“Stop being so tentative! Try to kill me!” Gai complains. He bears his sword in his hands. It points outward in a thrust motion just above his shoulders.

“You just said not to kill you a minute ago!” Nigel spits back. He brandishes a blade of his own.

“If it’ll make you fight better, go ahead!” Gai’s eyes alight with a violent passion. “It’s the final round! Let’s end it with a bang!”

Nigel grits his teeth. "Fine then!"

I laugh. “They’re so cute when they fight!”

Nigel and Gai launch another volley of attacks at one another. Explosions boom out. Gai effortlessly dodges them. Nigel deflects everything Gai throws at him. They’re evenly matched, but it’s all still fun to watch. It usually is. They get really hyped up when they fight each other. You might even call them friends now. Nothing else bonds men together quite like combat sports.

Nigel’s sword clashes against Gai’s. Gai makes a face. He backs up a mere second after contact as an explosion wrecks itself from Nigel’s blade.

“That was awesome!” Gai laughs. “You have been holding back!”

Nigel smiles softly. “So have you. You’re even quicker now.”

Both hold their swords in front of each other. The pressure in the air builds.

“Make out already!” I call from the sides like an erratic fan.

Nigel falls over slightly. He turns to me. “Stop interrupting us!”

“Sorry, sorry!” I raise a solemn hand. “You two were having a romantic moment. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Please, continue to smash each other with elongated objects.”

The other men in the yard with us laugh at my comments.

Gai allows me a curious look. “Pervert.”

“That’s my line, pervert.”

Gai rolls his eyes as he looks up into the sky. “Where is Alexander to share in this abuse?”

“There you are!” Remi drops down before us from the roof. With her abilities, she can fly a little, so the reveal isn’t exactly surprising to any of us. “Everyone, be calm when I say this.”

Those words alone send the area into silence. All errant conversations stop. The focus of the courtyard is entirely on Remi. Even Gai suppresses himself.

Remi looks between Gai and me. She focuses her gaze back on Nigel. “The Voiced of Brosnock has appeared in Water’s Bastion.”

Nigel’s eyes widen.

Gai recoils.

Commotion breaks out amongst the guards.

“What?” I ask.

“A Voiced?” Gai interrogates sharply.

Nigel says nothing. He tears off towards the castle. “I will head into town immediately! Grab who you need from here. Keep an eye on the Voiced. You have my blessing to use whatever means are at our disposal. Everyone here, listen to Remi! That’s an order. Am I the first you’ve told in the castle?”

“Yes. I thought it prudent to have you moving first,” Remi replies.

“I will inform Talbert, Van Gallan, and Baron Regal of the situation. We’ll prepare for any contingencies at the castle and in town.” Nigel points at Gai and me. “Talk to them.” He rushes into the castle with that final statement.

“Gai, you—”

Gai interrupts Remi. “I’ll keep watch over Scarlet.”

Remi nods. “Thank you. I must go.” She lightens her clothing and leaps into the air. She lands upon the courtyard roof and begins running across at insane speeds towards the barracks. Guards begin swarming out of the courtyard towards the front gates in mass.

Gai grabs my arm. “Let’s go.”

“Why is everyone so uneasy?” I ask.

“There are three Voiced on the entire continent, and one of them is a few minutes away. That’s not a good thing, Scarlet.” Gai pales. He begins leading Scarlet back into the castle. “It might come here. Best you stay away. It’s not like your father has any power over it.”

“So what? We’re going to hide out in my room?”

“Basically.”

“Basically, my ass!” I retort. “Have you ever seen a Voiced before?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?”

Gai hesitates. “…no.”

“Yes, you do! And so do I! Let’s sneak into town! Come on! This is a rare thing!”

Gai whips around. He pushes me against the wall. His face gets very close to mine. “Do you not understand how dangerous a Voiced is?”

“I know exactly how strange it is for a Voiced to be here,” I admit. “The fact that my father has his job and that our country is constantly on the edge of war is because Zalevet does not have a Voiced of its own. They’re basically living weapons.”

“Living weapons? That’s an understatement.” Gai grits his teeth. “Rarely anything is known about the Voiced except their deeds. Each country keeps their identities hidden. Only stories remain in their wake. Some of the tales are good and some are bad. It’s hard to gauge exactly what kind of people they are. There are no official books on them nor written accounts of their history. Voiced are living mysteries. They are granted full autonomy by each country to act in an independent capacity. They can go anywhere, do anything, and kill whomever they want. Their words are seen as the words of the Gods. If the Voiced deems it thus, it can destroy Water’s Bastion without any ramifications. Do you understand?”

“I understand, but I doubt that will happen. What would be the point?”

