Veliane Tweneboah leaned back in the bed, the small room provided for her squad nested within the nobleman's fortress. It was better than she was used to all things considered, having become accompanied quite well with the dirt or mats that made up her bed most days.

It was a welcome relief, the cool air and the silence allowing her a time to relax. A time to think and meditate on those feelings that kept burgeoning in her mind, dashing themselves across the mental barriers that she had put up to try and distance herself from them.

But separating a human from feeling was the same as trying to separate a fish from water. The squire knew she wouldn't have been able to do it for long, but she had tried.

Allowing herself to calm down, she breathed deeply, and soon the black sands of her homeland greeted her, her form clad in a one-piece bathing suit made up of the bright beautiful colors of her homeland, the purple matching her eyes. A smile played on her face as she knelt down, feeling the way the sand spread between her toes and on her skin, the waves lazily pulling up and crashing against her while the sun bore down on her.

It was heaven, a false one that made up her mental palace, but a heaven all the same.

Veliane basked in the sun's light, but what was usually calming was starting to feel damning, like an anchor weighing her down. Her past stuck to the girl, calling her back like a soothing song, begging her to embrace it.

But she didn't think she could.

"I should've never gotten attached." Veliane spoke up, barely hearing herself over the roar of the warm waves. "But I have and I don't know what to do." She leaned up, grabbing one of the nearby shells and running her fingers over it. "Foolish girl. Stupid girl. I knew what I was getting into with this deal."

Four years of service to wipe away her brother's stupidity. Four years she would be off in a foreign land, barely knowing the language or the culture, only knowing what her father had taught her when he had taken him on his merchant trips.

Veliane had been alone at first, months passing by in the Ascean Knight Academy. The loneliness had been bearable at first...no, she was lying to herself. It had been miserable, unable to connect with the others since she hardly had a grasp on Ascean Basic and the culture.

She had been different, other, and Veliane had despised it. Her time had been spent in books, and in training, doing the bare minimum to get by so she could serve her time and go home.

When she had met her teammate, she had thought little of him. A bastard from a noble line, a Proudhill to be exact. A Human-Ornok mutt with little to his name outside of whatever power he could get his hands on.

Craeft was determined and decently powerful, she'd give him that. The squire had always given it his all, despite the insults from his noble-blooded cousin and the others. But he was alone like her, desperate for someone to give him a chance.

Veliane had, and had been rewarded with a boy that saved her life, taking care of a terrorist that would have killed her had he not been there. She had seen him as a friend then, but now...now she saw him as something more.

The feelings burned in her chest, begging to be let out but she quickly stomped them down.

She had no doubts that she was pretty. Back home, she would've simply been another girl, dark-skin and purple eyes being fairly common. Where she had come from, men sought women with lighter skin, the old sign of wealth having become culturally ingrained.

After all, women with paler skin were women that didn't have to work.

Skin-whitening potion sold like crazy back in the Thiatam Islands. She had even indulged a few times, but after coming to Ascea, she hadn't had access to it.

The natives were already pale. What use would whitening potion be to them?

So her native complexion shown through, and while she had despised it at first due to it making her different...Veliane had steadily grown to love it. Back home, she was just any other girl, but here?

Here she was exotic. Here she was a different type of beauty, one that had seen to catch the eye of her teammate.

Veliane wasn't a fool. She saw the sly glances, the way his eyes clung to her curves that were a bit different from the lither physique common among Ascea.

She had already caught his eye but...knowing it and actually talking about it were two different things. Whenever she came close to spilling her souls to him, of baring the feelings she had kept welled up inside her...she froze.

The merchant's daughter remembered her father. How he would be so disappointed in her for not following his word, for not marrying someone of his choosing.

She was average back home, but her father was wealthy and she was the third daughter in a family of six. Her marriage would not be one of love, but one of family alliances and favors and money.

