel myself sink below the table.

“This little girl saw the giant King and lived,” Vision says, his eyes close to popping out from their sockets.

“I concur; how does a child see the King of Giants and survive?” The man in the green tunic asks.

Ezekiel clears his throat. “She survived because Janet and Lucy Smite have fallen.”

The room goes silent.

“Those two were monsters themselves. That Janet and her ability to explode anything on touch is insane.” One of the ashen men states almost proudly.

“Can these Embers truly be so formidable?“ Vision asks, with eyes downcast.”

“If this is true, then this group may be more trouble than believed.” The man in the green tunic with a Large Tree and light and buildings in the branches of the tree. He writes some notes down in his journal. He has said nothing this entire time, just writing in a journal.

“I’m not sure what to do next. I will need a council with the Bishop.” Vision says sitting back in his seat, eyes stuck to the floor.

“We shall take your proposal back to our queen.” Both men in the ashen armor, as I shall call it, now stand.

“Very well, take the proposals and let your king and queens know I will hold a king’s council in two months, understood?” All men bow and shuffle from the room.

Ezekiel looks at me and smiles. “Emelia, now that the messengers are gone, time to fill you in on what’s happening with you and the war that’s coming.” He gestures to Levi, Evan, Alva, and Rene.

“Minus Lamden and myself, this group here shall set forth on a quest into Esterpine in search of capable wizards. Find me a group that can compete with these Embers.” The king says, his chest puffed out with pride.

I scratch my head." What do you mean?”

He sighs." You guys will search for powerful wizards who can help us fight and kill the Phoenix Embers." The king says.

I try to speak up again, but Evan cuts me off.

“Okay, you just want us to find people outside our ranks.” Evan nods to himself, now polishing his sword.

“It doesn’t have to be humans. Any species that can use magic can help.” Levi says, and Ezekiel points agreeing with him.

“Levi is correct. If you can convince any of the non-human kingdoms to help, I will allow it.”

“Sir, I am still against it.” Alva tries to speak up, but the king cuts her off with a slam of his fist against the table.

“Your concern is admirable, Alva. You and I both understand the populace’s thoughts of the old keepers. But we require a group on the same level as the Embers to stand a chance against them in the war.” The king says his words strictly and firmly.

Alva clenches her fist, her eyes locked with the kings in a dance for power. Alva breaks first.

She sighs. “Very well, Your Majesty, if it’s for the betterment of the kingdom, I will oblige. “Then she stands up, salutes, and disappears.

The king also sighs deeply, running his hand down his face. “She means, well I know that, but this is what must be done,” the king stands up.

I’m lost, so I raise my hand. “Sir, what are the Keepers?” The rest of the room all turn their eyes on me.

The king stands by a single window, looking down at the city.

“Many Years ago, when my father was The King. He had a group he ironically called the Peacekeepers. Their purpose was to address problems that hurt my father’s profits or standing.” Ezekiel says his voice is calm and mellow.

“Oh, I think Janet mentioned that the Mad King had a group of sorts at some point,” I say, racking my brain for any more info.

Rene speaks up. “Yeah, the old king used the keepers to kill and pillage all that good stuff. They gave that nickname to him for excellent reasons.”

Ezekiel speaks in a more aggravated tone. “Father didn’t keep them in check, sadly, so they did whatever they wanted. Killed, who they wanted, burned down cities if someone wronged them, stole from the rich or poor they were not fit for their name or to serve this kingdom.”

I can see the king’s hands shaking as he tells us the information.

“I see. So were they more of a menace than the protectors they were supposed to be?” I look at the group, waiting for a response to my question.

Rene nods. “They became a problem during the Civil War. Zeke here made it his top priority to end the original keepers."

I look at the window the king stands at, looking smaller than usual, wondering what it must have been like to fight for your kingdom. Especially if the man you were facing was your father?

Ezekiel claps his hands. “Alright, here’s what I want all of you to do.” The king turns around and sits back in his chair.

“Evan, I want you to head to Yintoro for a few weeks and find who you can. Then, after the weeks are up, head to Madrin City.” The king asks.

Evan speaks up. “What if I don’t have a recruit?” He asks.

“Then head to Madrin, anyway.” The king narrows his eyes at Evan.

“Evan, please, in Fate’s name, swear you won’t sleep with anyone of importance.” The king does not break his gaze from Evan.

“I’ll behave, but I can’t help if they come to me,” Evan winks at the king and flips his long hair back behind his ear.

“Good enough.” The king turns to look at the rest of us.

“Levi, Rene, Emelia, you guys will travel with Alva to Kukri mountain and visit with the Slyphans Queen,” Ezekiel says.

Oh, just go to Kukri mountains which seems fine, and meet the Queen of the damn Sylphans!

“I’m sorry, are we actually going to go to the Slyphan’s domain?” I ask, and the king nods.

“Yes, Queen Venus hopefully will join us in the fight against the Embers.” I stare at the king waiting for the joke, but he just smiles.

“But she’s one of the Four Titans. No, she’s the third strongest of the four. Why would she help us mere mortals?” I ask.

“Because the Embers threaten her domain as well. If the Cardinal kingdom falls, her domain collapses as well.” Ezekiel says.

Levi speaks up. “Venus relies on King Ezekiel to supply her with specialized medicine and parts. If we fall, she loses her supply; she doesn’t want that. So she will most likely help us for that reason alone.”

Ezekiel stands up once more. “Very good, Emelia, Alva, Rene, and Levi, you will all go to the Kukri mountains. Evan to Yintoro. If you have no further questions, please go home and enjoy your day.

The Council adjourned the meeting with that. After the meeting, Rene and I are walking back down the gravel path toward the city. Rene seems down.

“Rene? You okay?” Rene doesn’t look up at me. She keeps walking.

This time I tap her shoulder, and she finally responds.

“Emmy?” She asks me without making eye contact with me.

“Yes?” I ask her, my eyebrows raising slightly.

“Are you a good person?” Rene asks me, now making eye contact with me.

I take a step back without realizing it.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask her. My breathing rises slightly.

Rene places a hand on my shoulder. Rene looks at me, confused. I said I’ll make us dinner when we get home. Let’s go, okay.” Rene turns around and heads off.

I feel so disorientated for a second, then the voices of that woman and Prince Jonathan’s voice echo in my head again.

“You’re a blight, a mistake.”

My mind races and tumbles, trying to answer the question that will haunt me forever.

“Am I human?”

Then I set off after Rene.