“You don’t know that wouldn’t happen.”

“You’re right. However, if the Voiced can destroy the entire town, are we really safe in this castle?”

Gai pauses.

“Exactly. What’s the harm?”

“I’ve been to Brosnock, Scarlet. There was a town I used to visit on the border. A nice place full of charm and life. There was a rumor that the place was being used as a staging ground for an assault on the nearest city, a place called Respite. I heard those rumors while I was there. Thought nothing of it. When I returned some months later, the town was leveled. Debris and bodies. No one had even come to bury the dead. I traveled quickly to Respite for a few days. Word is the Voiced of Brosnock leveled the place by itself. It conducted a few hours of investigation, deemed everyone guilty, and killed them. Everyone, Scarlet.”

A trickle of fear licks down my spine.

“Still want to go?” Gai questions heatedly.

“Kind of, but not as much.”

“I’ll take it.” Gai releases me from the wall. He drags me towards my room. “Bear with me. At best, we’ll be on lockdown for maybe a day. If the Voiced decides to come to the castle, your father will be forced to greet the person with open arms. They’ll live here, eat here, sleep here. They’ll get whatever they require. Food. Drink. Women. Men.” He peers towards me. “It’s best you never meet them. God forbid the Voiced is a man.”

My eyes widen slightly.

Everyone’s trying to protect me. My friends. Gai. Master Talbert. Why? Do I need protection? Do I seem that pathetic?

I get everyone’s fear. The power of the Voiced is not lost upon me.

They are spoken of only in hushed tones by the masses. We only know that they’re given free rein by every country to act as they see fit. They essentially serve as nukes, not that anyone on Tellus knows what a nuke is, but they work in the same way. If every country has a Voiced, there’s gridlock. The one with the most Voiced within their boundaries is seen as the “winner” in a sense.

But is that all true?

I want to know all I can about them like everything else in this world, be it human, animal, monster, or myth.

How does one become a Voiced? How are they more powerful than an average person who’s consumed a Divine Treat? Does a Voiced need to have already consumed a Divine Treat to become a Voiced? Can a Typical become a Voiced? Or only Admix? Or is it the reverse? How do Dyads fit into that category? Is being a Voiced even categorized in that way?

I want answers. I need them. My investigative nature is itching to discern the truth.

Gai is too tense right now for me to convince him. I’ll let him take me to my room for a bit. Maybe he’ll calm down. I can probe him later and get what I want.

•

Why can’t I get what I want?

It’s nighttime. Darkness has fully set upon the lands. The air is cooler than this afternoon, yet it is still sticky on my skin.

When we got back to the room, Gai was pacing and thinking while I sat at my desk and read, annoyed. After a while, Gai said we should go to bed on the conclusion that neither he nor I had any way of knowing if the Voiced would come to the castle today or at all.

So now I’m staring at the ceiling, in bed, waiting.

It’s too hot to fall asleep. I used to remedy that by sleeping naked, as my brain is still lusting after air conditioning. It’s my biggest complaint about this world. Now that I’ve got a guest staying in my room, I’ve got to wear clothes all the time. Well, I don’t have to, I suppose. If the pond is any indicator, nudity isn’t a prerequisite for assault. At least not with Gai. Still, I have morals. Instead, I sleep without covers as my mind harkens back to a world where my AC was permanently set to sixty-seven degrees, be it hot or cold out.

“You still awake?” I ask Gai quietly.

“Yes.”

“Dammit.”

“I knew it.”

“What?”

“You were waiting for me to fall asleep so that you could sneak out into town.”

“Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

“An independent woman who does things on a whim when the mood hits her? Yes, that’s exactly who you are.”

“Independent? Hardly. Are we getting married because we love each other, Gai?”

“No, but you found a way to marry the right person. You’ll fulfill your obligation to its minimum, then do what you want. Other people would have gone with the flow. You found another path. Good for you. If you weren’t as strong-willed, I’d have been able to sleep with you by now,” Gai remarks.

“That was both sweet and disgusting at the same time,” I mumble.

Gai chuckles. “That’s me.”

“Sadly.”

Gai isn’t going to sleep because he thinks I’ll sneak out. Well, he knows I will, especially now. That was my plan B. Now that’s foiled.

Somehow, I need to get Gai on board with me. I can’t incapacitate him. As much as I hate to admit it, if he were to fight me seriously, he’d beat me. Gai’s insanely quick. His sword work is spectacular. Plus, he’s stronger. Every fight I’ve had with him has resulted in something breaking in the castle, be it a wall or…mostly walls. This little act of rebellion doesn’t need to have those kinds of risks.