But that was what not what she wanted. Having tasted the freedom that came with making her own decisions, with having her own life outside of what her family wanted, she wouldn't let go of it.

She couldn't let go of it.

Veliane would be the one to choose who she loved, and she knew who that person was. She loved her family dearly, even honoring her father by taking on service in the knighthood to save his livelihood...but she also loved the man who had risked his life to save her.

She just wished she could tell him.

Perhaps she could ask Finguine about it, but she knew that was an effort in futility. The man was an Inquisitor, a man wrapped up in so many secrets that she couldn't even begin to tell where the man began and his secrets ended.

All she knew was that his past was painful and left it at that. He spoke more to Craeft, but that was because there was more of a bond between the two of them. Not that there wasn't between her and Finguine, but it was firmly student and mentor with them.

Finguine and Craeft...well, the sunny blonde had looked up to the man. Almost like a father, the teen eagerly absorbing all the man had to teach like a sponge. No matter how painful the training or how much he complained about it, even though he secretly relished the attention and praise, Craeft pushed through it.

It had been inspiring, even if it had been agonizing when her muscles protested against her, her magical core burning like a furnace as she pushed herself to the limit time and time again.

Veliane was no longer the scared little girl she had been in Krasnolovka. She would never go back to being that.

Now she was a strong squire, able to go against the minor Lusus that plagued the Ascean lands.

"If only I could bring that courage to bare in other aspects." A hand ran through her hair, violet eyes gazing out into the ocean as her fingers ran through her curls. She had always straightened it in the real world, but here...here she could be herself.

"Veliane...Squire Tweneboah!" The words rattled around her mental palace, a sigh escaping her lips as she closed her eyes. She opened them, her consciousness returning to the real world, and revealing Sir Finguine hanging above her.

"You're awake. Good." The Inquisitor smirked at her, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "You were using mental magics, weren't you? Your breath wasn't slow enough for you to be truly asleep."

The squire let out a groan as she leaned up in the bed, the old mattress letting out a few creaks and squeals as the weight rescinded. "You caught me sir." Veliane let out a yawn, stretching her arms behind her back. "But why did you have to knock me out of it? I was enjoying some nice sandy beaches rather than this...well..." Shithole wouldn't exactly be a polite thing to say, especially when in the nobleman's home. "wonderful place."

Finguine snorted, clearly amused as her tone positively oozed with sarcasm. "You know, it hurts that my squire would rather run off into her own mind rather than be with her squad. Really hits me right here." He placed a hand over his heart, his dark mithril armor shimmering under the touch.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Veliane shot back. Their relationship, while firm, did enjoy some more casual moments. She treasured them, as the man was usually all business. "But what did you need me for?"

"I'll be sending you and Craeft out to search for any evidence among the locals. Ask questions, record any suspicious activity, the works." His fingers tapped against his elbow as he crossed his arms. "The situation is precarious and we cannot afford another Nadia."

Veliane winced. Images of a flash of steel, of a sickening gurgle as the terrorist brought his blade down on the noblewoman, blood quickly pooling beneath her as Veliane lied on the ground, powerless to stop it. Damir had been a mad dog, one that had spelled disaster on their first mission. They had barely proven victorious against the man, but the terrorist had claimed a life they had been tasked with protecting.

The noblewoman may not have been the nicest person she and Craeft had met, but Nadia hadn't deserved to be slaughtered in the street like a dog.

No one did.

"It will not come to that," Veliane said. "I swear on the honor of my family that these Archonists won't lay a finger on the nobility here."

"You sound like your teammate." Sir Finguine replied, eliciting a slight grin from the girl. "But I believe you. I don't train failures, which mean you must not be one." She preened at the compliment. "But remember, if you see suspicious activity, record it and report back to me. Do not engage, do you understand me?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Yes sir." Veliane affirmed, Sir Finguine's shoulders slumping in relief, as if a great and terrible weight had been lifted off of him. The way he acted, this might be a bit personal for him.