Basically, we’re at a stalemate.

Okay, how do I convince him to do something for me?

Gai’s afraid. That’s to be expected. Nigel and Remi seemed terrified as well. I’m not. Maybe that’s due to a lack of context on my part, I’ll admit that, but I’m not going to be held back.

Maybe I can—

Oh!

I made him dress Alexander. How did I do that? I think I lied to him about sex.

Flirting? Would that really work more than once?

Admittedly, it won’t be as hard as it would have some months ago. Gai and I spend so much time together. His constant, insistent nagging about sex along with his crude jokes have really numbed me. Plus, with the now dozens of drunken make-out sessions he’s initiated on random nights, I’ve gotten over the whole barfing-after-kissing-a-guy thing. I always break them off immediately cause I’m not okay with them, but still—as the comparison goes, eat enough of something you hate, and eventually you gain a tolerance for it.

Gai really likes my body, obviously. He’d always mutter so when kissing me, touching different parts. I’d then push him away with light gift abilities, he’d slam into a wall, and it would all happen again a few days later.

Unfortunately.

Flirting would work. I’m certain. Could I do it though?

If I don’t, I’ll miss a rare opportunity to meet a Voiced, even if only from a distance. I want to talk to it, but I probably won’t be able to, so I’ve already settled for just looking.

I know people have a lot of thoughts on the Voiced. As for myself, I see them as the ultimate form of freedom. I think I envy them more than I could ever fear them. For that reason, they fascinate me. I must meet the Voiced of Brosnock. I must.

Can I set aside my conflicting morals to achieve an actual goal in reality?

“Fine. I can muster a little flirting,” I whisper gently. “Don’t puke. You’ve got this. Be exciting for once, Scarlet. Your life is so routine and boring right now. What’s the harm in trying to do something cool?”

Carefully, I rest my head on the massive pillow wall sitting between Gai and me. I peer at him with half-closed eyes.

“What?” Gai looks over at me. He raises an eyebrow out of pure curiosity. “You mad at me or something?”

“Or something,” I mutter.

Gai sits up. The top sheet falls from his shirtless, well-toned top half. I used to be impressed, but I’ve seen it so much at this point that I’m numb to it like everything else about him.

“Scarlet, I’m not taking you into town,” Gai realizes my intentions immediately.

Dammit. Okay, I can’t half-ass this, can I?”

A large robe sits over my body. I press forward over the top of the pillows. My chest presses against them, creating a gap in the robe showing plenty of cleavage. Gai sneaks quick glances but tries to remain in eye contact with me.

I carefully trace Gai’s arm with my fingernails. “Don’t you want to meet the Voiced? I thought you were adventurous.”

Gods, my stomach is starting to churn.

Settle down, buddy. This isn’t that bad. You’re in control.

“Adventurous. Not an idiot. I don’t go seeking death,” Gai says. His voice is a little raspier now. His eyes linger on my hand as it grazes his skin.

“Who says we’re going to die? That sounds like a cop-out. It’s not like I want to go up to the Voiced and talk to it. That’s not my intention at all,” I half-lie. “Come on! Live on the wild side for a change.”

“That’s been my whole life, Scarlet.”

Gai moves slightly closer to me. I allow my fingernails to trace up his entire arm from his wrist to his shoulder.

“And yet you’ll cower now when this could be the most exciting adventure you’ve had to date.”

I lightly push aside the pillows between us. My body nuzzles next to Gai’s. My robe separates slightly, revealing a little more skin.

This is unfortunately getting easier.

I still don’t feel great, but it’s all mental. I don’t think I’ll vomit at all from this. That’s…troubling.

Is…Is this working?!

Why wouldn’t it?! It’d work on me! Or at least, it would have in my past life.

Have I discovered a new power to get things I want?!

Ha! Doubtful. I still hate it when people touch me, so I don’t see that going away any time soon.

Gai’s expression seems to soften. His hands reach out to touch me. He grabs my thigh while his other hand rests against my lower back. He leans forward into me. “You really want to go, don’t you?”

Nope! I’m feeling sick again. This is too much.

“I’ve wanted to meet a Voiced since I was five,” I whisper. My eyes droop. I open my mouth slightly. “Are you going to deprive a girl of her desires?”

Gai leans into me. “I’d be a fool to do otherwise.” His face gets closer to mine.

Shit, it is working!

Hahaha! Sucker!

“Then…we can go?”

“We can go,” says Gai in a silky tone. His lips are inches from mine. His hands move to separate my robe. He’s clearly not really listening to what I’m saying.

“Great!” I roll away from Gai immediately. My feet launch me out of bed. “Get dressed! We’ll go at once!”

Gai remains frozen in bed. His face is void of any emotions. “Shit.”

•

Dressed in nearly all-black attire, Gai and I gently rappel down from my bedroom window using my dark gifts.

“I was so close,” groans Gai as we land on the ground.

I dispel my gift and take off running towards the gate. My body hugs the walls as I keep out of sight. “No, you weren’t.”

Gai follows me from behind. “You manipulated me with your body.”

“I suppose I did.”

We arrive at the wall closest to the entrance. I use my abilities to latch onto it. Another tendril hugs Gai and me together. We are lifted into the air until we arrive at the top of the wall. From there, my tendril repels us down into the forest below.

“I didn’t know you had it in you,” comments Gai. “You rebuked all my advances to the point where I really was starting to think you only liked women. Guess I was wrong. I’m almost impressed.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“You’re not wrong, but thanks.”

“You didn’t gag. Usually, when I tease you, you start to get sick.” Gai beams at me. “You must be getting used to me.”

I frown. The two of us begin walking through the forest before meeting up at the main road some distance away from the castle. “I still wanted to puke. Don’t get ahead of yourself. I was just able to hide it is all.”

I feel breath gently hit the back of my neck. Gai gets close. Too close. “Yeah, you’re getting used to me.”

“Eee!” I peel forward quickly. My hand goes to the back of my neck. I look back at Gai with a wild expression on my face. “Don’t do that!”

Gai allows me a knowing grin. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Screw you!”

“You might at this rate.”

“Never!”

The two of us walk the main road like normal. Both moons are out tonight, full and beaming. Torches line the road as well. They’re lit and monitored by the night patrol. A thankless, scary job, I’m sure.

Rushing steps from behind cause us to panic.

Gai drags me into the forest. We hide behind trees.

Seven men in full armor make their way back up to the castle.

“Sir, are you sure we should be reporting back now?” says one of the guards to the odd seventh soldier leading the pack.

“We were told to report every hour in rotating shifts back to the baron. He requested as much, and we shall oblige,” the leader of the squad answers.

“We have nothing to worry about. The Voiced is helping. She is blessed by the Gods,” the soldier speaks again. His voice seems dreamy as if he’s stuck in a blissful trance. “Why does our baron fear her? The Voiced are not evil.”

“They are lawless. Their will goes above the government. Those with power to lose fear them,” the lead guard answers. “Now, hush. We will have no more of this kind of conversation. Our job is to report back, rest, then head back into town.”

“Sir!” the men say in unison.

The patrol passes.

“He seemed to like her,” I mention in reference to the first guard we overheard.

“He did. And we know it’s a ‘her’ now. Maybe she’s beautiful?”

“Is that all you care about?”

“What? Does that make you jealous?”

“Hardly.”

“Ha!”

We arrive at the edge of town. Lights create a glow in the sky. People are out in the street celebrating more so than usual. Food is abundant. Liquor flows freely.

“Have a drink!” Someone thrusts two mugs in our direction. “The Gods have sent their emissary to bless us with her presence!” He chugs liquor from a small bottle sitting in his pocket and then wipes the side of his mouth after draining the container. “Rejoice!”

Actions like that continue to occur. We’re given food, drinks, and gifts. Everyone is overly happy. Everything is shared. No one is greedy. Only laughter and joy are relinquished amongst the drunken masses.

“I hate celebrities,” mutters Gai. “but this is kind of nice.”

“The Voiced are celebrities now, are they?” I drink some mead, likely my fourth flagon for the night. My face feels flushed, but I’m pleased. “I thought they were mass murdering psychos? That’s the impression yougave.”

“Didn’t you realize opinions vary when you heard the guards talking?” Gai suggests to me. His eyes are droopy and his words are less precise.

“I didn’t really think about it if I’m being honest.”

“How about now that we’re in town?” Gai gestures around. He acts much like a street prophet in his mannerisms. “Do you sense something weird?”

“They’re celebrating the Voiced.”

Gai puts a finger on my lips. “Exactly! These are people who love the Gods. Why wouldn’t they revere the Voiced, seeing as they are viewed as the Gods’ wills made tangible in reality? Some are terrified of them. Others worship them. Their anonymity creates this inconsistency. Whether fear or reverence is the right answer...I’m not sure.”

Damn, he gets nerdy about the dumbest shit. Sometimes I forget he was raised as a noble since he is such a shithead most of the time.

“Gods this and Gods that. All stupid,” I slur.

“Hush now, child.” Gai’s eyes narrow. “You’re drunk.”

“Hopefully!” I laugh as more liquor falls down my gullet.