"Good. I'm rather knowledgeable on these cretins. Been faced with them more than I'd like to admit." Sir Finguine scowled. "They won't stop at anything to hurt you. They'll stoop to any lows, even trying to convince the people that are precious to you to join them, or even you. It's all lies, Veliane. Remember that."

Finguine turned towards the doorway, the concrete room feeling colder as he spoke. His words were filled with an icy rage that seemed to fester over years, hatred slowly heating up and thawing it as he talked.

"These people...they sided with the Lusus and have forsaken their humanity. No matter how honeyed their words, they will not hesitate to drag you down with them." Sir Finguine paused. "Nor would they hesitate with your teammate either."

"What are you saying?" Veliane's tone was quiet, but in the silent room, she may as well have shouted.

"...Most of your opponents have been Lusus, and unlike your teammate, I know you have an aversion towards killing." A sad smile spread across his face. "It's not bad. It makes you human," The unspoken 'Unlike me' tore at her heart. "but when you see them...do not hesitate."

"I..." Her mouth felt dry. Craeft had been the one to slay Damir. She had only wounded him. What had he meant by her teammate though? Craeft had seemed pretty hesitant when he had killed the terrorist. Was there something her teammate was hiding from her? "I will, sir."

"That's all I ask of you." Sir Finguine nodded his head at her, before leaving her alone in her room.

The chill he had left her with didn't dissipate with his absence as she tossed and turned the whole night.

The next day had Veliane wandering through the streets of Reumara, clutching her pink scarf tight to her face. Hot it may be, but she was used to the biting salt of the ocean back home and more recently, the chilling bite of Ascea. Not the moist heat and slight hint of rot that clung to the place like a second skin.

"Gajju w'gaqa w'qetajaq!" The words were guttural, higher pitched than any human she'd ever heard. Veliane saw the source of the voice, the non-human sitting behind a wooden stall as it tried to entice humans to spend their hard-earned crowns. The creature stared directly at her, it's pale blue-skinned face lit up in a smile that practically dripped with greed. "You don't look like you're from around here traveler. Why not come take a look at my wares? You might even find something you like."

It was clear the creature, female if the sexual dimorphism proved true, was a being of avarice, but she could work with that. She was a merchant's daughter, used to making deals and getting the best her money could buy for the least amount of it.

Even better, a non-human most likely wouldn't have much loyalty to the small town. The being's lips would be looser, with a few bronze crowns of course, and Veliane would have all the information she needed.

Hopefully.

As she got closer, the being became a bit clearer. The being wore a fine dress that ended far above her knees and revealed plenty of skin. What was stranger was the material. If her eyes didn't deceive her, Veliane swore the material was made of mushroom fibers, the mostly white clothing having splotches of red with white polka-dots near the ends of it.

What she had previously thought to be horns atop its head was instead, an intricately carved mask that rested atop her forehead and held bright orange hair back. Almost hypnotic spirals were cut into four eyes, two on each side, while a mouth full of gnashing teeth sat in the middle.

"I see your eyes are drawn to my Vuij Kevm." The creature clicked her tongue. "Er, excuse me, soul mask as it's said in your tongue." The creature grinned, a few of her human-like teeth covered in a shiny grey material. "Unfortunately, it's not for sale. Both because my people would execute me for making one for a human, and because your people would execute me for heresy." She shrugged. "But I have plenty of other things that may interest you."

"Maybe." Veliane left the statement open, allowing for the creature to believe she had a customer on her hands. In a way, she did. The Squire simply wouldn't be buying goods. "Depends on what you have."

"Well, depends on what you want." The creature shot back, her large ears twitching slightly as the grin spread across her face. "The great Ujotoe has many potions for sale, some of the finest a Basidiom potioneer such as I can provide." Ujotoe's fingers danced across the corks of the potions. "Most are Basidiom. Potions to heal wounds, potions to fix burns. Back west, especially on the front, these potions would go for a premium!" She inched closer to Veliane, the shorter non-human's eyes the color of gold. "But for you, I may be able to offer you a deal."