“You go from genius to carefree toucher when you’re tipsy.” Gai shakes his head. “And I still can’t get you.”

“Maybe I haven’t been drunk enough yet?” I suggest mockingly.

“Stop giving me hope.”

Walking through the streets, stalls have been published outside of buildings. They’re new. People are trying to make a buck on this Voiced incident. Smart.

A woman at a kiosk tries beckoning me over. “Would you like a figure, young lady?”

With my drunken mind, she succeeds.

A hand-carved figure of a woman sits before me. She wears robes made of what looks like dirt, plants, and water with clouds sticking to her skin. I pick one up. Whoever made this took a lot of time to do so. There are many of them, too.

“Who is this?” I ask, picking up the figurine.

“What? Never heard of the Goddess Tellus?” says Gai over my shoulder.

My nose crinkles. “That’s just the name of the planet.”

The vendor shakes her head at my ignorance. “Your knowledge of the Gods is lacking, child.”

The lady’s slightly wrong. In a deep desire to learn about my death, I studied up on all the relevant Gods of this world. When you wake up in a birdcage suspended in an endless sky, the idea of a higher power certainly comes to mind. Well, it did. Now I’m not so sure.

For a while, I heavily researched the topic since I definitely arrived in some sort of afterlife. I thought I met God, but I don’t know if that’s the case. It was likely a product of my mind playing tricks on itself in death. Even with this second life, I can’t definitively say there is an afterlife. All I know is that, when I died, I reincarnated with my memories. I don’t know if that’s the same for others.

I also don’t have enough evidence yet to believe in any form of deity. Some things just aren’t connecting with me. There are too many inconsistencies between life and death for me to say I know anything absolutely. “Reincarnation” could simply be a recycling process of the human soul done without any intervention from a higher power, and I’m an anomaly with memories.

What I do know is that whatever the people on this planet believe…they’re probably wrong given their lacking advancements in tech and culture.

Since the religion here is paganistic, I’d bet many if not all of the “Gods” here are simply Divine Treat eaters who accomplished extraordinary feats that were then passed down as myths. I do not really remember any of the Gods’ names or why they matter. They’re as important as a required art class in college. As in they aren’t. I know the bare minimum needed to survive and that is it.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize weakly.

I don’t want to argue about anything. The best way to avoid having to partake in meaningless fights is to accept the other side’s premise and move on. It’s not like I care.

“Don’t apologize for ignorance. It’s fixable. Apologize for never being willing to learn,” the woman reprimands.

“Then teach me. Is she our country’s favorite God or something? I thought it was Marx?”

The most I care to remember is that Zalevet’s God of favor is Marx. Not like Karl Marx. He doesn’t exist here. Marx was supposedly a trader between the Gods and humanity given deification for something heroic. I don’t remember what. It makes sense he’s our deity of choice, given that trade is our country’s life’s blood.

“Least you know something,” mutters the lady.

I frown.

“Marx is our country’s deity of worship, that is true,” the lady responds. She holds up the female figurine. “The Goddess Tellus is the one who created the earth, waters, and sky. It is why our world is named after her.”

I nod as the urge to roll my eyes is heavily suppressed. “Sure. Makes sense.”

Gai lightly jabs me in the side.

“As the Voiced so graciously visiting our town is from the nation of Brosnock, and their national deity is Tellus, these carvings are being sold in her honor,” the lady remarks. She pushes the one in my hand closer to me. “Would you like one?”

“No thanks. I don’t believe in that stuff,” I reply with a kind smile before placing the figure back down and walking away.

Gai catches up to me. “That was rude.”

“Was it?” I pause. “And on what authority do you have to call me rude? Four days ago, you had your hand under my shirt squeezing a tit.”

“It was an accident. I was asleep.”

“Yet when you woke up you took an extremely long time to move it off!”

“I didn’t know you were a non-believer,” says Gai, cutting away from the conversation.

“And what? You are a believer?” I raise an eyebrow. “Doesn’t seem like you. You’re more rebellious.”

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re the odd one. I’ve never met a person who didn’t believe in the Gods before,” reflects Gai, concerned.

“Is that illegal?”

“I’m not sure.”

I flip my hair behind my shoulder. “Then it doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. How can you say you know so much about the nature of war and politics when you don’t even take into account the religious beliefs motivating those involved?”

I pause.

Dammit, he’s right.

Even if I think it’s not important, everyone else in the world does to some degree or another. Religion is a strong motivator. How foolish of me.

I spin around on my heel, placing my hands behind my back submissively. “It’s not that I don’t know. I just don’t remember. Refresh me then, what Gods do Agias and Viorna believe in?”

“That’s what I thought,” mutters Gai.

I blink.

“The people of Agias worship largely the human-turned-God, Idris,” Gai quips. “The story goes that Idris was a human with great powers who led a rebellion against the Gods for crimes against humankind. He was killed but deified by the Gods as a representative of humans and of war.”

“Odd for a country that prides itself on neutrality to look up to such a rebellious figure.”

“Well, the legend goes that Idris is from that country. Pretty sure that’s why it's their national deity.”

“Cool, cool. And Viorna?”

“They actually worship two Gods. Kallisto, God of the Moons and Peace, and Isis, the God of the Sun and Chaos. That country is really into balance, so they worship them equally,” says Gai.

“Like yin and yang then. Huh.” I pause. “I think I was right before. None of that shit matters.” I grin. “Fucking nerd!” I say meanly, a product of my drunken mind. “You rattled all that off the top of your head, huh?!” I lightly pat his cheek. “Good for you! You’re so smart! Good boy!”

“Whatever, heretic,” Gai mulls in a dry tone. “Don’t give me new kinks.”

“Gross.” I drunkenly grab Gai’s hand. “Come on. Let’s find the Voiced.”

“You still want to do that?” Gai makes a surprised face. “Damn, I was hoping you’d forget.”

“That’s why we’re here!”

“Can’t we just enjoy the feast?”

“Haven’t we already? Come on!”

We move through the festivities within the central ring of Water’s Bastion. Decadent wealth streams out. The waters are alight with floating candles. Boozers litter the streets, dancing with glee. Music booms in the background filling the air with happy tunes. Even so, patrols are out in full force. There’s more than usual, but that’s to be expected given Nigel and Remi’s response this afternoon.

After an hour or so of looking, we find no sign of the Voiced.

“It’s a warning. We should enjoy the night and head home,” Gai assesses upon seeing my frustration.

My eyes glance about, looking for any sign of this person. “Stop being so quick to give up.”

“I think helping you do something I don’t want to for as long as I have shows some sort of reluctant compliance,” Gai dispatches rather bluntly.

“That’s...fair.”

“And you convinced me to come along in such a mean way.”

“Get over it.”

“It won’t work a second time,” reasons Gai.

I glance at him. My eyebrow raises. “We’ll see.”

Gai sighs. “At least I have something to look forward to then. Can we leave now?”

I linger.

We haven’t been able to find the Voiced. It’ll be morning in a few hours. We’ve drank, eaten, and looked about long enough, I suppose. Maybe it’s not meant to—

“Are you headed to the slums?” asks a voice as it runs by me. “Word is the Voiced is there.”

“Of course!” says a second voice within the crowd. “Wouldn’t miss it!”

I grab Gai’s shirt sleeve excitedly.

“Ah shit,” mutters Gai.

Moments later, we arrive in the slums.

Slums is a slang word for the outer rung of the city hugging the outskirts. Housing is cheap. It’s closer to the farms. The bars are essentially shacks. “Slums” works to describe the place, but there were worse places in New York City.

“There’s no one here,” I mutter as the two of us pace around.

“Thank the Gods.”

We follow the outer ring for a bit until the emptiness of the territory soon explodes with crowds of people. Guards move about in a much heavier presence as if they’re protecting, or watching over, in this case, something important. There are even some on the rooftops.

Cheers of admiration explode from the crowds.

“I touched her!”

“She looked in my direction!”

“She’s so beautiful!”

“Thank you, merciful Marx! Loving Tellus!”

Gai and I enter the crowd. We bob and weave until we’re closer to the excitement. A guard blocks my view as I arrive at the front, but I see her over the man’s shoulder. The Voiced.

Beautiful hair flows from her head. It’s peculiar. The left half is black while the right half is white. The color’s clearly fake, but I have no idea why she’d do that to her hair. I mean, it looks incredible on her. I couldn’t imagine anyone looking better with the style. The curls land delicately on her shoulders and cascade down her back. The texture ripples like perfect waves coasting along crystal-clear water.

The Voiced is tall. Taller than me, at least. She must be around five-foot-eight if I had to guess. Her chest is noticeable though incomparable to mine, a fact I never thought I’d be competitive about, but here we are. Even so, she’s much more attractive than me. Insanely so. I would go as far as to say she’s the most beautiful person I’ve seen in my entire conscious existence.

Breathtaking, really.

Her curves are any man’s “must-haves” on his ideal, perfect woman. Her limbs are perfectly proportional. Her height suits her. Her hair. Her body. Even the way she walks. All of it is tailored for attraction. I should know because I’m very, very attracted right now.