"Hmm," Veliane gave a non-committal grunt. Best to keep the...Basidiom, as Ujotoe called herself, on her toes. "And what if I wanted a very specific potion, one having to deal with...say, Lusus?"

Ujotoe tensed minutely, the smile she had plastered across her face beginning to slowly turn downward. "W-well I certainly have ones that could prove harmful to such creatures. Flammable ones to reduce them to ashes! Icy ones to freeze them in place! Even ones that could allow you to beat them to death with your bare hands for a short time...with side effects of course." Ujotoe muttered something beneath her breath about "no liabilities", the squire making a note not to try those concoctions. "For whatever your potion needs, The great Ujotoe shall provide."

"...All of them?" Veliane leaned onto the stall, the wood creaking slightly as her armored form bared down on it. A droplet of sweat ran down Ujotoe's forehead, her eyes dilating slightly as violet eyes stared down at her. "I don't believe that's all of them. In fact, I believe you're withholding information from me, and I don't purchase anything without knowing exactly what I'm getting into."

"I would never do that." Ujotoe lied through her teeth, her small fingers gripping the edge of the stall so tightly that the pale-blue skin became a light grey color. "The great Ujotoe would never lie to a potential customer, and a beautiful one, I might add, like yourself."

"Then you certainly haven't been withholding any information about certain Lusus potions to me, would you?" Veliane narrowed her eyes. "You can butter me up all you want, but I know when someone is trying to cheat me, and I hate being cheated."

"...Hizm." Ujotoe hissed out, the temporary flare of anger dying down till there was nothing but defeat. Her shoulders slumped as she asked in a far less boisterous voice. "You promise you won't sell me out to the enforcers? Word gets out about what I'm doing, I could end up hanging from a noose."

"You have my word." Veliane replied, gaining a nod from Ujotoe in return.

"Good." A sigh escaped the Basidiom's lips, the color seeming to drain from her skin as she tapped a small rune on the side of her stall. The noise around them seemed to turn fuzzy, like static through a radio as the voices of the village folk became distorted.

Veliane sent a questioning glance towards the basidiom, the small blue non-human simply shrugging in reply.

"It's useful for making deals without all the racket." Ujotoe clarified. "As for what you want to know...there has been some strange characters coming around my stall. At first, they were really nice to me, buying wonderful potions from the great Ujotoe, but...then things got weird."

"What do you mean by weird?" Veliane asked, feeling a weight settle into her stomach as the basidiom continued on.

"Well, they began to threaten me and I just had to comply you know." The non-human grinned up at her uneasily. "I'm not strong enough to fight back against them, and there were so many. They said if I didn't work with them then I'd end up in one of their rituals and s-so I sold them some potions. M-medical ones..."

Veliane's mouth was dry, her hands shaking as she thought of all the ways that could go horribly wrong. Concoctions used for keeping people alive in rituals that would cause excruciating pain if their victims were any indication...she pitied the poor souls that had wound up as fodder for their demented magics.

"I wasn't the only potioneer they contacted. T-they have a couple more throughout the village that they've strong-armed too. They threatened them, just like they did me!" Ujotoe's voice was rising, becoming more and more hysterical as she went on. "I-I don't want to die, valued customer! It was already so hard after the banishment and I just wanted to start a new life here-"

"Easy, easy." Veliane tried to soothe the basidiom, Ujotoe quieting slightly as her breath began to even out. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you." The squire wasn't sure if she could back up those words, but she would try. "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"No, that's all I know." Ujotoe replied. "Please don't tell anybody. Please. I'll throw in this book for free!" She threw a book at Veliane. "Twenty Medical Potions for Beginners, written by yours truly!"

"You really don't need to..." Veliane said, only for the basidiom to shake her head, the fiery orange hair swaying as she did so.