The outfit she wears is odd, even for this world. It seems she likes the black-and-white themes because her outfit is similarly styled. A simple strapless white dress hugs her body like a second skin from her breasts down to just at her upper thigh. A longer, larger black skirt is belted right where her belly button would be. The front is open allowing the front of the white dress to peek through, but the remainder falls around the sides of her hips and backside. It's textured almost like a coat of sorts. Separate and separated tight black sleeves cover both her arms. They still leave room for her shoulders to peek out. Near her biceps and wrists, they are double-layered and folded over to add volume. A high black choker tightens around her neck, covers the top part of her chest, and wraps around the underside of both her armpits. A flowing, almost tattered black cloak with a hood hangs loosely around her, almost like an expensive bed sheet was cut up, given sentience, and told to follow her.

It seems she likes black more than white since it’s the predominant tint.

With all the unique style, it’s almost hard to notice the giant jagged black bow strung across her back and the arrows strapped to her side in a secured quiver.

That’s leaving out her more outstanding features. Her face is flawless. Round without a single freckle, spot, or scar. Her eyebrows are perfectly manicured. She has good cheekbones and a delicate jawline.

All of that allures me. The Felix part of my brain has utterly fallen for her.

Then there are her eyes…

A brilliant, powerful golden color. The single black pupil sitting in the middle does little to alleviate the unnaturally colored eyes. The outsides are still white. They do not look like a cat’s. The pupils themselves are merely a deep, deep gold that seems to shine like the metal itself.

Being in her presence is almost suffocating.

“Please, bless me!” An old lady rushes forward. She pushes past the guards. Immediately, she bows before the Voiced. “My body is old and frail. I will die soon. Please, ease the burden of my soul. Bless me!” She looks up with teary eyes. “Provide me with the comfort of the Gods as they bestowed it upon you, their emissary! Our shining light in this bleak world!”

Gai curses. “Dumb old crone.”

The Voiced raises her hands. “There’s no need to be violent,” she speaks. And oh, what a voice. Angelic. It’s the voice you’d imagine for that body, that look. Sweet. High-pitched. Like an acapella from a gifted singer.

Wait, violent?

I glance over the Voiced’s shoulder. Two men follow her. One with blonde hair stretching to a braided ponytail, but shaved sides cut completely bare, raises a bow. An arrow sticks to its string. He wears an assortment of black leather armors with a cloak not totally dissimilar from the one the Voiced is wearing now. Beside him, a man with scruffy dark brown hair and a trimmed beard raises a long sword. Both have alert, murderous looks on their faces.

But as the Voiced spoke, they returned to their normal stances.

I didn’t even notice they were there.

The Voiced kneels before the lady. She smiles into her eyes. “The Gods have already blessed you, have they not? Do you have a family?”

The old lady nods.

“Do you love them?”

Another nod.

“Then you are blessed. Do not neglect what has already been given. Life is fleeting. We must all die one day, but to ignore the beauty that your life has afforded you is to spit in the Gods’ faces,” the Voiced coos.

The old lady shudders. She bows her head to the dirt. “I’m sorry, emissary! Forgive my intrusion!”

“Emissary?” I ask of Gai since he’s apparently a religious encyclopedia now.

“Everyone has different names for the Voiced,” Gai informs me. “Emissary. Prophet. Chosen. Terms along those lines.”

“Interesting,” I take in the information. Looking at Gai, he, too, cannot keep his eyes off the Voiced.

The Voiced stands. Guards pull the old lady back into the crowd.

That does not stop the disturbances. As the Voiced begins moving, in our direction no less, people cannot help but react. Some cry out in worship. Others drop to their knees, begging for forgiveness for their sins. Women and men alike stare with desire. One person even strips naked and runs at the Voiced. The guards restrained him before he was killed by the Voiced’s followers.

“A lively crowd!” The Voiced laughs at the altercation. “React how you will. I am merely here to see this great city I have heard so much about,” she cries. “Your farmland is lovely. Your food is fresh. None of you appear starved, even the poorest among you. It is a miracle one might not have expected of these lands three or four decades ago.”

“Ah.”

“What?”

“She’s here to check up on our agriculture,” I mutter. “Voiced or not, she’s still from Brosnock. We’ve been slowly trying to make ourselves less reliant on food imports from their country. She must have heard word and decided to check up on things for herself. This could be bad.” I turn to Gai. “What do you think this means?”

Gai doesn’t answer. He merely stares ahead.

“Gai!” I tug on his shirt. “Talk to me. You’re the smart one while I’m drunk. Speak!”

Instead, Gai stares ahead, unblinking. His hand reaches out to me. It grabs under my chin. Against my will, he forces my head forward.

“What are you—”

I freeze.