"Consider it a gift! Yes, a gift to make sure that you treat me with the same kindness I treated you, okay?" Ujotoe was desperate. Scared. Veliane could understand that. She had been the same way for a while.

The squire thanked her, pocketing the book before pulling out her crown card. "For your services." Veliane affirmed.

"T-thank you! You are so kind!" Ujotoe held up her own crown card, a fine golden mist emanating between the two items as the transaction was underway. The clunky hunks of metal let out a light beep, signalling the confirmation of the sale as Veliane quickly shoved it back into her pocket. "The great Ujotoe will not forget this kindness! I will...will..."

Ujotoe's eyes widened in fear, her small form quivering as she stared at something behind Veliane. The squire turned, spotting a bearded figure entering a nearby alleyway.

Veliane knew this was her chance. Trailing the man could provide Sir Finguine with the information he needed to lead them against the cult and allow them to extinguish these Lusus worshipers.

The squire just had to be careful. The Lusus were abominations, and those who worshiped them were probably the same.

She could do this. The violet-eyed girl had trained hard for over a year to gain the strength she had now.

Failure was not an option.

As she began to follow the man, her fingers tightened around the ball bearing in her pocket, small barriers forming along her fingers. Veliane had mastered her barrier spells, the few she knew, turning them into deadly weapons that she could whip out in the blink of an eye.

Her footsteps crunched against the soft dirt, the earth beneath seeming to part with each step as she trudged after the man. He was quick, far quicker than his large frame should allow, nearly a ghost at times as he moved through the alleyways like a phantom.

But she had been trained by an Inquisitor. Loathe as she was to stay in the profession once her time was up, barring the reasons such as good pay and benefits, Veliane had taken what Sir Finguine had taught her to heart.

"It's adorable, really." Veliane halted in her tracks as she came to a clearing, a small communal park laying in front of her. "Thinking you could sneak up on me. Maybe a couple years ago I'd fall for it, but...well, time teaches us all valuable lessons, doesn't it?"

Veliane reeled, rolling to the side as a large hand grabbed the air where she had stood. The cloaked figure grinned, pearly white teeth shining through the darkness of his head, along with glowing purple eyes.

"Ooh, you have violet eyes too!" He stepped forward, the runes along the outer edges of his cloak alighting in a nightmarish lavender. "You know, that's a sign of Lusus worshipers. I wonder who it was in your family that decided to learn the truth."

"No one in the Thiatam Islands would lower themselves to worship those creatures." Veliane spat back, barriers circling across her finger as a ball bearing began to rapidly rotate within the spell.

"Thiatam Islands huh? Place used to be full of them before they tried to bury that "shameful" past." The man shrugged, Veliane feeling sick rise from her stomach at the way his bones popped and ground against each other, creating a cacophony of horrific cracks. "You probably aren't going to listen anyway. Not many do when confronted with the Grand Truth."

"I don't care to hear the truth from a bunch of Lusus worshiping freaks. Now," She aimed a finger at him, the deadly spell beginning to put off heat as the ball-bearing glowed red hot. "Will you surrender, or do I need to make you?"

"...Make me."

The ball-bearing seared through the air, leaving a trail of ionized oxygen behind it. Her spell functioned used conflicting barrier spells to send projectiles at ridiculous speeds, a far cry from the weaker Bystro Bayerni spell she had used long ago.

The results spoke for themselves, a dinner plate sized hole appearing in the man's chest where his heart would be. Blood gushed out of the wound in a thick, putrid river, bits of intestines and organs leaving the wound.

Then...then the nightmare began. The flesh began to glow purple as it reformed, the still-beating heart reappearing in his chest as muscle and sinew repaired itself, knitting back together with a chorus of pops and tears.

The man smirked at her, towering over her as he threw off his cloak, revealing the horror underneath.

"Cute. Now let me show you what I can do, little squire."