The crowd has parted. The Voiced stares at me. She seems surprised. Then, her gaze changes to one of excitement. Joy, even. A soft smile plays on her lips as she moves ever closer. Soon, no one is between her and me as she looks directly in my eyes.

My breath catches in my throat.

Gai tightly holds onto my hand. I can feel his palms begin to shake.

The Voiced looks me up and down. Tension rises in the back of my spine. I can feel fear, for some reason, permeate my heart.

“You are…lovely. What is your name?” she directs candidly towards me.

My words catch in my mouth. I try to speak but cannot.

Gai intercepts for me. “Sorry, prophet. We did not mean to stand in your way. Allow us to remove ourselves from your path.” He begins pulling me away, the grip of his hand tightening.

Suddenly, we’re stopped.

The Voiced grabs my other wrist. She continues to look at me. Her focus pays no mind to Gai or the things he said. “I want to talk to you. Don’t leave.”

“I-I-I do not wish to impose, pr-prophet,” I mutter oddly. My heart begins beating exceedingly faster.

Over the Voiced’s shoulder, the guards stare at us. Not the Voiced’s guards, as they seem rather bland about the situation. The ones employed in the city provide me with terrified stares.

The Voiced continues to smile kindly. She moves her head forward until her lips nearly touch my ear.

“I insist,” the Voiced urges calmly into my ear. She pulls back. Her smile never leaves her face. Her words radiated one feeling: death.

I pause. A smile forces its way upon my lips as well. “How can I refuse such a generous offer?” I manage to say without stuttering. There’s no point in running. It’s obvious.

The Voiced immediately turns around and walks past her guards. They stand before me, daring me to flee. “I wish to speak with this one privately,” the Voiced says as she arrives near a soldier of the city.

From a glance, I recognize the person. It’s Captain Van Gallan. Nigel stands next to him with the other men and women chosen to be candidates for captain.

Nigel looks at me. Because of my attire, I doubt he can tell who I am. My hair and face are hidden behind the hood of my jacket.

“We had an agreement. You said you would not kill nor take anyone from this city,” says Captain Van Gallan.

“And who says I shall do either? I said talk. I wish to talk with that one. Nothing will happen to her,” the Voiced replies. “But what if something does? What if I decided to cut that girl into pieces and spread her lifeless chunks within these canals your baron seems so proud of? Is there anything you could do to stop it?”

The captain does not reply.

“Glad we have come to an understanding. I ratify my promise. Nothing will befall that young woman. You have my word. Seeing her, I no longer have any desire to visit your baron. What I need from you is to ensure everyone leaves. I demand it. Otherwise, I might get upset.”

Captain Van Gallan’s gaze shifts lightly, hearing the Voiced no longer wants to visit the baron. It causes him to look in my direction again. He stares at my face, but I look down in shame. He might do something if he knows it is me. I don’t want anyone to die. Even if the Voiced is blowing up her own abilities, I won’t test her. History reflects an immense fear of the Voiced that has to come from somewhere.

“It might go better if you give an order,” the captain begrudgingly admits after a moment.

“And so I shall, but move the traffic away quicker. And do not follow me. Your presence will only disturb me further. I’ll check back in before I leave in the morning if that’ll ease your mind,” the Voiced remarks calmly.

“If that is what you wish.”

The Voiced steps in the middle of the crowd. “Go home, everybody! I tire! I have succeeded in finding what I wish. I will depart in the morning. Please, stand at the gates and wait patiently for me at sunrise. I shall greet you all then.”

With her words, the people comply. Eighty percent of the citizens leave as soon as the word is given. The rest are ushered away by the guards. Some people linger off in the distance, but the only people that remain in the streets are me, Gai, the Voiced, and her two guards.

Holy shit, that kind of influence over the masses is insane.

“And you are still here because?” the Voiced speaks in Gai’s direction.

Bows and swords are drawn by the Voiced’s followers. They’re directed at Gai.

“Wait!” I stand before Gai with my arms out. My figure blocks him from getting targeted. “He’s my husband! I love him! Don’t kill him!” I lie immediately to save his life.

“Husband?” the Voiced considers. She looks between the two of us. “Is that what you’re going with? If you’re that desperate to keep him then he can come.” She steps past me so quickly that I don’t even see her move. Gai is shoved away from me. “But you’re staying with my friends here. Let the women chat while you have some male bonding time.” She orders as an arm lands over my shoulders.

The Voiced begins guiding me down the street.

I keep up appearances, but fear swells inside my soul.

Even with all my skills, I can sense it; I couldn’t beat her. I wouldn’t even come close in a fight. I can’t run either.

I’m prey.

She’s the predator.